Description

The slurry hydrocracking pilot plant is built to treat biomass slurry and assess its conversion into fuels under conditions that closely replicate industrial operations. It can run in either continuous or batch mode and is equipped with a stirred tank reactor (CSTR) of about 2 dm³, enabling precise testing of mixtures of bio-based and fossil feedstocks. The system operates under severe conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 500°C and pressures up to 180 bar, alongside a continuous supply of hydrogen to drive catalytic hydrogenation and thermal cracking processes. The biomass slurry, typically produced from pyrolysis oil, is introduced into the reactor with catalysts and hydrogen, where it is converted into multiple products such as gas, light and heavy fractions, and water. The plant integrates all key stages, including slurry preparation, gas injection, reaction, and product separation. Designed for stable continuous operation, it delivers accurate mass balance measurements, demonstrating its suitability for industrial scale-up. Overall, the pilot plant is essential for validating co-refining processes and improving the efficient use of biomass slurry in sustainable fuel production.