Air Pollutant Emissions and Regulatory Implications of a Biorefinery Producing Raw Bio-Oil: Preprint

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

Co-processing bio-oil with petroleum-derived intermediates in existing refineries attracted refineries' interest because it offers a promising opportunity to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels produced and requires relatively low capital investments to retrofit the refineries. A biorefinery producing bio-oil is considered a chemical process plant under the Clean Air Act's permitting program and could be classified as a major or minor source based on the size of the facility and the magnitude of regulated pollutants expected to be emitted. Our analysis examines the air pollutant emissions and potentially applicable federal air quality regulations for a biorefinery utilizing an ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis process with a design capacity of processing 2,000 dry metric tons of biomass per day to produce 4,200 barrels of raw bio-oil per day. We quantify the preliminary potential-to-emit (PTE) for the biorefinery producing raw bio-oil and examine the ramifications on potential air permit classifications. We also provide an alternative set of PTE estimate by assuming the adoption of selected technically feasible emission control options that could help the biorefinery avoid being subject to major source permitting requirements (e.g., prevention of significant deterioration). Our analysis is expected to provide insights for new bio-oil project developers to identify opportunities to mitigate emissions and develop strategies to overcome potential challenges associated with air permitting.
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages11
StatePublished - 2019
Event112th Annual Air and Waste Management Association Annual Conference - Quebec City, Quebec
Duration: 25 Jun 201928 Jun 2019

Conference

Conference112th Annual Air and Waste Management Association Annual Conference
CityQuebec City, Quebec
Period25/06/1928/06/19

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/CP-6A20-73611

Keywords

  • bio-oil
  • biorefinery
  • emission controls
  • federal regulation
  • permitting
  • potential-to-emit

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