The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project is for the mineral treatment technology for torrefied biomass. This technology enables the use of municipal solid waste (MSW) as a viable, and renewable fuel in coal power plant to commercialization. If successful, existing torrefaction technology can be deployed with the proposed mineral treatment to provide fuel generation at any site near existing waste infrastructure. With the addition of this technology, torrefaction technologies will be able to accept low-cost feedstock and produce cost competitive renewable fuels. This growth in such fuel companies could create many new jobs and the associated economic development. Because of the nature of MSW as an existing fuel source that is generated in all locations, there is potential to boost development around urban and rural areas through job creation, the utilization of renewable power generation, and reduction of society's waste streams. The objectives of this Phase I research project are to remove or significantly reduce the mineral content within torrefied MSW. Torrefaction is a mild thermal treatment that transforms biomass to a fuel similar to coal, and is a proven technology. One major hurdle for torrefaction is the cost of the raw biomass materials. The use of wastes, such as MSW, can make the torrefied biomass (biocoal) cost competitive with fossil coal. MSW, however, contains a large fraction of minerals which cause slagging, fouling, and corrosion in fuel boilers. To overcome this barrier and realize the economic benefits from MSW utilization, Treamin Energy, Inc. has developed a method to remove nearly 100% of soluble and insoluble minerals quickly and inexpensively, and seeks to demonstrate Proof of Concept for the technology. With existing torrefaction and mineral treatment equipment, the process will be demonstrated from mineral, mass, and energy characterizations of the process steams, in addition to using measured process data in economic assessment tools for industrial potential.
