Biogas to Renewable Fuels via Thermal Reforming

Molten is using a new reactor technology to enable the direct conversion of biogas into carbon-negative syngas for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and renewable diesel. This proposed project will investigate the feasibility of using Molten’s proprietary reactor developed for methane pyrolysis to convert biogas to syngas and carbon black at high conversion yields with a 2:1 H2:CO ratio, ideal for Fischer Tropsch synthesis of renewable diesel and SAF. Molten’s non-catalytic, thermal reforming reactor powered by renewable electricity suppresses carbon coking and enables excellent energy efficiency at high gas throughputs. In this project we will perform (1) experimental confirmation of modeled chemical reaction pathways, kinetics, and yield, (2) studies of reactor fouling and reaction products from raw biogas impurities, and (3) an evaluation of full system design at bench top scale, optimization of processing parameters, and the design of a demonstration scale reactor with cost model. If successful, this project will open a new route to upgrade biogas to fuels, increasing U.S. sustainable fuel production, increasing the number of economically viable biogas production sites, and decreasing the emissions of the road transport and aviation industries.