Empyro

Publieke samenvatting / Public summary

Aanleiding
The Empyro demonstration installation is likely to become one of the showpieces of the bio-based economy in the Netherlands. Not only will it demonstrate the pyrolysis technology, it will also be a next and essential step for an emerging industry based on pyrolysis oil in the Netherlands. The Empyro installation will be able to produce pyrolysis oil on such scale that all kind of applications can be developed, tested and demonstrated. Applications such as combustion of pyrolysis oil in boilers, combustion in gas turbines and diesel-engines, upgrading of pyrolysis oil to a refinery grade bio-oil and subsequent production of renewable transportation fuels and extraction of chemicals can only be brought to commercialisation if sufficient pyrolysis oil is available.

Doelstelling
Demonstration of the pyrolysis process on a commercial scale to stimulate the development of new applications for pyrolysis oil.

Korte omschrijving
Empyro BV plans to build a demonstration installation to convert cellulosic biomass (wood from forest residues and so-called A-wood) into a second generation biofuel. The biofuel can be used as a renewable alternative to conventional fossil fuels for heat generation purposes such as heating oil, natural gas and LPG. To produce its biofuels, Empyro uses flash pyrolysis technology to convert difficult-to-handle cellulosic solid biomass of different nature into a clean and uniform liquid, called pyrolysis oil. Pyrolysis oil has a much higher energy density than the original biomass itself. Pyrolysis oil is therefore an efficient energy carrier that can be used as an energy source in various applications, ranging from combustion to being a base product for the (petro)chemical industry.