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EERC/EERC Foundation Technology Commercialization

EERC Advantage

The EERCs over 50-year history of working on a varietyof gasification and support technologies sets it apart fromother knowledge providers in the field. The EERC, whichmaintains numerous in-house demonstration facilities,

was involved in the design and operational aspects ofthe Great Plains Synfuels PlantNorth Americas onlygasification plant.

Recognized as one of the leading coal research centers inthe world, the EERC understands the entire value chainof gasification: operational challenges and opportunitiesassociated with feedstock preparation, gasificationtechnologies, gas cleanup, syngas conversion, and by-product utilization. The latter, for example, includesleading the nations largest carbon sequestrationpartnership (Plains CO

2Reduction Partnership).

EERC Benefits Provides critical know-how and technologies for

producing low-cost synfuels, as well as electricity andhydrogen, through gasification and subsequent lique-faction.

Possesses demonstrated experience along the entirevalue chain of gasification.

Has worked with almost every major manufacturer ofgasification systems.

Develops and maintains demonstration facilities fortesting a variety of feedstocks and synfuels.

Consistently achieves a high success rate in leveragingmarket-driven research dollars.

Commercial Application

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC)offers a comprehensive and unique suite of technicalservices in gasification technologies. Having partneredwith almost every major manufacturer of gasification

systems and support technologies, the EERCs expertiseenhances the commercial guarantee for installing cost-effective and successfully operating gasification plants.

Commercial Opportunities

Gasification converts carbonaceous materials, such ascoal, petroleum coke, extra heavy oil, or biomass, intosyngasa mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Although oil, gas, and conventional coal combustion willremain critical to the energy business for a number ofyears, there are major opportunities to utilize gasificationas a viable process step to convert carbon feedstocks

into a range of products including transportation fuels,chemicals, hydrogen, and electricity.

Current opportunities include coal gasification forelectricity production, converting lignocellulosic biomassinto electricity for distributed power production,refinery residues such as petcoke into hydrogen forhydrotreatment and carbon dioxide for enhancedresource recovery, and municipal waste to heat.

Current Approaches

Although the gasification process has been utilized sincethe early 1800s, until recently it was limited to niche

applications. Thus the knowledge base of most expertsin the field is limited specific to technical areas andgasification technologies.

Gasification Technology Expertise

Chronology of

GasificationRD&D at the EERC

1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

Annular ExternallyHeated Retort

Slagging Fixed-Bed Gasifier

CatalyticGasification/SOFC

MildGasification

Transport ReactorDevelopment Unit

The EERC has worked in

gasification for over 50 years.

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EERC/EERC Foundation Technology Commercialization

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University ofNorthDakota

GrandForks

EERCEnergy & Environmental Research Center

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RESEARCH CEN

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RESEARCH CE

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EERC CH25080.INDD

Market Potential

Gasifications potential is significant, including for large-scale systems in main industries such as coal and oiland gas and for smaller distributed systems in industriessuch as forest products, agricultural processing, andsecondary milling, which can benefit from the wasteutilization features of gasification technologies. Thereis an estimated potential application for at least 100,000small-scale gasification units in the United States.

Partners

Babcock-Hitachi; Chevron; ConocoPhillips; DestecEnergy, Inc.; Dow Chemical Company; ELCOGAS;Electric Power Research Institute; the Energy ResearchCenter of the Netherlands; KEMA Nederlands; KruppUhde; Sasol; SenterNovem; the Shell DevelopmentCompany; the U.S. Department of Energy; and Texaco

Type of Collaboration

The EERC is actively seeking research, development,demonstration, and commercialization partners.

Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

The EERC Foundation holds proprietary knowledgeand IP rights available for licensing in different aspectsalong the gasification value chain, including full-systemsolutions for microgasification units.

For More Information Contact:

Gerald Groenewold, EERC Director andBoard Member, EERC Foundation

ghg@undeerc.org

Carsten Heide, EERC Deputy Associate Director forIntellectual Property Management and TechnologyCommercialization

cheide@undeerc.org

Tom Erickson, EERC Associate Director for Researchterickson@undeerc.org

Energy & Environmental Research Center15 North 23rd StreetPO Box 9018Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9018Phone: (701) 777-5000

Fax: (701) 777-5181www.undeerc.org