Shell, Houston, Tex., USA, announced this week that Shell India Markets Pvt Ltd (SIMPL) will proceed with the installation of a 5 metric tpd IH2 technology demonstration plant on the site of SIMPL’s new Technology Center in Bangalore, India. SIMPL will build, operate, and own the demonstration scale IH2 plant. 

 

IH2 technology is a continuous catalytic thermochemical process that converts a broad range of forestry/agricultural residues and municipal wastes directly into renewable hydrocarbon transportation fuels and/or blend stocks. The IH2 technology was developed by U/S/-based Gas Technology Institute in 2009 and is being further developed in collaboration with CRI Catalyst Co. (CRI), Shell’s Catalyst business. CRI will supply the proprietary catalysts for the unit. The basic engineering package for the plant will be provided by Zeton Inc. of Ontario, Canada.

  

As the IH2 technology converts a wide range of residual biomass, the facility in Bangalore will be designed to allow for variation in feedstock. Highly relevant commercial feedstocks, such as residual woody biomass and select agricultural and municipal residues, will be within the intended feed scope. Regardless of the feedstock, the IH2 hydrocarbons produced span the gasoline, jet, and diesel range.

Hydrocarbons produced from the IH2 technology using lignocellulosic biomass feed meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications for road transport fuels, positioned for the U.S. market as an E10 gasoline fully renewable product and as a 100% fully renewable on-road diesel. Testing of the neat kerosene (R100) cut indicates that the material meets specifications for global jet fuel specifications for Jet A-1/JP8 for those properties tested to date. Ongoing research indicates a high probability to achieve European Union (EN) specification fuels.