There are two key components of our biomass to liquid transportation fuel process. Gasification to create a "synthesis gas" or "syngas" is the first step and Catalytic Conversion of syngas to fuels and products is the second. We will focus on describing and explaining gasification since we believe the concept of catalytic conversion is comparatively well understood by the general public while gasification is not. Moreover, our catalytic process is proprietary and cofidential intellectual property and the following discussion of gasification is not. The following video produced by the Gasifiaction Technology Council gives a brief overview of gasification and it's uses.

Gasification Technology Council is a an energy industry trade group established to promote research, development, conmmercialization, and public understanding of gasification. Much of the work on gasification has focused on coal gasification. That is because coal is abundant in United States. In fact America's coal reserves, at an estimated 275 billion tons, about one quarter (25%) of the world's total, are considered to be the largest single increment of energy on earth. In fact, U.S. coal reserves are equivalent to four times the oil of Saudi Arabia, 1.3 times the oil of OPEC and equal to all of the world's proved oil reserves.” Gasification is a technology that can extract the energy from coal, a notoriously "dirty" fuel, in a clean, environmentally beneficial way.

The syngas created during gasification, principally carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is alsoa fundamental building blocks of many chemical and industrial products and processes. Examples of common products manufactured from syngas are Tylenol, NutraSweet, and the plastic handles for Sears "Craftsmen" tools.

However, the rise of the "renewable energy" industry has focused attention on the application of gasification technology to extracting energy and manufacturing products from gasified biomass. The principal reason is that biomass is renewable and coal and oil are not.

The biggest difference between coal and biomass is the amount of syngas produced. That difference is directly related to the different carbon content or energy density of coal and biomass. The energy density of a feedstock is normally expressed in "BTU's" (Brtish Thermal Units) per pound, or kilojoules per kilogram. Coal and other petroleum products typically have between 1.5 to 3.5 times the energy density of biomass. Coal and oil, will no doubt continue to play a role in our energy future but renewables are destined to supply an ever increasing share of our future energy requirements.

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