SHV Energy is looking for pathways that can produce saturated C3/C4 hydrocarbons (LPG - propane and/or butane/iso-butane) from sustainable feedstocks with yields that could ultimately be scaled to make production commercially viable. The saturated C3/C4 hydrocarbon may be a co-product with other similarly valuable components.
Traditionally, petrochemical processes are designed to minimise saturated C3/C4 hydrocarbons, hence this challenge. Sustainable feedstocks are generally described as containing bio-derived carbon (eg biomass, vegetable oils), though could also include fossil carbon contained in wastes (eg industrial flue gases, municipal solid waste or non-recyclable plastics).
SHV Energy is a leading global distributor of off-grid energy such as fossil-based LPG and is also active in the area of sustainable fuels and renewable energy solutions. The global market for LPG is in excess of 300 million tonnes. SHV Energy’s bold ambition is to source 100% of its energy products from renewable and sustainable sources by 2040, to satisfy its current annual demand of over 5 million tonnes. It is, therefore, actively seeking opportunities to substitute its existing energy products with sustainable alternatives. In pursuit of this ambition, it successfully launched bioLPG in 2018 sourced from the Neste biorefinery in Rotterdam. Currently, bioLPG is produced commercially as a by-product of renewable diesel that comes from Hydrotreatment of Vegetable Oils (HVO). BioLPG is also produced as a by-product of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) that comes from a modification of the HVO process called Hydrotreatment of Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA). Global production of bioLPG, based on these processes is increasing, and currently estimated to be over 200,000 tonnes, though not all of that is recovered. BioLPG yield from these particular HVO/HEFA pathways typically range between 5 – 7%.
The state-of-the-art for these, and other process routes has been reviewed by Eric Johnson, Energies 2019, 12(2), 250 1 . The Sustainable Fuels Team at SHV Energy is seeking to identify novel routes ( TRL 1-3), in addition to those contained in above reviews; or proposals on how to substantially increase the LPG yields of the known transformation routes. This will allow SHV Energy to maintain its leading market position and support us in achieving our sustainability targets by the year 2040. Applicants should describe their proposals (stating the Technology Readiness Level) to satisfy this challenge, together with their organisation’s ability to implement the project.
Technical requirements
– Abundant feedstock:The specific type of "Abundant Feedstocks" will be indigenous to a particular geography, but could include:
However, they should also be ideally available as a point source and the following factors will also influence their being classified as abundant:
– Focused in the process last stage to produce C3/C4
– Preferably not vegetable oil: Vegetable (and used cooking oils) are well established, 1st generation feedstocks for biofuel production, and we would prefer solutions which allow for greater diversity.
– Overall solution must be considered sustainable
Award Categories
Submit your proposal/s for an opportunity of working together with SHV Energy and be rewarded:
– Partnership: Relevant for research intensive companies (big and small), start-ups and non-academic research organisations. Through partnership with SHV Energy you would benefit from up to €50,000 in funding, market accessibility and expertise and safety.
– Research Collaboration: SHV Energy Research Collaboration Model is particularly suited to academic (University) research organisations. SHV Energy will consider to fund up to €50,000 for selected participants: whether to conduct a feasibility study; support on-going research; or enable applications for industry-focused research grants.
SHV Energy is a leading global distributor of off-grid energy such as LPG and LNG and is active in the area of biofuels and renewable energy solutions. Our products and services are predominantly used for heating, cooking and transport. SHV Energy provides these decentralised, low-carbon and clean energy solutions to 30 million business and residential customers whose needs are not met by a supply grid.
SHV Energy consists of a group of specialised energy companies in over 24 countries across four continents and employs over 16,000 employees. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SHV, a family-owned multinational. Our brands include Calor, Ipragaz, Liquigas, Pinnacle, Primagaz, Xiwei, Supergas and Supergasbras
We live in a fast-changing world. Trends emerge and rapidly influence the people around us. To anticipate future needs and drive the energy transition, we identify and meet customer and business challenges with innovative solutions. The way we work constantly evolves and a key change is incorporating innovation as a core capability within SHV Energy.
With a systematic approach to identify challenges, researching, and testing new solutions, we aim to improve our processes and deliver an enhanced, seamless customer experience. We support this by optimising internal and external collaborations, building partnerships with organisations and external ecosystems.
New solutions that show potential are tested and implemented in our businesses. Innovation helps us to grow our customer base, make our operation more efficient, reduces carbon emission, and improves safety. These innovation efforts benefit our customers through product and service improvements and make our operation more efficient. By increasingly incorporating innovations as a capability within the group, we continue to evolve our way of working, focusing on customer centricity and a mentality of building, testing and learning fast. This forms a crucial part of our culture on the energy transition journey of Advancing Energy Together.
This journey involves all our key stakeholders, not just our employees and customers. We believe it is in the interest of the entire industry, and wider society, that we bring other businesses with us in partnership and with collaboration.
Find out more about SHV Energy: www.shvenergy.com
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