Spanish university looks to produce biofuels from syngas

Irish waste-to-energy company EQTEC has been awarded a contract for the upgrade of the existing syngas research and development facility at the University of Extremadura in Badajoz, Spain.

The award of the upgrade contract follows a successful funding application by the University to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to secure funding for the testing of the production of biofuels from syngas using a Fisher-Tropsch process and unit. Installation of a Fisher-Tropsch unit will allow the production of sustainable biofuels utilising the high quality syngas produced from EQTEC’s advanced gasification process, which has been used at the facility since 2010.

EQTEC is responsible for purchasing, installing, commissioning and startup of the Fischer-Tropsch unit. The installation of the Fischer-Tropsch unit, along with sign off from the University, is anticipated to be completed in Q3 2020.

The Fischer-Tropsch process is a catalytic chemical reaction in which compounds in syngas are converted into liquid transportation fuels. Following completion of this upgrade, EQTEC will have the ability to carry out tests with a variety of biomass and waste feedstocks, which will be processed into a clean syngas and then into sustainable biofuels such as biodiesel and other transportation fuels.

“Our continuous work with universities and technology research centres is a testament of our ambition to remain a technology thought leader in our sector and our desire to continue to develop our technology for wider applications,” Yoel Aleman, chief technology officer of EQTEC, commented. “Having access to the testing Facility, where we could use the pure syngas produced from our advanced gasification technology to produce biofuels, should assist in validating to all future stakeholders the quality of our process and the versatility of application of our technology.”

Dr. Juan Félix González González, professor of the School of Industrial Engineering of the University of Extremadura, commented: “We have been working with Yoel Aleman and the engineering team at EQTEC for a number of years now.  We believe that their depth of knowledge and technical capabilities are second to none and that they have developed a technology that it is unrivalled in its versatility and reliability. We continue to endorse them to any player in the sector looking for a knowledgeable team, with technical expertise that can be applied to the most complex projects.”