Investigations on catalyzed steam gasification of biomass. Appendix B: feasibility study of methanol production via catalytic gasification of 2000 tons of wood per day

A study has been made of the economic feasibility of producing fuel grade methanol from wood via catalytic gasification with steam. The plant design in this study was developed from information on gasifier operation supplied by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), operated by Battelle. PNL obtained this information from laboratory and process development unit testing. The plant is designed to process 2000 tons per day of dry wood to methanol. Plant production is 997 tons per day of methanol with a HHV of 9784 Btu per pound. All process and support facilities necessary to convert wood to methanol are included in this study. The plant location is Newport, Oregon. The capital cost for the plant is $120,830,000 - September 1980 basis. Methanol production costs which allow for return on capital have been calculated for various wood prices for both utility and private investor financing. These wood costs include delivery to the plant. For utility financing, the methanol production costs are respectively $.45, $.48, $.55, and $.69 per gallon for wood costs of $5, $10, $20, and $40 per dry ton. For private investor financing, the corresponding product costs are $.59, $.62, $.69, and $.83 per gallon for the corresponding wood costs. Both calculation methods include a return on equity capital in the costs. The thermal efficiency of the plant is 52.9%.