Technology
Range Fuels has invented a two-step thermo-chemical process to produce low carbon biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol and methanol, and clean renewable energy. Even if these words are foreign to you, the positives are sure to resonate: the process has a zero carbon footprint, has very low emissions, and is thermally self-sustaining.
A Design Driven by Efficiency
Our focus on efficiency goes beyond how we produce biofuels and energy – it also extends to where we produce it. Our distributive design lets us bring systems to sources where biomass is most plentiful, instead of having to transport biomass to a central processing site. This reduces transportation costs and related transportation fuel consumption. Our modularity also allows the system to grow as more biomass becomes available. Simply adding another module – which is easy to ship and install – immediately doubles the output. We put our systems where they are needed, in just the size that is needed.
Nature’s Way
Our entire approach is based upon the invention of eco-friendly technology. The best evidence of this is that we produce more biofuels per energy input than conventional biofuel production processes. Nature likes this. Especially since we can convert a variety of materials, including waste material that serves no useful purpose. We call this conversion "waste to value," and this thrust is what motivates us to keep working our hardest.
Our Two-Step Thermo-Chemical Process
Step 1: Solids to Gas
Biomass (all plant and plant-derived material) that cannot be used for food, such as wood, grasses, and corn stover, is fed into a converter. Using heat, pressure, and steam the feedstock is converted into synthesis gas (syngas), which is cleaned before entering the second step.
Step 2: Gas to Liquids
The cleaned syngas is passed over a proprietary catalyst and transformed into cellulosic biofuels. These cellulosic biofuels can then be separated and processed to yield a variety of low carbon biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol and methanol, which can be used to displace gasoline or diesel transportation fuels, generate clean renewable energy or be used as low carbon chemical building blocks. In addition, clean renewable power is produced from energy recovered in the conversion process.
A Simple Process
Because Range Fuels’ process utilizes a thermo-chemical process, it relies on the chemical reactions and conversions between forms that naturally occur when certain materials are mixed under specific combinations of temperature and pressure. Other conversion processes use enzymes, yeasts, and other biological means to convert between forms.
Feedstock Flexibility
The Range Fuels process accommodates a wide range of organic feedstocks of various types, sizes, and moisture contents. This flexibility eliminates commercial problems related to fluctuations in feed material quality and ensures success in the real world, far from laboratory-controlled conditions.
Tested and True
Range Fuels’ technology has been tested and proven in bench and pilot-scale units for over eight years. Over 10,000 hours of testing has been completed on over 30 different non-food feedstocks with varying moisture contents and sizes, including wood waste, olive pits, and more. Most recently, Range Fuels used a 4th generation pilot plant in Denver, Colorado to optimize the conversion technology that will be used in our first commercial cellulosic biofuels plant near Soperton, Georgia.