European Company Licenses IH2 Technology to Produce Fuels from Woody Biomass

A Fortune 2000 global company headquartered in Northern Europe has entered into an FEL-2 package license agreement with CRI/Criterion Catalyst Co. (CRIUK), Houston, Texas, USA, a global catalyst technology company. The license covers IH2 (trademark of Gas Technology Institute) technology, a continuous thermal catalytic process which produces liquid hydrocarbon transportation fuels from forest residues and other renewable resources.

The initial Front End Loading (FEL-2) evaluation package will be completed for the core IH2 technology, inside battery limit (ISBL), by KBR Inc. KBR is CRI’s preferred engineering services provider for commercial IH2 facilities. KBR’s experience with the technology components of an IH2 processing facility will assist in de-risking the commercial scale design. KBR is a global engineering, construction, and services company.

The client intends to source a broad range of forest residues as the design feedstock. IH2 hydrocarbons produced from woody biomass currently meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications for their respective fuels, positioned for the U.S. market as an E10 gasoline fully renewable product, or as a 100% renewable diesel. Third party testing of the IH2 woody biomass derived neat (R100) kerosene cut, for global jet specifications Jet A-1/JP8 indicates that the material meets these specifications for the properties tested to date. Ongoing research indicates the technology’s ability to achieve European Standard (EN) high-quality blend stock or potentially drop in renewable petrol and diesel specification hydrocarbons from this companies’ intended feed slate.

The IH2 technology is an efficient conversion route for woody biomass and forest residues feedstock that allows for production of clean transportation fuels from renewable resources. The process was developed by Gas Technology Institute (GTI) of Des Plaines, Ill., USA. CRI Catalyst Co. of Houston has been granted exclusive worldwide licensing rights.

CRI/Criterion Catalyst Co. UK LTD is an affiliate of CRI Catalyst Co, the global catalyst technology company of the Shell Group. CRI operates research laboratories, development facilities, manufacturing plants, and business units throughout the world. It is dedicated to providing a broad customer base with effective and cost-efficient catalysts and technologies. CRI has a range of products with specific focus on environmental applications, hydrogen separation and recovery, selective oxidation and hydrogenation, and the production of renewable fuels. 

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is a research, development, and training organization that has been addressing the nation’s energy and environmental challenges by developing technology-based solutions for consumers, industry, and government for more than 70 years.

 

KBR Inc. is a global technology, engineering, procurement and construction company serving the hydrocarbons and government services industries. With operations in 40 countries, KBR has more than 25,000 people delivering services to customers in 70-plus countries representing an unmatched reservoir of talent and experience in a wide range of markets.