The Wizard of O’s: Oxygen – the Albatross around Biomass’ Neck, or a Secret Weapon for the Bio-Based Vanguard?

by Jim Lane (BioBased Digest) ...The movement towards replacing the whole barrel of oil got some momentum just in the past 2-3 years in senior US bioenergy decision-making circles. To some extent, the leadership still doesn’t quite get it – referring to the other cuts of the barrel as a transitional set of products on the way towards fuels – “the higher value co-products” as Secretary of Energy Steven Chu described them at BIOMASS 2012 yesterday.
There are a huge list of reasons why fuels ought to more important – and frankly, with chemicals taking up 16 percent of the barrel only – and consisting of fragmented, easily saturated markets, its a no-brainer to understand why everyone is focused on fuels.
But there’s a little secret about fuels and chemicals. (Paul) Bryan explains.
Oxygen, your foe “It’s the oxygen,” he said simply. “It’s the first question everyone should ask – what are you doing with the oxygen? “You have to take it out, and either you make water and you lose hydrogen in the process, or…”. He paused for effect.
“Yeah, so?”
“You’re making CO2.”
As in not sequestering it, or remediating it, but making it, and possibly venting it.
“It’s inevitable if you are trying to make a hydrocarbon, like a drop-in fuel. Or, you have to deal with the oxygen in terms of infrastructure impact, as with ethanol.”
...The reason is simple that we have engines that, by and large, don’t tolerate oxygen (much less take advantage of its properties), unless adjusted. Oil doesn’t have oxygen in it, by and large. It’s pure hydrocarbon, a soup of Cs and Hs and not so many Os.
Now, here’s the rub. A lot of chemistry needs oxygen. That’s where biomass – instead of being at something of a disadvantage, has a robust advantage. And that’s one of the reasons why there is so much polylactic acid produced renewably around the world, because in the case of PLA you need oxygen, and in biomass you can take advantage of the fact that the plant has, bless it hearts, put it there for you to work with.
...But as Gevo COO Chris Ryan pointed out on stage at BIOMASS 2012 yesterday, you have to avoid chasing markets and start chasing molecules where you have the lowest possible production price. READ MORE