Benefits

Bagasse photo credit: Warren Gretz (DOE/NREL)

Virent is confident that the APR process will become a cost-effective means to produce localized hydrogen and/or other fuel gases, such as methane and propane, even before any consideration of the "green factor."

By using sugar-based feedstocks in a distributed system, we can effectively eliminate the issues surrounding hydrogen transport and storage, and open up the promise of the hydrogen economy.

Feedstocks include materials derived from corn, corn stover, sugar cane, sugar beets, soybeans and bagasse (sugar cane residue).

BENEFITS AT A GLANCE No Fossil Fuels Required. Generate carbon neutral, high energy fuels from renewable widely available biomass-derived feedstocks. Unteathered Operation. The APR system can operate independently from the electrical grid or natural gas supplies. Localized Production. On-demand hydrogen and alkanes with low capital investment. Friendly Operating Conditions. Significantly lower operating temperatures (240°C v. 800°C) allows for feedstock reformation and water-gas shift reaction to take place in one processing step. Simple Purification. Output pressures of APR hydrogen rich effluent (typically 10 to 50 bar) can be effectively purified, if desired, using either a pressure swing adsorption or palladium membrane technologies. Flexible. Can produce multiple fuels and fuel blends tailored to the needs of the power conversion device.

Power to the grid

In partnership with Madison Gas and Electric (MGE), Virent has integrated the APR system with an ICE powered generator set to deliver power to the grid. Virent is generating 10kW of power, exceeding its original goal of 5kW.

Environmental benefits

The emissions data from the GEM system is excellent confirming the environmental advantages of the biomass derived Supernatural Fuel. The unit is considered carbon neutral since the carbon is derived from renewable biomass.