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Intensified smaller scale GTL process Laura Barrio PIN-24, Newcastle, 21 st June 2016
Intensified smaller scale GTL process
Laura BarrioPIN-24, Newcastle, 21st June 2016
• Our business
• Our technology at a glance— Catalyst— Microchannel technology
• Commercialising our offer— Development tools &
scale-up methodology
• Current & future projects
2
Overview
• Leader in smaller scale gas-to-liquids technology— 15 years and >$300 million invested in product development— Exhaustive global patent protection— Robust technology
>1.3 million hours of laboratory scale tests>26,000 hours testing at the pilot/demonstration scale
• First class partners offering a complete GTL solution: Haldor Topsøe, Ventech,Hatch, Mourik, SGS, Shiloh
• Commercial roll-out underway— ENVIA Energy project under construction— Ashtabula GTL— Red Rock Biofuels
• International presence— Commercial center in Houston, Texas; technical centers near Columbus, Ohio
and Oxford, UK— Permanent pilot plant in Ohio
The company at the forefront of smaller scale GTL
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Velocys
Our business: the gas-to-liquids (GTL) processChemical conversion of natural gas to refined products
Reforming Fischer-Tropsch (FT)
Naturalgas
Syncrude(syntheticcrude oil)
Hydro-processing
Syngas(carbon monoxide
+ hydrogen)
Clean syntheticfuels & chemicals
(diesel, jet fuel,Lubricants, waxes
etc.)
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Field size(TCF)
0.1-0.25
73
347
719
1,043
3,922
ConventionalLNG / GTL
>50
5-50
1-5
0.5-1
0.25-0.5
<0.1
337
Distr. of conv. gas fields outside US
gas fields
VelocysGTL
4
Distributed scale GTLopportunity size (mmbpd)Unconventional gas* 18
Associated gas 2.7
Stranded gas* 4.8
Total > 25
* Assumes monetisation over 100 yrsSmaller scale GTL:1,500 – 15,000 bpd
Velocys’ technology at a glanceSuper-active catalyst & microchannelreactors
Velocys catalyst is an order of magnitude more productivethan competitive FT catalysts
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Key catalyst criterion: super-active catalyst
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
Conventional fixed bed Slurry bubble column Velocys
Cat
alys
t pro
duct
ivity
[kgC
5+/l-
cat/h
r]
At muchhigher
pressure
• Traditional catalystmanufacturing— Produces broad distribution
of cobalt particle sizes
• OMX catalyst manufacturing— Produces optimized and
more uniform cobalt particlesizes
— Higher activity fromsmaller particles
— Greater stability fromnarrower particle sizedistribution
Origin of exceptional catalyst performancePatented organic matrix combustion (OMX) method
Cobalt particles
Cobalt particles
Silica support
Silica support
Traditionalmanufacturing
OMX
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Key reactor criterion: reaction intensificationMicrochannels intensify chemical processes
Velocys FT reactorTube length 2 feet (0.6 meters)
Conventional FT reactorTube length 30+ feet (9+ meters)
Microchannel
Enhancedmass and
heattransfer
~ 25-37 mm
~ 0.1-10 mm
Shell-and-tube
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• Microchannel coolantand process channelsmore effectivelytransfer heat out of thecatalyst bed givingbetter control andperformance
• Tubular reactorsoperate with a greatertemperature gradientfrom the center of thetube to the tube wall,risking thermalinstability
Key reactor criterion: exceptional heat removalMicrochannels keep the catalyst bed more isothermal
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Large-scale economics at smaller scales
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Thinking smaller is bringing GTL to the mainstream
Velocys Fischer-Tropsch reactor
Conventional Fischer-Tropsch reactor
Note: Reactor capacities differ considerably
Commercialising our offerDevelopment tools & scale-upmethodology
Ensure performance is maintained at commercial scaleCommercial catalyst manufacturing
1 2 3 4
Lab scalegram quantities producedmultiple runs
Pilot scaleMultiple runs yieldinga combined 1.5 MT
Developmental scalekg quantities producedmultiple runs
Commercial scaleFull commercial lotsized produced by 2manufacturers.QA/QC established
4-year commercialisation program
