Gas Technology Institute showcases IH2 biomass-to-liquid hydrocarbon fuel pilot plant

The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) hosted an open house at its new Pilot-Scale IH2 Plant in Chicago, Illinois to demonstrate the successful efforts to broaden biomass-to-liquid hydrocarbon fuel conversion. Pilot plant operation is a critical step along the IH2 technology commercialization pathway, as it provides valuable information to confirm and refine commercial design. In the two months that the IH2 pilot plant has been on line, the basic design principles have been validated. Woody biomass has been successfully fed through the IH2 pilot plant, and has been converted to gasoline, kerosene and diesel product, comparable to those produced in the R&D project phase. Based on assessments and calculations by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the technology has the capability to produce fuel with a US Department of Energy estimated selling price of less than $2.00/gallon in commercial production.