Method for producing renewable fuels

• US 10,093,540 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iogen Corporation
• Original Assignee: Iogen Corporation
• Inventors: Foody, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tichy, Jennifer M. H.
• Application Number:
  US14/695,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20150225233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0211 containing a non-catalytic reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0216 containing a non-catalytic steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0222 containing a non-catalytic carbon dioxide reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/065 using hydrotreating, e.g. hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurisation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/34 by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/36 using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 5/02 by hydrogenation simultaneous hydrogenation and dehydrogenation C07C5/52
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/02 Gasoline
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/04 Diesel oil
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/08 Jet fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/02 to eliminate hetero atoms without changing the skeleton of the hydrocarbon involved and without cracking into lower boiling hydrocarbons; Hydrofinishing
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/44 Hydrogenation of the aromatic hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 47/00 Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions C10G15/00 takes precedence; destructive hydrogenation of non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials C10G1/06
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 65/02 plural serial stages only
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 65/12 including cracking steps and other hydrotreatment steps
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/04 essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0469 Renewables or materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/26 Composting, fermenting or anaerobic digestion fuel components or materials from which fuels are prepared
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/08 Production of synthetic natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/10 : Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/101 : Removal of contaminants
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/00 : Preparation of hydrocarbons or halogenated hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/02 : acyclic C12P5/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 : Methane
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 : Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 : Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 : Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/133 : Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 : Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 : using bio-feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/20 : using renewable energy

Abstract

According to the present invention, organic material is converted to biogas through anaerobic digestion and the biogas is purified to yield a combustible fluid feedstock comprising methane. A fuel production facility utilizes or arranges to utilize combustible fluid feedstock to generate renewable hydrogen that is used to hydrogenate crude oil derived hydrocarbons in a process to make transportation or heating fuel. The renewable hydrogen is combined with crude oil derived hydrocarbons that have been desulfurized under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon with the renewable hydrogen or alternatively, the renewable hydrogen can be added to a reactor operated so as to simultaneously desulfurize and hydrogenate the hydrocarbons. The present invention enables a party to receive a renewable fuel credit for the transportation or heating fuel.

Claims

1. A process for producing a fuel having renewable content comprising:

(a) obtaining at a fuel production facility renewable hydrogen produced from one of (i) biogas derived from waste organic material, (ii) methane that qualifies as renewable, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii);

(b) combining renewable hydrogen from step (a) with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon and incorporate the renewable hydrogen;

(c) providing the fuel, said fuel comprising at least a part of the liquid hydrocarbon that comprises the incorporated renewable hydrogen, wherein a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of the renewable content of the fuel is at least 20% lower than 98 kg CO2e/mmBTU; and

(d) generating or causing generation of a fuel credit.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein obtaining the renewable hydrogen comprises subjecting the biogas, the methane, or the combination to a reforming process that produces the renewable hydrogen.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein said reforming process is one of an autothermal reforming process and a steam methane reforming process.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises generating numerical information associated with the fuel credit.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the fuel credit is a California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credit.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the California LCFS credit is associated with GHG savings related to a) the biogas, b) the methane that qualifies as renewable, c) the renewable hydrogen, d) the fuel, or e) a combination thereof.

7. The process of claim 5, wherein the California LCFS credit is associated with GHG savings related to at least one of the biogas and the methane that qualifies as renewable.

8. The process of claim 5, wherein the California LCFS credit is associated with GHG savings related to the renewable hydrogen.

9. The process of claim 5, wherein the fuel is a liquid transportation fuel, and wherein the California LCFS credit is associated with GHG savings related to the liquid transportation fuel.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the fuel credit is a Renewable Identification Number (RIN).

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the reactor is a hydrogenation reactor.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the reactor is a hydrocracking reactor.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the combining of the renewable hydrogen with the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in the reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon and incorporate the renewable hydrogen comprises combining the renewable hydrogen with the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in the reactor in the presence of a catalyst.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the fuel is gasoline, diesel, heating oil, or jet fuel.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the combining of the renewable hydrogen with the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon comprises desulfurization.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the hydrogenation and desulfurization are simultaneous.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein the crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon is desulfurized.

18. A process for producing a fuel having renewable content comprising:

(a) obtaining at a fuel production facility renewable hydrogen produced from a combustible fluid feedstock, said combustible fluid feedstock comprising one of (i) methane derived from renewable biomass comprising cellulose, (ii) methane that qualifies as renewable, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii);

(b) combining renewable hydrogen from step (a) with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon such that the renewable hydrogen is incorporated into the hydrocarbon and ultimately is part of the fuel, wherein a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the renewable content of the fuel is at least 20% lower than 98 kg CO2e/mmBTU; and

(c) generating or causing generation of a fuel credit.

19. A process for producing a fuel having renewable content comprising:

(a) obtaining at a fuel production facility combustible fluid feedstock, said combustible fluid feedstock derived from one of (i) biogas derived from waste organic material, (ii) methane that qualifies as renewable, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii);

(b) processing the combustible fluid feedstock to produce renewable hydrogen;

(c) combining renewable hydrogen with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor under conditions to hydrogenate the liquid hydrocarbon and incorporate the renewable hydrogen to produce a hydrogenated liquid hydrocarbon, wherein said fuel comprises the hydrogenated liquid hydrocarbon or a hydrocarbon derived from the hydrogenated liquid hydrocarbon, and wherein a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the renewable content of the fuel is at least 20% lower than 98 kg CO2e/mmBTU; and

(d) generating or causing generation of a fuel credit.