Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL)

These fractions can then be further processed into various products such as fuels, chemicals, and materials. The process takes place in water and drying the raw materials is thus unnecessary, which contributes to HTL being an energy-efficient process that can convert many different types of biomass.

In just a few minutes, HTL converts biomass into bio-based oil and coal, a similar process that in nature has taken millions of years and formed the fossil variant.

RISE has two batch reactors (300 ml) and a continuous pilot for hydrothermal liquefaction under high pressure and high temperatures in a room classified for high-pressure processes. The smaller reactors can be run at 500 ° C and 500 bar. The larger pilot is specified at 400 ° C and 300 bar and is run as a fully continuous process.

The usual procedure is to first test different parameters on a smaller scale before producing a larger amount in the continuous pilot. At present, about 1 kg of oil/day is produced, but work is underway to increase capacity 10-20 times.