REG - EQTEC PLC - Successful steam oxygen gasification test results

EQTECAnnouncement

12/09/2024 07:00

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
http://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20240912:nRSL8528Da&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 8528D  EQTEC PLC  12 September 2024

12 September 2024

EQTEC plc

("EQTEC", the "Company" or the "Group")

 

Successful results of steam oxygen gasification tests with mixed waste
feedstock

for advanced biofuel applications through EQTEC technology

 

EQTEC plc (AIM:EQT), a global technology innovator powering distributed,
decarbonised, new energy infrastructure through its waste-to-value solutions
for hydrogen, biofuels, and energy generation is pleased to announce the
successful outcomes of recent tests for complex feedstock conversion for
advanced biofuels such as renewable natural gas (RNG), hydrogen or transport
fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) (the "Tests"). The Tests,
carried out at the Company's R&D facilities at the Laboratoire d'Études
et de Recherche sur le Matériau Bois (LERMAB) at the Université de Lorraine
in Épinal, France indicate that EQTEC's patented and proprietary technology
for steam-oxygen gasification can successfully and efficiently convert
non-recyclable waste including plastics into synthesis gas (syngas) for
advanced applications such as liquid fuels.

 

The Tests were commissioned by CompactWTL Limited ("CompactWTL" or the "JV"),
the joint venture between the Company and gas-to-liquid technology provider
CompactGTL Limited ("CompactGTL") as part of the development work the JV is
pursuing to establish a market-ready waste-to-liquid fuels solution ready for
market.

 

The three, key conclusions from the Tests were (1) that EQTEC's technology
successfully processes complex waste feedstock even with the presence of
troublesome pollutants; (2) that EQTEC's steam-oxygen gasification process
produces a high-quality syngas usable for advanced biofuels; and (3) that
EQTEC's proprietary kinetic model used during design phases of project work is
accurate for complex feedstocks and syngas for advanced applications.

 

More specifically:

 

(1)  Feedstock. The feedstock utilised for the Tests was a mixture of waste
wood and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) the latter of which contained contaminated
wood, municipal solid waste of paper and plastics, as well as a number of
non-reactive materials such as glass, ceramic, metals, stones and polymers
with flame-retardant compounds. The EQTEC process effectively and efficiently
transformed the reactive substances in the feedstock, with removal of the
non-reactive materials. EQTEC's process designs typically include a continuous
extraction system that removes such substances prior to the gasification stage
for an optimal reaction in the gasifier and efficiency throughout the syngas
production process.

 

(2)  High-quality syngas through steam-oxygen gasification. The testing was
successful, with stable fluidisation and a stable gasification temperature
over 60 hours of operation. The process demonstrated a highly efficient oxygen
distribution, efficient feedstock conversion and low levels of nitrogen
production, all of which evidence efficiency and optimal syngas production
with very limited syngas pollutants. Additionally, when changes to parameters
were introduced, the system responded rapidly, indicating good control over
process variations. The syngas produced included much higher hydrogen and
carbon monoxide concentrations relative to those for air-blown gasification,
which can be upgraded through water-gas shift for methanation to RNG, hydrogen
separation or gas-to-liquids processing for liquid fuels.

 

(3)  Kinetic model accuracy. EQTEC's proprietary kinetic model, used by EQTEC
engineers for design of client-specific syngas process configurations,
predicts syngas composition and other key outputs of the process based on
feedstock composition and other variables input to the process. The output
data of the Tests indicate that EQTEC's kinetic model accurately predicted the
proportions of various chemical elements in the syngas within margins of 0.1%
- 2.5%, despite the complexity and variability of the input feedstock. The
data gathered will allow EQTEC to further fine-tune its proprietary process
capabilities and apply the new knowledge to further improvements in the pilot
plant and industrial plant designs.

 

The results of the Tests support other steps taken by the Company toward
applying its capabilities to advanced fuel applications. The Company announced
on 31 October 2022 the upgrade of its installation at LERMAB to support
steam-oxygen gasification, one of only a very few end-to-end process
installations of its type and one which the Company has used repeatedly since
the upgrade to prepare for deployment of commercial-scale facilities for
advanced biofuels. To drive commercial progress into the liquid fuels sector,
the Company announced on 16 January 2024 a joint venture with gas-to-liquids
technology company Compact GTL.

 

 

Dr Yoel Alemán, CTO of EQTEC, commented:

 

"The Tests represent another important milestone for EQTEC in our technology
innovation roadmap. The development of a steam-oxygen gasification process is
the key for the application of the syngas produced through EQTEC's technology
to generate different high-value, in-demand commodities such as hydrogen,
methane or other biofuels, from a wide range of waste feedstocks including
RDF, plastics and others. As the demand increases for highly efficient and
clean conversion facilities for hydrogen, RNG and advanced biofuels, and as
Industrial clients, Utility companies and Waste Managers look for scalable,
local-to-local solutions, EQTEC's capabilities with steam-oxygen gasification
will allow us to offer a range of solutions that fit a variety of business
models."

 

Anar Asgarov, CEO of CompactGTL, commented:

 

"We are very pleased with the progress the joint venture is making in
developing the pilot plant. The successful test results are a strong
validation of the accuracy of EQTEC's simulation model, reinforcing our
confidence in the technology's ability to convert complex waste into valuable
biofuels. CompactGTL has already made significant investments into the joint
venture, and we are actively progressing discussions with infrastructure
investors to finance the reference plant. These outcomes are an encouraging
step forward in our collaborative efforts to bring a commercially viable
waste-to-liquid fuels solution to market."

