Projects
ClearFuels is currently developing a demonstration facility to prove our biomass-to-fuel processes on a commercially-scalable level. ClearFuels has also initiated the project development of five commercial biorefinery facilities in the U.S. to be completed by 2015.
Commerce City, Colorado
Renewable FT Diesel Demonstration Facility
This ClearFuels-Rentech demonstration facility will convert wood waste to renewable FT diesel.
The facility will be co-located with Rentech’s Product Demonstration Unit ("PDU") in Commerce
City, Colorado and will be constructed as part of a broader partnership between ClearFuels and
Rentech. The ClearFuels-Rentech partnership plans to achieve several key commercial demonstration
milestones in 2010 and 2011 that will provide the design and engineering basis to construct our
first commercial-scale renewable FT diesel facility. The demonstration facility will leverage
ClearFuels’ BTG platform to convert wood waste into syngas that will then be converted to renewable
FT diesel using Rentech’s FT diesel technology. The $80 million Rentech PDU began producing FT diesel
from natural gas in July 2008 and is the only synthetic fuels facility currently producing
transportation fuels in the U.S.. Rentech will add to the natural gas-derived syngas it is currently
using from its SMR to use biomass derived syngas from the ClearFuels HEHTR once the ClearFuels BTG
platform is installed.
Collinwood,Tennessee
ClearFuels announced in February 2010 our co-located bio-refinery project at the Hughes Hardwood International (HHI) site in Collinwood Tennessee, shown below. Utilizing 1,000 bone dry tons/day (BDT/d) of local timber resources the plant will produce approximately 20 million gallons per year of very high quality renewable liquid fuels plus 6-8 MW of export electric power.
The project will use ClearFuels’ High Efficiency Hydrothermal Reformation process (HEHTR®) to produce syngas that will then be converted to renewable diesel and naphtha fuels through Rentech, Inc.’s proprietary Fischer-Tropsch process. ClearFuels and Rentech have a unique partnership to deploy the complete “fiber to fuel” thermochemical process for multiple cellulosic feedstocks. Our combined technology will be fully validated at Rentech’s Product Demonstration Unit (PDU) in Colorado with the addition of ClearFuels’ HEHTR® in 2010-2011. This demonstration project is under partial sponsorship of the US Department of Energy through a contract with ClearFuels Technology, Inc.
Co-location with HHI will provide existing local infrastructure and facilities as well as steam and electric loads at HHI’s operations for excess steam and electric power from our bio-refinery. Steam and power will be produced using modern gas turbine combined cycle technology. We expect export power to be purchased by TVA’s local power distribution affiliate.
RenDiesel ®, the renewable diesel to be produced at the facility, meets all applicable fuels standards, is compatible with existing engines and pipelines and burns cleanly, with emissions of particulates and other regulated pollutants significantly lower than the emissions from the combustion of ultra-low sulfur diesel.
Feedstock for the plant will come from timber operations in the region. We expect a mix of slash and underutilized wood products, along with local mill residues, to provide a large fraction of the 1000 BDT/d the plant will require.
ClearFuels plans to break ground on the bio-refinery in late 2011 or early 2012, with the plant reaching commercial operation in late 2013 to early 2014. Initial design and permitting work will be under way in the 3rd quarter of 2010.
The Collinwood facility will represent an investment of roughly $200 million by ClearFuels. The construction phase will ramp up to employ up to 250 people. Once in operation the plant will create approximately 50 direct jobs. In addition approximately 100 indirect jobs will be created in harvesting, processing and transportation of feedstock. Local and regional support for the project has been very enthusiastic and pro-active. As noted in Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen’s press release February 23, 2010: “Tennessee has a nationally recognized positive business climate and demonstrated commitment to the clean energy industries. Alternative fuels are a pillar of Tennessee’s green portfolio, and today’s investment in Collinwood is an affirmation of our state’s important role in the continued growth of this emerging sector.”
ClearFuels Technology, Inc. is proud to be part of helping to achieve increased national energy security with high quality “drop-in” home grown fuels and energy products from our Collinwood Tennessee bio-refinery.