Wood Derived Fast Pyrolysis Bio-liquids as Co-feed in a Fluid Catalytic Cracking Pilot Plant: Effect of Hydrotreatment on Process Performance and Gasoline Quality

Abstract

Co-feeding biogenic feeds in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units benefits from exploiting existing refinery assets to produce biogenic fuels. It is the most cost-effective way to comply with step-by-step increasing the target of renewable energy in road and rail transport of the European Union. Fast pyrolysis bio-liquids derived from wood offer a unique opportunity to reach those targets without having to address the typical food vs fuel debate. In the present work bio-liquids derived from pinewood in different stages of treatment were tested for their processability in a pilot scale fluid catalytic cracking plant at 550 °C. Specific focus is on the quality of the derived gasoline fractions. All samples were co-fed with vacuum gas oil, a typical FCC feed. Relevant parameters to qualify the produced gasoline as blending component were analyzed. As main results, none of the parameters examined significantly affect the quality of the-now partially biogenic-gasolines, demonstrating the potentiality of the co-FCC process as a possible near future pathway to ensure high biofuel contents in commercially available fuels.