TIDMEQT
RNS Number : 6427H
EQTEC PLC
31 July 2023
31 July 2023
EQTEC plc
("EQTEC", the "Company" or the "Group")
Successful Steam-Oxygen Gasification Tests for Biogaz Gardanne
Project
EQTEC plc (AIM: EQT), a global technology innovator powering
distributed, decarbonised, new energy infrastructure through its
waste-to-value solutions for hydrogen, biofuels, and energy
generation, is pleased to announce successful completion of
steam-oxygen gasification tests (the "Tests") carried out in
partnership with the Energy from Biomass and Wastes ("ERBE") team,
part of the Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Matériau
Bois ("LERMAB") at Université de Lorraine ("UL") in Epinal, France,
as part of feasibility work on the Biogaz Gardanne project awarded
to the Company in March 2023 by the Préfet de la Région
Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur in France (the "Project").
The Tests confirmed that similar results to those achieved with
EQTEC steam-oxygen gasification technology at the LERMAB facility
can be directly applied at commercial scale, for the Project and
other plants seeking to produce advanced biofuels. More than merely
a testing site, the LERMAB facility is a smaller version of a
commercial-scale plant, with complete, end-to-end capabilities for
feedstock conversion into synthesis gas ("syngas"). Just as the
LERMAB facility runs an autonomous and autothermic process, so too
will EQTEC installations into commercial-scale plants be able to
operate without the need for supply of external energy.
The three objectives of the Tests were: (1) assess the
feasibility of steam-oxygen gasification of Grade B waste wood; (2)
validate in a live environment the simulation results already
produced through EQTEC's proprietary simulation model; and (3)
evaluate the quality of the syngas produced through the process
toward its input into the subsequent methanation process.
The Tests successfully achieved all objectives:
(1) The EQTEC technology demonstrated continuous, efficient and
productive conversion of Grade B waste wood, which is made complex
by contamination with non-reactive materials such as glass or metal
that must be removed from the fluidised bed to avoid low-efficiency
reactions, as well as other materials such as polymers, which
contain compounds that, left unmanaged, would impact the process
and syngas quality;
(2) The results of the Tests provided a clear match with the
data produced through EQTEC's proprietary simulation model,
including stable fluidisation and temperature in the gasification
reactor, which indicates efficient oxygen distribution and
feedstock conversion, as well as evolution of syngas composition
through the process; and
(3) The syngas produced through the steam-oxygen gasification
approach was of high quality, with much larger proportions of
hydrogen ("H2") and carbon monoxide ("CO") than typically produced
through the air-blown gasification approach, indicating strong
potential for upgrading of the gas to support efficient methanation
and production of renewable natural gas ("RNG").
Additionally, the Tests validated the responsiveness of EQTEC's
proprietary control systems over the process, testing changes to
process parameters and quick response of the gasifier reactions to
create stable processing through management of temperature,
pressure and other factors to optimise gas composition.
The Tests were undertaken on the basis of a design concept for
the Project that envisions a waste-to-energy facility that would
cleanly and sustainably convert up to 100,000 tonnes per year of
Grade B waste wood into RNG for injection into the natural grid,
through an integrated gasification and methanation process.
The Project is currently completing a holistic feasibility on
market dynamics, site specifications and technical requirements,
and the Tests provide essential validation to the proposed
waste-to-RNG solution with EQTEC's proprietary and patented
steam-oxygen gasification technology.
Yoel Alemán, CTO of EQTEC, commented:
"These tests represent an important milestone for EQTEC in our
technology innovation roadmap. The development of a steam-oxygen
gasification process is key to application of EQTEC syngas to
generation of a diversity of offtakes including hydrogen, methane
or other biofuels (including sustainable aviation fuel or SAF),
from a wide range of fuels including biomass, refuse-derived fuel
(RDF), plastics and others.
"There are few successful steam-oxygen gasification facilities
in the world, and we believe our success with these tests puts us
at the forefront of clean, waste-to-value capabilities. From a
technical perspective, we were pleased at how smoothly the
technology performed throughout. The data we gathered will allow us
to fine-tune our proprietary process capabilities and we look
forward to applying the new knowledge to commercial-scale
plants."
Yann Rogaume, Professor and Head of the ERBE Team,
commented:
"The focus of these tests was not simply to determine the syngas
quality obtained from conversion of Grade B wood waste, but to
demonstrate the stability of the fluidisation and gasification
processes and evaluate the variation of the process parameters on
the thermochemical conversion process to optimise the production of
syngas. We are satisfied that the tests indicate an efficient and
effective conversion of a complex feedstock into syngas that is
capable of supporting a high yield methanation process."
David Le Saint, Managing Director of EQTEC France SAS,
commented:
"The Biogaz Gardanne project is one of several renewable energy
projects in France enjoying strong community and government support
at local, prefectural and national levels. It is indicative of
France's progressive approach to development of new energy
infrastructure, and we are delighted to be a part of helping to
deliver that.
"For EQTEC, the active application of the steam-oxygen
capabilities we installed in 2022 at the UL facility supports our
innovation agenda, our business strategy and the Biogaz Gardanne
project directly. The conclusions of these tests are important for
demonstrating EQTEC's capabilities in applying our versatile syngas
technology to a variety of applications, including RNG, which is
rapidly becoming a growth market in France. I look forward to
adding these exciting results to our feasibility work and to
driving the project forward as a result."
