bioMSAR™ Zero
In 2022, in response to rising demand for low and near-zero GHG emission fuels, we started to develop options to further reduce the GHG emissions profile of bioMSAR™ to net-zero. Our goal is to deliver a commercially viable ‘bioMSAR™ Zero’ by 2030. We researched feedstocks with potential for blending into our base bioMSAR™ product to produce a net-zero GHG emission fuel on a Well-to-Wake basis.
Several feedstocks have been shortlisted and partnerships developed with companies owning unique or advantaged technologies, or access to the feedstocks.
BIOMASS-DERIVED SUGAR OILS
To complement the use of renewable glycerine, and provide at scale the quantities of biofuels required by the marine and industrial sectors (consuming over 200 million tons of conventional fuels globally) we are testing the use of cellulosic sugars and pyrolytic sugars derived from waste lignocellulosic biomass. This is one of the most abundantly available raw materials on the planet, with over 200 billion tons grown of which 50 billion tons is waste.
In one of our partnerships, Quadrise has teamed up with Vertoro BV who produce crude sugar oils (CSO™) from sustainable biomass residues sourced from forestry, agriculture, paper and textile wastes.
Stable blends of bioMSAR™ containing up to 40% of CSO™ (replacing glycerine) have been produced at pilot scale at our research facility.
The first phase of diesel engine testing by partners, Aquafuel, was performed on the Quadrise-owned 40kW Quadrise’s Cummins diesel engine using bioMSAR™ containing 18-20% CSO™ and 18-20% glycerine. Subsequent testing was then recently completed at Aquafuel using bioMSAR™ with 39% CSO™ content to replace the glycerine in bioMSAR™.
Testing of CSO™ bioMSAR™ when compared with conventional road diesel (ULSD) confirmed engine efficiency improvements of 7% resulting in reduced fuel consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions, consistent with standard bioMSAR™ results.
Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) emissions compared with diesel were reduced by around 30% with the CSO™ bioMSAR™, which is comparable with the 20-45% reductions in NOx seen during previous testing with bioMSAR™ on the same engine. Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were reduced by over 50% with all bioMSAR™ variants vs diesel.
Visible smoke was also negligible when running CSO™ bioMSAR™ and bioMSAR™ when compared with diesel.
Based on the Aquafuel results, testing of the 40% CSO™ bioMSAR™ and conventional bioMSAR™ on a larger medium-speed Wärtsilä engine at VTT is being scheduled for H1’24, alongside testing of higher concentrations of CSO™ in bioMSAR™ beyond 40% at QRF and Aquafuel.These results and scheduled tests are expected to accelerate the larger-scale trials and the potential use of lower-cost CSO™ bioMSAR™ for the marine and power generation sectors.
In parallel to the CSO™ work Quadrise has teamed up with BTG Bioliquids BV who produce pyrolysis oils and pyrolytic sugars from sustainable biomass residues. This programme of work is following a similar RDI pathway, with positive results to date that are expected to lead to engine tests at Aquafuel initially, and then VTT if successful in 2024.
METHYL ESTERS
Currently in the maritime sector, Methyl Esters (as known as biodiesel) sourced from food crops oils or waste oils such as used cooking oil are increasingly used as ‘drop-in’ fuels to blend with convention fossil-based marine fuels. The most common of these blends is B30, comprising of 30% FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) or UCOME (Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester) and 70% Heavy Fuel Oil.
After successful pilot testing at our research facility, Quadrise has completed our first phase of engine testing at Aquafuel on our 40kW Cummins diesel engine, using B30 blended into MSAR® (50% HFO/Resid, 20% UCOME, and 30% water with <1% additives) and bioMSAR™ (35% HFO/Resid, 15% UCOME, 40% Glycerine and 10% water with <1% additives).
Compared with conventional road diesel, MSAR® and bioMSAR™ with B30 provides enhanced engine efficiency benefits of 3-7% in our Cummins 4S engine. bioMSAR™ with B30 provides over 38% WTW CO2 emission savings versus conventional Heavy Fuel Oil.
As with previous testing, MSAR® and bioMSAR™ with B30 has shown significant NOx emission reductions of 43-59% compared with diesel, CO reductions of 58-76% and negligible visible smoke.
The successful efficiency gains and emission reductions from engine testing with B30 provide a pathway to further reduce the fossil fuel content of our emulsion blends using methyl esters. The next phase of methyl ester testing will focus on incorporating higher concentrations of waste-based methyl esters, and ultimately B100 combined with glycerine or biomass-derived sugars to produce our first fossil-free bioMSAR Zero™ emulsion well in advance of 2030.