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LaboratoryMultiple tests andexperiments to determine• Impact of catalyst
composition onperformance (optimalformulation and QA/QC)
• Parameters used instatistical and flowmodelling
• Procedure forregenerating the catalystand discharge
• Impact of deviations fromnormal operation
Pilot Plant• A pilot plant reactor was
operated for a completerun, prepared fordischarge, discharged, re-loaded and restartedsuccessfully – all withincommerciallyacceptable timeconstraints
• Measured performanceand validated models
• Demonstrated efficacy ofour procedures andmethods for loading anddischarge
Commercial• Commercially produced
cores are used forextensive long term lifecycle tests
• Demonstration plantsinclude Gussing andPetrobrass
• A full scale (3-core)commercial unit was usedto develop catalyst loadingprocedures
• A single core commercialvariant is used to improveand innovate new catalysthandling techniques
From lab-scale to commercial reality
• Designed experiments to coverwide range of FT operations
• Independent variation ofparameters: e.g. Pco, PH2
• >60 data points— Close monitoring of outlet
H2:CO ratio and COconversion
— Product sample at each point
• Assessment of ageing andregeneration on processresponse
• Field demonstration unit datain agreement with modelprediction
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Developing tools for engineering studiesProcess model development
Inlet pressure: 200 – 450 psigInerts: 10% – 70%Contact time: 150 – 500 msFeed H2:CO ratio: 1.4 – 4.5Temperatures: 175 – 235 °C
Verified performance and scale up methodology
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Labo
rato
ry
Catalyst testing
Multiple regenerations
Modeling
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PilotPlant
Labo
rato
ry
Sustained stable operation
Verified performance and scale up methodology
Field model demonstration
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PilotPlant
Labo
rato
ry
Demonstration
Commercial
Verified performance and scale up methodology
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PilotPlant
Labo
rato
ry
Demonstration
Commercial
Commercial Commercial Commercial
Verified performance and scale up methodology
Duplicate reactors and trains for commercial facilities
Performance of the microchannel reactor and catalystdemonstrated in the Velocys Pilot Plant (VPP)
FT performance
FTreactor
Waxdrum
Steamdrum
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• Successful piloting ofcommercially producedcatalysts
• Continuous improvementwithout changing ourtechnology basis
• Process intensificationresults in significant capitalcost improvement
Process intensification
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Pilot plant runs in the 18 months to November 2015
Pilot plant run
Rel
ativ
e ca
paci
ty
Reduced start-up time: minimising reactor downtime
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Pilot plant runs in the 18 months to November 2015
Commercial roll-out underway
ENVIA Energy’s plant being builtAdjacent to WM East Oak landfill in Oklahoma City, USA
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ENVIA Energy - Oklahoma City project
• Landmark for GTL• Landfill gas & natural gas as feedstock• Major companies committing to smaller scale
GTL• Construction underway
— Manufacture of FT catalyst and reactorscompleted in 2015
— Fabrication of modules complete— All modules, including those incorporating
Velocys’ reactors, set in place on site• Will be our commercial reference plant – a
major milestone— Demonstrate parallel operation of full-scale
Velocys reactors
Significance and progress
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Some of the FTmodules
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ENVIA Energy’s Oklahoma City GTL plantAll major process units on site
Landfill gas inlet
Steam methane reformer
View of GTL plant from landfillsite
Syngas compression
LFTL and HFTL columns
CO2 wash column
Laura BarrioPrincipal [email protected]
Oxford, UK office+44 1235 841 721
www.velocys.com
"Velocys", the Velocys logo and "Think Smaller" are trademarks of Velocys 27
Thank you
®
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