(78b) Carbon-Negative SAF from Regenerative Agriculture Biomass Via the Alder Renewable Crude Process

Alder Renewables’ proprietary technology enables the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass to produce hydrocarbon fuels. Fast pyrolysis is a high yield and scalable process that converts abundant biomass into an energy liquid. However, the oil produced contains a high concentration of oxygen and water, imparting low energy density compared to hydrocarbon fuels. In addition, many of the oxygenated species are multi-functional and thermally reactive. Upgrading pyrolysis oil to hydrocarbons using refinery processes has been greatly limited due to poor stability, leading to catalyst fouling and reactor plugging. The Alder Renewable Crude process addresses these barriers by fractionating pyrolysis oil into two streams for upgrading; a stable aromatic fraction for hydroprocessing (ARC) and pyrolytic sugars that has potential to be utilized as a boiler fuel for renewable electricity or converted to biogas (APS). Miscanthus x giganteus (sterile triploid clone) has shown great promise as a pyrolysis feedstock, providing several advantages. This perennial non-invasive, non-food crop requires minimal water or fertilizer and has potential to be grown on marginal lands. Miscanthus produces an extensive root system that reduces erosion and adds nutrients to depleted soil. Moreover, the bulk of the carbon taken up by this plant is sequestered in its root structure. UIUC analyzed field data from two sites and determined that over a 15-year cycle Miscanthus x giganteus had a significantly negative CI score. Alder, in collaboration with INL and BTG, processed one tonne of miscanthus grown by AGrow Tech into pyrolysis oil, which was upgraded to ARC and APS. Working with Honeywell UOP and RPD, the ARC was hydrotreated to produce SAF, which was then analyzed by WSU for critical jet fuel properties. The resulting fuel showed excellent performance on ASTM specification properties, and a detailed life cycle analysis performed by NREL determined the SAF generated maintained a negative CI score. This presentation will provide details on the cultivation, analysis, processing, upgrading, and final fuel properties of carbon negative SAF generated from regenerative agriculture using Alder’s ARC process.