The University of Twente is working together with two regional companies, OPRA and BTG-BTL, a UT spinoff, to develop a technique to achieve yields of up to 90% in the production of electricity and heat from carbon-neutral and sustainable pyrolysis oil derived from agricultural waste. In response to a growing need for green energy, they are developing a special combustion chamber for the ‘OP16 gas turbine’ specifically for the carbon-neutral pyrolysis oil. This will make it possible for the turbine to produce electricity and heat by using 100% renewable pyrolysis oil as fuel.
Up to 90% yield from renewable energy
The ‘green turbine’ will power a generator, creating a kind of small power plant in the vicinity of energy consumers. In addition to electric current, this ‘mini power plant’ will also produce considerable amounts of heat. Since the installation will be located in the vicinity of houses and office buildings, the exhaust gas heat can be recovered at very high efficiency and transported to industrial projects, offices and even entire residential districts for home heating purposes. The electricity produced can be used locally or supplied to the grid. Total efficiency can be as high as 90% if exhaust heat is recovered in addition to the production of electrical power.
The OP16 gas turbine is manufactured by OPRA in the city of Hengelo. It is an industrial grade, radial turbine boasting the highest efficiency in the 2 Megawatt power range. OP16 units can optionally be combined in power plants capable of effectively generating 1.5 to 10 MWe. BTG-BTL, a company in Enschede, will supply the pyrolysis oil in large quantities. The oil will be extracted at a new pyrolysis plant to be built in Hengelo.
Carbon-neutral oil
The press has devoted considerable coverage to the University of Twente’s work in the area of pyrolysis oil; this development represents a new, practical application. The green oil is extracted from forestry and agricultural waste. In a special process, this biomass is heated to 500 degrees Celsius and ‘split’ into smaller molecules that constitute the oil; in essence, the biomass is liquefied. Since the oil is carbon-neutral, the energy produced from it is carbon-neutral, too. Tests are being conducted on power plants that run on carbon-neutral fuel. They will be refined in the coming year and then put on the market.
BE2.O
This new project is part of the BE2.O programme, funded by the Province of Overijssel with an initial grant of 2.5 million euros. This joint programme of the Province of Overijssel, the University of Twente and regional companies aims to expand the use of bio-energy. The emphasis is on accelerating innovations, both in a technical and socio-economic sense.
For more information, please see: www.BE2O.nl and www.overijssel.nl/nieuweenergie
Note to the press: For further details please contact Marcel Hammink: +31 (0)6 53213917.
