Shell to build biofuels demonstration plant in India

Shell India Markets (SIMPL) will proceed with the installation of a 5 tpd IH² technology demonstration plant on the site of SIMPL’s new technology center in Bangalore, India, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The Shell unit SIMPL will build, operate and own the demonstration-scale IH² plant. IH² technology is a continuous catalytic thermo-chemical process which converts a broad range of forestry/agricultural residues and municipal wastes directly into renewable hydrocarbon transportation fuels and/or blend stocks. 

The IH² technology was developed by the US-based Gas Technology Institute in 2009 and is being further developed in collaboration with CRI Catalyst Co. (CRI), Shell’s catalyst business. CRI will supply the proprietary catalysts for the unit. 

The basic engineering package for the plant will be provided by Zeton of Ontario, Canada.

As the IH² technology converts a wide range of residual biomass, the facility in Bangalore will be designed to allow for variation in feedstock. Highly relevant commercial feedstocks, such as residual woody biomass and select agricultural and municipal residues, will be within the intended feed scope. Regardless of the feedstock, the IH² hydrocarbons produced span the gasoline, jet and diesel range.

Hydrocarbons produced from the IH² technology using lignocellulosic biomass feed meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications for road transport fuels, positioned for the US market as an E10 gasoline fully renewable product and as a 100% fully renewable on-road diesel.

 Testing of the neat kerosene (R100) cut indicates that the material meet specifications for global jet fuel specifications for Jet A-1/JP8 for those properties tested to date. Ongoing research indicates a high probability to achieve European Union (EN) specification fuels, the company says.