A review of thermochemical upgrading of pyrolysis bio‐oil: Techno‐economic analysis, life cycle assessment, and technology readiness

Abstract

Technologies for upgrading fast pyrolysis bio‐oil to drop‐in fuels and coproducts are under development and show promise for decarbonizing energy supply for transportation and chemicals markets. The successful commercialization of these fuels and the technologies deployed to produce them depend on production costs, scalability, and yield. To meet environmental regulations, pyrolysis‐based biofuels need to adhere to life cycle greenhouse gas intensity standards relative to their petroleum‐based counterparts. We review literature on fast pyrolysis bio‐oil upgrading and explore key metrics that influence their commercial viability through life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno‐economic analysis (TEA) methods together with technology readiness level (TRL) evaluation. We investigate the trade‐offs among economic, environmental, and technological metrics derived from these methods for individual technologies as a means of understanding their nearness to commercialization. Although the technologies reviewed have not attained commercial investment, some have been pilot tested. Predicting the projected performance at scale‐up through models can, with industrial experience, guide decision‐making to competitively meet energy policy goals. LCA and TEA methods that ensure consistent and reproducible models at a given TRL are needed to compare alternative technologies. This study highlights the importance of integrated analysis of multiple economic, environmental, and technological metrics for understanding performance prospects and barriers among early stage technologies.

Biofuels for Maritime Transportation: A Spatial, Techno-Economic, and Logistic Analysis in Brazil, Europe, South Africa, and the USA

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Polluted lignocellulose-bearing sediments as a resource for marketable goods—a review of potential technologies for biochemical and thermochemical processing and remediation

“…Bio-oil is a complex mixture of chemical compounds, mostly oxygenates, derived from thermochemical reactions that occur at high temperatures in anaerobic conditions. Due to the instability of the oxygenated compounds, the bio-oil requires deoxygenation as a means of upgrading (Sorunmu et al 2020). Bio-oil production and upgrading are currently associated with high production costs, but new policies designed to support renewable fuels and the development of more efficient production methods may promote its commercialization in a near future (Kumar and Strezov 2021).…”

We need stable, long-term policy support! - evaluating the economic rationale behind the prevalent investor lament for forest-based biofuel production

“…Several technology options for upgrading the pyrolysis liquids into diesel and petrol have been previously investigated (Sorunmu et al, 2020), of which this work includes two options: hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), and fluidised catalytic cracking (FCC), respectively.…”