Biomass to Fuel with the Modular Distributed Biorefinery Model

August 23, 2024

SynSel is interested in marketing a modular biorefinery - implementing an integrated hydro-pyrolysis and hydro-conversion catalytic process. The goal will be to create modular distributed biorefineries (MDB) at the site of the wood waste (wood mill) and deploy the fuel at the local area of the MDB. The target size is 200 tons per day (TPD) of woody biomass input and 6.2MM gallons output per year. The default fuel grades will be 70% gasoline and 30% diesel. 

Regional raw wood processing plants (mills) are currently facing existential pressures due to strong foreign competition and the end of wood to generate electricity in Europe. Our business model deploys  a modular biorefinery technology with MDBs in northern Wisconsin, Minnesota & Michigan (Northern Great Lakes wood basket). The MDB eliminates the traditional supply chain of sourcing feedstock for large central 1,000 TPD plants while also vanquishing the output supply chain for fuel required by large central plants. Essentially the analogy is replacing large refineries with small distributed systems run by local people using locally available biomass feeds. This MDP model is much like the evolution of large, centralized “mainframe” computers to a PC on every desk.  

The SynSel MDB concept keeps the legacy lumber mills viable by providing a climate-friendly use of the mill wood waste – creating drop-in renewable gasoline and diesel for use in the immediate community. The fuel dispensed at the local fuel station will have an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases compared to traditional crude oil-to-fuel production. This carbon reduction transportation fuel platform has a “greener” footprint than the electric vehicle (EV) while also sustaining the traditional US car manufacturing industry with the internal combustion engine (ICE). Biofuels are more relevant in our climate-conscious world. This represents a grassroots movement to keep local wood industries thriving and people of the community making homegrown green fuels that perform in the car already sitting in their driveway.