Post on 02-Aug-2020
Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet Wastes
February 28, 2017
Joseph A. Rollin, Ph.D.
Special Government Employee (Former Fellow)
2Insert Presentation NameMarch 7, 2017
CH4, CO2
H2S
Beyond Biogas – A Potential ARPA-E Program
3Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet WastesFebruary 28, 2017
> 3% US GHG
Emissions
Beyond Biogas – A Potential ARPA-E Program
4Insert Presentation NameFebruary 28, 2017
Wet feedstocks could produce 15% of America’s fuel
$?
Current Wet Waste Conversion – Anaerobic Digestion
Industrial Scale isn’t Competitive
▸ Biogas upgrading is required before
addition to pipelines
▸ Natural gas significantly cheaper
– Biogas $3.50-7.50/MMBTU
– NG $1.50-3.50/MMBTU
5Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet WastesFebruary 28, 2017
CH4, CO2
H2S
6Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet WastesFebruary 28, 2017
Biogas
Hydrocarbons
5-25 g/L/day
CH4, CO2
H2S
Current Wet Waste Conversion – Anaerobic Digestion
Feedstock
7Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet WastesFebruary 28, 2017
Biogas
Hydrocarbons
5-25 g/L/day
Natural Gas $2.50 - 3.50 / million BTU
Biogas $6.00 - 13.00 / million BTU
CH4, CO2
H2S
Current Wet Waste Conversion – Anaerobic Digestion
Feedstock
Image from Biofuels and Bioproducts from
Wet and Gaseous Waste Streams:
Challenges and Opportunities (2017) US
Department of Energy
A Bioreactor Millennia in the Making
8Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet WastesFebruary 28, 2017
Beyond Biogas
9Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet WastesFebruary 28, 2017
Feedstock
Biogas
Anaerobic Digestion
250 g/L/day
5-25 g/L/day
Beyond Biogas
10Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet WastesFebruary 28, 2017
Feedstock
Biogas
Co-Treatment
Anaerobic Digestion
Separations &
Upgrading
Hydrocarbons
250 g/L/day
5-25 g/L/day
$10,000/y
$500,000/y
Microbial Community Engineering
Beyond Biogas: Upcycling Wet Wastes
Integrated Product
Separations
Beyond Biogas
MARINER
Innovative
Reactor Design3%
$
Advanced
Understanding &
Control of Microbial
Communities
Where can we look for inspiration?
12Insert Presentation NameMarch 7, 2017