Black & Veatch develops new syngas gasification process

Black & Veatch in Overland Park, Kansas has begun marketing a new gasification system to biofuel producers.

Unlike conventional fermentation processes which are dependent upon grains or other costly feedstocks, the Black and Veatch "Clean Energy Technologies (CET) process uses carbonaceous materials such as corn stover, switchgrass, wood waste and other types of biomass and plant waste, to produce a syngas that is catalytically converted to ethanol or other products.

In the CET process, carbonaceous materials are heated in the presence of steam and absence of oxygen to produce a synthesis gas (or syngas) composed primarily of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The resulting syngas is then passed through special catalysts to produce the desired product such as ethanol, methanol, synthetic diesel, aviation, or other fuels, as well as chemicals such as hydrogen and ammonia.

Black & Veatch plans to engineer, design and construct initial plants utilizing the CET process, and will ultimately license the technology to others through a subsidiary called Clean Energy Technologies LLC.

The CET process has been shortlisted for the award of a U.S. Government grant for the demonstration of a commercial integrated biorefinery plant, the company says. CET will be commercializing the process through this government demonstration project or through an alternative project in the near future.

Because the CET process uses generally available materials, fuel processing plants can be constructed closer to higher population areas where fuel demand is greatest, which lowers the transportation and overall product costs, the company claimed.

Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets. The company was founded in 1915.

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