 

ENQUIRIES  

  

 EQTEC plc                                           +44 20 3883 7009  

 David Palumbo

   
 Strand Hanson - Nomad & Financial Adviser           +44 20 7409 3494  

 James Harris / Richard Johnson  

   
 Fortified Securities - Broker                       +44 20 3411 7773  

 Guy Wheatley  

   
 Shard Capital Partners LLP - Broker                 +44 20 7186 9927

 Damon Heath / Isabella Pierre

 Global Investment Strategy UK Ltd - Broker          +44 20 7048 9045  

 Samantha Esqulant  

   

   

About CompactWTL 

 

CompactWTL Limited is a 50/50 joint venture owned by the Company and
CompactGTL (together, the "Partners"). The "WTL" stands for "waste-to-liquids"
and indicates the intent of the Partners to develop an integrated, end-to-end
waste-to-liquid fuel solution based on EQTEC syngas technology and CompactGTL
gas-to-liquid conversion technology. This solution is expected to
significantly de-risk projects seeking reliable, SAF or other liquid fuel
capabilities. The Partners intend to apply the solution in support of the
ground transport, airline and other industries. 

 

Establishment of the JV represents a next step following work undertaken by
the Partners under the collaboration framework agreement announced by the
Company on 7 July 2022 (the "CFA"). Under the CFA, the Partners agreed to
collaborate for the design, development, construction and operation of
waste-to-fuel projects and other synthetic fuel and energy infrastructure
projects, with an initial focus on small-scale, modular, waste-to-fuel
plants.  

 

Since execution of the CFA, the Company and CompactGTL have together pursued
funding, identified project opportunities and undertaken joint design and
costing to build gas-to-liquids R&D capabilities at EQTEC's syngas pilot
plant at the Université de Lorraine's Laboratoire d'Études et de Recherche
sur le Matériau Bois (LERMAB) facility in Épinal, France. 

 

CompactWTL has completed feasibility work toward a reference plant for its
integrated solution (the "Reference Plant"). The Reference Plant is expected
to process 150 tonnes per day of refuse-derived fuel from municipal waste
(RDF) to produce 160 barrels per day of synthetic crude ("syncrude") at 90%
annual operational efficiency. If processed, the syncrude would be further
refined to produce c. 11,700 litres per day of SAF, c. 8,650 litres per day of
diesel and c. 5,000 litres per day of naphtha. The total Capex for building
the Reference Plant estimated through the feasibility work is c. £60 million,
with roughly a third of that for purchase of EQTEC technology and another
third for purchase of CompactGTL technology. 

 

About CompactGTL 

 

CompactGTL ("CGTL") is one of the world's leading, small scale, modular
gas-to-liquid (GTL) companies. Since its inception in 2006, CGTL has focused
its technology development and commercialisation programme on the upstream oil
& gas sector, recognising problematic stranded gas as the most compelling
market opportunity.  

 

CGTL has focused its development activities on delivering what commercially
viable plants need to achieve and has developed a unique, patent protected and
proven GTL process utilising Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalytic conversion. The
CGTL small scale GTL technology has been proven to work for the conversion of
associated gas into synthetic liquids at the point of production. The
technology has powerful oil company endorsement by Petrobras who successfully
operated CGTL's Commercial Demonstration Plant for 3 years in Brazil. 

 

CGTL sees a huge new opportunity to transition the company from a focus on
primary fossil derived feedstocks to a focus on biogenic feedstocks, such as
residual biomass, refuse derived fuels and municipal solid wastes, that can be
turned into valuable and sustainable liquid fuels. To achieve this CGTL has
partnered with EQTEC and believe that there are significant synergies in the
integration of CGTL's FT technology and EQTEC's proven ability to produce high
quality synthesis gas from a range of feedstocks.  

 

About EQTEC 

  

As one of the world's most experienced thermochemical conversion technology
and engineering companies, EQTEC delivers waste management and new energy
solutions through best-in-class innovation and infrastructure engineering and
value-added services to owner-operators. EQTEC is one of only a few technology
providers directly addressing the challenge of replacing fossil fuels for
reliable, baseload energy. EQTEC's proven, proprietary and patented technology
is at the centre of clean energy projects, sourcing local waste, championing
local businesses, creating local jobs and supporting the transition to
localised, decentralised and resilient energy systems. 

  

EQTEC designs, specifies and delivers clean, syngas production solutions in
the USA, EU and UK, with highly efficient equipment that is modular and
scalable from 1MW to 30MW. EQTEC's versatile solutions process 60 varieties of
feedstock, including forestry waste, agricultural waste, industrial waste and
municipal waste, all with no hazardous or toxic emissions. EQTEC's solutions
produce a pure, high-quality synthesis gas (syngas) that can be used for the
widest range of applications, including the generation of electricity and
heat, production of renewable natural gas (through methanation) or biofuels
(through Fischer-Tropsch, gas-to-liquid processing) and reforming of
hydrogen. 

  

EQTEC's technology integration capabilities enable the Group to lead
collaborative ecosystems of qualified partners and to build sustainable waste
reduction and green energy infrastructure around the world. 

  

The Company is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment
Market (AIM) (ticker: EQT) and the London Stock Exchange has awarded EQTEC the
Green Economy Mark, which recognises listed companies with 50% or more of
revenues from environmental/green solutions. 

  

Further information on the Company can be found at www.eqtec.com
(http://www.eqtec.com/) .

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  MSCEAXNFFLSLEFA