The present invention provides a blended fuel and methods for producing the blended fuel, wherein a low carbon fuel derived from a renewable resource such as biomass, is blended with a traditional, petroleum derived fuel. A blended fuel which includes greater than 10% by volume of low carbon fuel has an overall improved lifecycle greenhouse gas content of about 5% or more compared to the petroleum derived fuel. Also, blending of the low carbon fuel to the traditional, petroleum fuel improves various engine performance characteristics of the traditional fuel.

A carbon compound manufacturing system includes: a recovery unit; a conversion unit; a synthesis unit; a first flow path to supply the supply gas to the recovery unit; a second flow path connecting the recovery and the conversion units; a third flow path connecting the conversion and the synthesis units; at least one of first to third detectors to respectively measure a flow rate of the supply gas flowing through the first flow path to generate a first data signal, a flow rate of the carbon dioxide flowing through the second flow path to generate a second data signal, and a value of voltage or current to the conversion unit to generate a third data signal; and an integration controller to collate at least one data of the first to third data signals with a corresponding plan data to generate at least one of first to third control signals.

A solar thermochemical processing system is disclosed. The system includes a first unit operation for receiving concentrated solar energy. Heat from the solar energy is used to drive the first unit operation. The first unit operation also receives a first set of reactants and produces a first set of products. A second unit operation receives the first set of products from the first unit operation and produces a second set of products. A third unit operation receives heat from the second unit operation to produce a portion of the first set of reactants.

The present invention provides a blended fuel and methods for producing the blended fuel, wherein a low carbon fuel derived from a renewable resource such as biomass, is blended with a traditional, petroleum derived fuel. A blended fuel which includes greater than 10% by volume of low carbon fuel has an overall improved lifecycle greenhouse gas content of about 5% or more compared to the petroleum derived fuel. Also, blending of the low carbon fuel to the traditional, petroleum fuel improves various engine performance characteristics of the traditional fuel.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to two improved catalysts and associated processes that directly convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen to liquid fuels. A catalytic system comprises two catalysts in series that are operated in tandem to directly produce synthetic liquid fuels. The carbon conversion efficiency for CO.sub.2 to liquid fuels is greater than 45%. The fuel is distilled into a premium diesel fuels (approximately 70 volume %) and naphtha (approximately 30 volume %) which are used directly as “drop-in” fuels without requiring any further processing. Any light hydrocarbons that are present with the carbon dioxide are also converted directly to fuels. This process is directly applicable to the conversion of CO.sub.2 collected from ethanol plants, cement plants, power plants, biogas, carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon mixtures from secondary oil recovery, and other carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon streams. The catalyst system is durable, efficient and maintains a relatively constant level of fuel productivity over long periods of time without requiring re-activation or replacement.

A carbon compound manufacturing system includes: a recovery unit; a conversion unit; a synthesis unit; a first flow path to supply the supply gas to the recovery unit; a second flow path connecting the recovery and the conversion units; a third flow path connecting the conversion and the synthesis units; at least one of first to third detectors to respectively measure a flow rate of the supply gas flowing through the first flow path to generate a first data signal, a flow rate of the carbon dioxide flowing through the second flow path to generate a second data signal, and a value of voltage or current to the conversion unit to generate a third data signal; and an integration controller to collate at least one data of the first to third data signals with a corresponding plan data to generate at least one of first to third control signals.

An integrated process for the production of a useful liquid hydrocarbon product comprises: feeding a gasification zone with an oxygen-containing feed and a first carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass, gasifying the first carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to produce first synthesis gas, partially oxidising the first synthesis gas in a partial oxidation zone to generate partially oxidised synthesis gas, combining at least a portion of the first synthesis gas and/or the partially oxidised synthesis gas and at least a portion of electrolysis hydrogen obtained from an electrolyser in an amount to achieve the desired hydrogen to carbon monoxide molar ratio of from about 1.5:1 to about 2.5:1, and to generate a blended synthesis gas, wherein the electrolyser operates using green electricity; and subjecting at least a portion of the blended synthesis gas to a conversion process effective to produce the liquid hydrocarbon product.

A process for the manufacture of a useful product from synthesis gas having a desired hydrogen to carbon monoxide molar ratio comprises gasifying a first carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass in a gasification zone to produce a first synthesis gas; optionally partially oxidising the first synthesis gas in a partial oxidation zone to generate oxidised synthesis gas; reforming a second carbonaceous feedstock to produce a second synthesis gas, the second synthesis gas having a different hydrogen to carbon ratio from that of the first raw synthesis gas; combining at least a portion of the first synthesis gas and at least a portion of the second synthesis gas in an amount to achieve the desired hydrogen to carbon molar ratio and to generate a combined synthesis gas and subjecting at least part of the combined synthesis gas to a conversion process effective to produce the useful product.

Methods and apparatuses for producing fuel and power from the reformation of organic waste include the use of steam to produce syngas in a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, followed by conversion of that syngas product to hydrogen. Some embodiments include the use of a heated auger both to heat the organic waste and further to cool the syngas.

The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a useful product from synthesis gas having a desired hydrogen to carbon monoxide molar ratio comprising: gasifying a first carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass in a gasification zone to produce a first synthesis gas; optionally partially oxidising the first synthesis gas in a partial oxidation zone to generate oxidised synthesis gas; reforming a second carbonaceous feedstock to produce a second synthesis gas, the second synthesis gas having a different hydrogen to carbon ratio from that of the first raw synthesis gas; combining at least a portion of the first synthesis gas and at least a portion of the second synthesis gas in an amount to achieve the desired hydrogen to carbon molar ratio and to generate a combined synthesis gas and subjecting at least part of the combined synthesis gas to a conversion process effective to produce the useful product. The reforming step enables the conventional water gas shift reaction to be dispensed with.