ENQUIRIES
EQTEC plc
David Palumbo / Nauman Babar +44 20 3883 7009
Strand Hanson - Nomad & Financial
Adviser
James Harris / Richard Johnson +44 20 7409 3494
----------------------------
Panmure Gordon - Broker
John Prior / Hugh Rich +44 20 7886 2500
----------------------------
Instinctif - Media & investor EQTEC@instinctif.com
relations enquiries +44 791 717 8920 / +44 788
Guy Scarborough / Tim Field 788 4794
----------------------------
About steam-oxygen gasification
EQTEC's patented and proprietary synthesis gas ("syngas")
technology enables a range of offtake applications through either
an air-blown gasification process or a steam-oxygen gasification
process.
Air-blown gasification supports electrical power and thermal
energy applications, where the mix of hydrogen, methane and carbon
dioxide in the syngas is less critical for the offtake application.
Steam-oxygen gasification supports hydrogen, renewable natural gas
("RNG") and other advanced biofuel applications, where optimisation
of the hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide mix is critical for
efficiency and productivity of the offtake.
One of the greatest challenges for steam-oxygen gasification is
efficient distribution of oxygen across the fluidised bed in the
gasification reactor. Historically, most trials of this approach,
by a range of research institutes and companies, have failed to
achieve this, resulting in lower feedstock conversion efficiency, a
lower quality syngas and thus a lower production and/or efficiency
of hydrogen, methane or other offtake.
Tests undertaken by EQTEC in October 2022, together with the
Energy from Biomass and Wastes ("ERBE") team, part of the
Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Matériau Bois
("LERMAB") at Université de Lorraine ("UL") in Epinal, France, was
the team's first attempt with steam-oxygen gasification at the
LERMAB facility, based on EQTEC's upgrades of the facility. The
test was very successful, with strong stability in fluidisation and
gasification temperature, which together indicate highly efficient
oxygen distribution and feedstock conversion.
These tests, analyses and data generated will support
refinements to EQTEC's proprietary process design, computational
modelling and control systems in the interest of supporting a range
of offtake applications.
About the project
EQTEC announced in March 2023 that it had been appointed by the
French national government via the Préfet de la Région
Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur (the "Prefecture") to lead a technical
and commercial feasibility (the "Feasibility") on the site of a
decommissioned, coal-fired power station in Meyreuil,
Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (the "Site").
The Gardanne power station ("Gardanne") was an 850 MWe
coal-fired power station owned by Gazel Energie France, the fourth
largest provider of electricity and gas in France and a wholly
owned subsidiary of Czech multinational energy infrastructure
owner-operator Energetický a pr myslový holding, a.s. ("Group
EPH"). Following its July 2019 acquisition of Gardanne and other
assets previously owned by Uniper France, which coincided with the
French government's pledge to phase out coal power by 2022, Group
EPH closed the plant at the end of 2020 and in 2022 reopened part
of the plant as a 150 MWe biomass incineration facility.
The intention of national and regional stakeholders is to
revitalise the Site by deploying new energy infrastructure that is
clean, sustainable, and commercially viable, and to employ local
people, particularly workers from the legacy plant. Through the
Feasibility, the Prefecture and other stakeholders intend to
explore the technical and commercial viability of a potential
facility built around EQTEC technology, with particular interest in
production of renewable natural gas ("RNG") from a variety of wood
waste types.
Following the Feasibility, the Company will have the opportunity
for additional design work, in partnership with France-based
developers, to formalise a project and advance it toward financial
close.
About EQTEC
As one of the world's most experienced thermochemical conversion
technology and engineering companies, EQTEC delivers waste
management and new energy solutions through best-in-class
innovation and infrastructure engineering and value-added services
to owner-operators. EQTEC is one of only a few technology providers
directly addressing the challenge of replacing fossil fuels for
reliable, baseload energy. EQTEC's proven, proprietary and patented
technology is at the centre of clean energy projects, sourcing
local waste, championing local businesses, creating local jobs and
supporting the transition to localised, decentralised and resilient
energy systems.
EQTEC designs, specifies and delivers clean, syngas production
solutions in the USA, EU and UK, with highly efficient equipment
that is modular and scalable from 1MW to 30MW. EQTEC's versatile
solutions process 60 varieties of feedstock, including forestry
waste, agricultural waste, industrial waste and municipal waste,
all with no hazardous or toxic emissions. EQTEC's solutions produce
a pure, high-quality synthesis gas ("syngas") that can be used for
the widest range of applications, including the generation of
electricity and heat, production of renewable natural gas (through
methanation) or biofuels (through Fischer-Tropsch, gas-to-liquid
processing) and reforming of hydrogen.
EQTEC's technology integration capabilities enable the Group to
lead collaborative ecosystems of qualified partners and to build
sustainable waste reduction and green energy infrastructure around
the world.
The Company is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative
Investment Market (AIM) (ticker: EQT) and the London Stock Exchange
has awarded EQTEC the Green Economy Mark, which recognises listed
companies with 50% or more of revenues from environmental/green
solutions.
Further information on the Company can be found at www.eqtec.com
.
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