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 The Program
hydrogen) is conditioned to remove
impurities such as tars and meth-
The U.S. Department of Energy
ane, and to adjust the hydrogen-to-
(DOE), through its Biofuels Systems
carbon monoxide ratio to 2:l. The
Division, sponsors the Biomass-
syngas is then reacted over a cata-
to-Methanol Program managed by
lyst at elevated temperatures and
the National Renewable Energy
pressures to form methanol.
Laboratory (NREL). The program
concentrates on two areas: develop-
ing catalysts that can reduce the
impurities formed during biomass
Sugarcane residue, called bagasse,
gasification while simultaneously
is one of the first biomass
producing the desired hydrogen-
feedstocks that will be converted
carbon monoxide mix; and demon-
to methanol. Bagasse is
strating a biomass-to-methanol pilot
generated during the milling of
plant. The goal of the program is to
sugarcane and is plentiful in places
reduce the cost of methanol from
like Hawaii.
biomass to $0.13/liter ($0.50/gal-
lon) from its present estimated cost
of $0.22/liter ($0.84/gallon). At the
reduced price it will be competitive
with the wholesale price of gasoline
from oil at $25/barrel.
NREL researchers are using novel
catalysts to demonstrate that simul-
taneous gas conditioning and com-
position adjustment is possible at
the laboratory scale. Additional
work is needed, however, to deter-
mine if the catalysts can destroy
impurities from various feedstocks
and produce an acceptable product
for methanol synthesis under realis-
tic operating conditions.
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