REG - EQTEC PLC - Successful Steam-Oxygen Gasification Tests

EQTECAnnouncement

31/07/2023 07:00

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RNS Number : 6427H  EQTEC PLC  31 July 2023

31 July 2023

 

EQTEC plc

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

 

Successful Steam-Oxygen Gasification Tests for Biogaz Gardanne Project

 

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
successful completion of steam-oxygen gasification tests (the "Tests") carried
out in partnership with the Energy from Biomass and Wastes ("ERBE") team, part
of the Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Matériau Bois ("LERMAB")
at Université de Lorraine ("UL") in Epinal, France, as part of feasibility
work on the Biogaz Gardanne project awarded to the Company in March 2023 by
the Préfet de la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur in France (the
"Project").

 

The Tests confirmed that similar results to those achieved with EQTEC
steam-oxygen gasification technology at the LERMAB facility can be directly
applied at commercial scale, for the Project and other plants seeking to
produce advanced biofuels. More than merely a testing site, the LERMAB
facility is a smaller version of a commercial-scale plant, with complete,
end-to-end capabilities for feedstock conversion into synthesis gas
("syngas"). Just as the LERMAB facility runs an autonomous and autothermic
process, so too will EQTEC installations into commercial-scale plants be able
to operate without the need for supply of external energy.

 

The three objectives of the Tests were: (1) assess the feasibility of
steam-oxygen gasification of Grade B waste wood; (2) validate in a live
environment the simulation results already produced through EQTEC's
proprietary simulation model; and (3) evaluate the quality of the syngas
produced through the process toward its input into the subsequent methanation
process.

 

The Tests successfully achieved all objectives:

 

(1)  The EQTEC technology demonstrated continuous, efficient and productive
conversion of Grade B waste wood, which is made complex by contamination with
non-reactive materials such as glass or metal that must be removed from the
fluidised bed to avoid low-efficiency reactions, as well as other materials
such as polymers, which contain compounds that, left unmanaged, would impact
the process and syngas quality;

 

(2)  The results of the Tests provided a clear match with the data produced
through EQTEC's proprietary simulation model, including stable fluidisation
and temperature in the gasification reactor, which indicates efficient oxygen
distribution and feedstock conversion, as well as evolution of syngas
composition through the process; and

 

(3)  The syngas produced through the steam-oxygen gasification approach was
of high quality, with much larger proportions of hydrogen ("H2") and carbon
monoxide ("CO") than typically produced through the air-blown gasification
approach, indicating strong potential for upgrading of the gas to support
efficient methanation and production of renewable natural gas ("RNG").

 

Additionally, the Tests validated the responsiveness of EQTEC's proprietary
control systems over the process, testing changes to process parameters and
quick response of the gasifier reactions to create stable processing through
management of temperature, pressure and other factors to optimise gas
composition.

 

The Tests were undertaken on the basis of a design concept for the Project
that envisions a waste-to-energy facility that would cleanly and sustainably
convert up to 100,000 tonnes per year of Grade B waste wood into RNG for
injection into the natural grid, through an integrated gasification and
methanation process.

 

The Project is currently completing a holistic feasibility on market dynamics,
site specifications and technical requirements, and the Tests provide
essential validation to the proposed waste-to-RNG solution with EQTEC's
proprietary and patented steam-oxygen gasification technology.

 

Yoel Alemán, CTO of EQTEC, commented:

 

"These tests represent an important milestone for EQTEC in our technology
innovation roadmap. The development of a steam-oxygen gasification process is
key to application of EQTEC syngas to generation of a diversity of offtakes
including hydrogen, methane or other biofuels (including sustainable aviation
fuel or SAF), from a wide range of fuels including biomass, refuse-derived
fuel (RDF), plastics and others.

 

"There are few successful steam-oxygen gasification facilities in the world,
and we believe our success with these tests puts us at the forefront of clean,
waste-to-value capabilities. From a technical perspective, we were pleased at
how smoothly the technology performed throughout. The data we gathered will
allow us to fine-tune our proprietary process capabilities and we look forward
to applying the new knowledge to commercial-scale plants."

