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author = {Snowden-Swan, L and Schmidt, A and Fuller, C and Anderson, D},
title = {Hydrothermal Processing of Wastewater Solids (HYPOWERs) Project Preliminary Techno-Economic Analysis},
institution = {Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)},
year = {2024},
month = {sep},
number = {PNNL-36528},
doi = {10.2172/2439694},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2439694},
keywords = {Wastes and Byproducts, Bio-crude, Thermochemical, Biochemical, Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA), Demonstration Projects and Case Studies},
}
RIS
TI - Hydrothermal Processing of Wastewater Solids (HYPOWERs) Project Preliminary Techno-Economic Analysis
AU - Snowden-Swan, L
AU - Schmidt, A
AU - Fuller, C
AU - Anderson, D
AB - A techno-economic analysis was conducted for a conceptual full-scale nth plant for hydrothermal processing (HTP) of Central Contra Costa Sanitary District’s waste sludge. The HTP plant includes hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) of the HTL aqueous phase. Figure ES.1 gives a summary of the resulting process economics for the HTP plant. The minimum biocrude selling price (MBSP) at which the net present value of the project is zero is $2.77/gasoline gallon equivalent (gge) or $3.00/gallon, including the avoided current cost sludge disposal (incineration) and renewable fuel credits from federal Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits. Estimated renewable fuel credits are based on an assumed 60% reduction in carbon intensity relative to petroleum, a D3 RIN price of $1.48 and an LCFS credit price of $85.8/tonne CO2-e avoided. RIN and LCFS prices are based on two-year market averages, 80% discounted to reflect after-trading net revenue. Inclusion of renewable fuel credits and avoided cost of sludge incineration (-$146/dry ton) reduces the MBSP by $4.06/gge and $1.70/gge, respectively. Sensitivity analysis around key assumptions for the HTP plant reveals that the MBSP is very sensitive to renewable fuel credit prices, carbon intensity reduction, avoided cost of current sludge treatment, and economic assumptions including internal rate of return, Lang factor, and labor cost. Evaluation of two alternative configurations, the first where co-product methane gas is burned on-site for heat, and the second where the aqueous phase from hydrothermal liquefaction is recycled directly to the headworks, results in MBSPs of $3.82/gge and $1.37/gge, respectively. Preliminary analysis of pioneer plant costs suggests an increase in capital investment of 75% and decrease in average on-stream factor of 9% relative to the nth plant analysis, resulting in a MBSP of $7.21/gge. Preliminary comparative analysis with anaerobic digestion (AD) suggests that HTP results in revenue approximately 4 times higher than AD where biogas is used for combined heat and power, and approximately 40% higher than AD where biogas is sold as transportation fuel. Biocrude is assumed to be converted to transportation fuel blendstocks at a separate (stand-alone) upgrading plant. Figure ES.2 gives a summary of the process economics for the upgrading plant. The upgrading plant is envisioned to be in a centralized location that can collect biocrude from multiple sources in a region and therefore takes advantage of economies of scale. Co-processing at a petroleum refinery is also an opportunity that is currently being explored. The minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of the combined upgraded fuel blendstocks is $3.83/gge ($4.10/gal diesel; $3.78/gal naphtha).
DA - 2024/09//
PY - 2024
SP - 59
PB - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
SN - PNNL-36528
UR - https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2439694
DO - 10.2172/2439694
LA - English
KW - Wastes and Byproducts
KW - Bio-crude
KW - Thermochemical
KW - Biochemical
KW - Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA)
KW - Demonstration Projects and Case Studies
ER -
Abstract
A techno-economic analysis was conducted for a conceptual full-scale nth plant for hydrothermal processing (HTP) of Central Contra Costa Sanitary District’s waste sludge. The HTP plant includes hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) of the HTL aqueous phase. Figure ES.1 gives a summary of the resulting process economics for the HTP plant. The minimum biocrude selling price (MBSP) at which the net present value of the project is zero is $2.77/gasoline gallon equivalent (gge) or $3.00/gallon, including the avoided current cost sludge disposal (incineration) and renewable fuel credits from federal Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits. Estimated renewable fuel credits are based on an assumed 60% reduction in carbon intensity relative to petroleum, a D3 RIN price of $1.48 and an LCFS credit price of $85.8/tonne CO2-e avoided. RIN and LCFS prices are based on two-year market averages, 80% discounted to reflect after-trading net revenue. Inclusion of renewable fuel credits and avoided cost of sludge incineration (-$146/dry ton) reduces the MBSP by $4.06/gge and $1.70/gge, respectively. Sensitivity analysis around key assumptions for the HTP plant reveals that the MBSP is very sensitive to renewable fuel credit prices, carbon intensity reduction, avoided cost of current sludge treatment, and economic assumptions including internal rate of return, Lang factor, and labor cost. Evaluation of two alternative configurations, the first where co-product methane gas is burned on-site for heat, and the second where the aqueous phase from hydrothermal liquefaction is recycled directly to the headworks, results in MBSPs of $3.82/gge and $1.37/gge, respectively. Preliminary analysis of pioneer plant costs suggests an increase in capital investment of 75% and decrease in average on-stream factor of 9% relative to the nth plant analysis, resulting in a MBSP of $7.21/gge. Preliminary comparative analysis with anaerobic digestion (AD) suggests that HTP results in revenue approximately 4 times higher than AD where biogas is used for combined heat and power, and approximately 40% higher than AD where biogas is sold as transportation fuel. Biocrude is assumed to be converted to transportation fuel blendstocks at a separate (stand-alone) upgrading plant. Figure ES.2 gives a summary of the process economics for the upgrading plant. The upgrading plant is envisioned to be in a centralized location that can collect biocrude from multiple sources in a region and therefore takes advantage of economies of scale. Co-processing at a petroleum refinery is also an opportunity that is currently being explored. The minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of the combined upgraded fuel blendstocks is $3.83/gge ($4.10/gal diesel; $3.78/gal naphtha).