Raw Materials

In the Nordic countries, the main raw materials are various forest energy fractions including crown mass, stumps and wood from young forests, as well as by-products from the wood-processing industry, such as bark, chips and sawdust.

In the BtL (Biomass to Liquid) process, the raw gas obtained from the biomass by gasification is conditioned and processed into an ultra-clean synthesis gas with only two residual components left prior to the fuel synthesis: carbon monoxide and hydrogen. These react in the FT Reactor to form crude bio-oil, which can be refined into liquid biofuels, such as biodiesel and bio-naphtha.

Clean Biodiesel

BtL (Biomass to Liquid) Biodiesel does not contain sulphur, aromatic hydrocarbons or other impurities. For example, the particle emissions from a diesel engine are extremely low.  The major automobile manufacturers have successfully tested BtL Biodiesel in their engines. The quality of the BtL fuel is not affected by the type of biomass it is based on.

BtL (Biomass to Liquid) Biodiesel may, to a large extent, be produced using the commercial technology that is based on Coal-to-Liquid (CtL) and Gas-to-Liquid (GtL) Processes. The technology was developed in the 1920s and has since been used in e.g. China and South Africa.  The main differences between the CtL/GtL and BtL processes are in the pre-treatment of the raw material and in the gasification process.

Process  Chart