 

Yann Rogaume, Professor and Head of the ERBE Team, commented:

 

"The focus of these tests was not simply to determine the syngas quality
obtained from conversion of Grade B wood waste, but to demonstrate the
stability of the fluidisation and gasification processes and evaluate the
variation of the process parameters on the thermochemical conversion process
to optimise the production of syngas. We are satisfied that the tests indicate
an efficient and effective conversion of a complex feedstock into syngas that
is capable of supporting a high yield methanation process."

 

David Le Saint, Managing Director of EQTEC France SAS, commented:

 

"The Biogaz Gardanne project is one of several renewable energy projects in
France enjoying strong community and government support at local, prefectural
and national levels. It is indicative of France's progressive approach to
development of new energy infrastructure, and we are delighted to be a part of
helping to deliver that.

 

"For EQTEC, the active application of the steam-oxygen capabilities we
installed in 2022 at the UL facility supports our innovation agenda, our
business strategy and the Biogaz Gardanne project directly.  The conclusions
of these tests are important for demonstrating EQTEC's capabilities in
applying our versatile syngas technology to a variety of applications,
including RNG, which is rapidly becoming a growth market in France. I look
forward to adding these exciting results to our feasibility work and to
driving the project forward as a result."

 

ENQUIRIES

 

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About steam-oxygen gasification

 

EQTEC's patented and proprietary synthesis gas ("syngas") technology enables a
range of offtake applications through either an air-blown gasification process
or a steam-oxygen gasification process.

 

Air-blown gasification supports electrical power and thermal energy
applications, where the mix of hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide in the
syngas is less critical for the offtake application. Steam-oxygen gasification
supports hydrogen, renewable natural gas ("RNG") and other advanced biofuel
applications, where optimisation of the hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide
mix is critical for efficiency and productivity of the offtake.

 

One of the greatest challenges for steam-oxygen gasification is efficient
distribution of oxygen across the fluidised bed in the gasification reactor.
Historically, most trials of this approach, by a range of research institutes
and companies, have failed to achieve this, resulting in lower feedstock
conversion efficiency, a lower quality syngas and thus a lower production
and/or efficiency of hydrogen, methane or other offtake.

 

Tests undertaken by EQTEC in October 2022, together with the Energy from
Biomass and Wastes ("ERBE") team, part of the Laboratoire d'Etudes et de
Recherche sur le Matériau Bois ("LERMAB") at Université de Lorraine ("UL")
in Epinal, France, was the team's first attempt with steam-oxygen gasification
at the LERMAB facility, based on EQTEC's upgrades of the facility. The test
was very successful, with strong stability in fluidisation and gasification
temperature, which together indicate highly efficient oxygen distribution and
feedstock conversion.

 

These tests, analyses and data generated will support refinements to EQTEC's
proprietary process design, computational modelling and control systems in the
interest of supporting a range of offtake applications.

 

About the project

 

EQTEC announced in March 2023 that it had been appointed by the French
national government via the Préfet de la Région Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur
(the "Prefecture") to lead a technical and commercial feasibility (the
"Feasibility") on the site of a decommissioned, coal-fired power station in
Meyreuil, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (the "Site").

 

The Gardanne power station ("Gardanne") was an 850 MWe coal-fired power
station owned by Gazel Energie France, the fourth largest provider of
electricity and gas in France and a wholly owned subsidiary of Czech
multinational energy infrastructure owner-operator Energetický a průmyslový
holding, a.s. ("Group EPH"). Following its July 2019 acquisition of Gardanne
and other assets previously owned by Uniper France, which coincided with the
French government's pledge to phase out coal power by 2022, Group EPH closed
the plant at the end of 2020 and in 2022 reopened part of the plant as a 150
MWe biomass incineration facility.

 

The intention of national and regional stakeholders is to revitalise the Site
by deploying new energy infrastructure that is clean, sustainable, and
commercially viable, and to employ local people, particularly workers from the
legacy plant. Through the Feasibility, the Prefecture and other stakeholders
intend to explore the technical and commercial viability of a potential
facility built around EQTEC technology, with particular interest in production
of renewable natural gas ("RNG") from a variety of wood waste types.

 

Following the Feasibility, the Company will have the opportunity for
additional design work, in partnership with France-based developers, to
formalise a project and advance it toward financial close.

 

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/) .

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