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 process for the manufacture of a useful product from carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics, the process comprising the steps of: continuously providing the carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics to a gasification zone; gasifying the carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to obtain raw synthesis gas; sequentially removing ammoniacal, sulphurous and carbon dioxide impurities from the raw synthesis gas to form desulphurised gas and recovering carbon dioxide in substantially pure form; converting at least a portion of the desulphurised synthesis gas to a useful product. Despite having selected a more energy intensive sub-process i.e. physical absorption for removal of acid gas impurities, the overall power requirement of the facility is lower on account of lower steam requirements and thereby leading to a decrease in the carbon intensity score for the facility.

The method for recycling carbon dioxide according to the present invention includes: injecting a reaction gas containing carbon dioxide and a carbon raw material into a rotary heating furnace; reacting the reaction gas and the carbon raw material with each other in the rotary heating furnace to generate a hydrocarbon precursor containing carbon monoxide; and converting the hydrocarbon precursor into a hydrocarbon compound, thereby exhibiting excellent conversion rate of carbon dioxide.

The present disclosure includes a process for pelletizing a spent bleach earth (SBE) into a clay-biocarbon composite including classifying the SBE based on at least one parameter of the SBE, selecting at least one filler compound and mixing the at least one filler compound with the SBE to make a mixture, forming a plurality of pellets out of the mixture, and pyrolyzing the pellets to produce the clay-biocarbon composite. Pyrolyzing a pelleted spent bleach earth (SBE) may include advancing the pelleted SBE with a distributer to a first thermal chamber for providing even thermal processing, releasing the pelleted SBE to a second auger to cool to room temperature, and condensing at least one volatile compound emitted from the pelleted SBE during thermal processing to produce a condensate for reuse.

The invention discloses novel diesel fuel compositions including a renewable diesel component, a fossil diesel component and an oxygenate component, as well as methods for manufacture and use of a combination of a renewable diesel component, and an oxygenate component for reducing particulate matter emissions.

The integrated processes herein provide improved carbon efficiency for processes based on coal or biomass gasification or steam methane reforming. Provided are also ethylene oxide carbonylation products such as beta-propiolactone and succinic anhydride having a bio-based content between 0% and 100%, and methods for producing and analyzing the same.

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.

A process for the manufacture of a useful product from carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics, comprising the steps of: continuously providing the carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics to a gasification zone; gasifying the carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to obtain raw synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the raw synthesis gas from the gasification zone and supplying at least part of the recovered raw synthesis gas to a partial oxidation zone; equilibrating the H.sub.2:CO ratio of the raw synthesis gas in the partial oxidation zone to obtain equilibrated synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the equilibrated synthesis gas from the partial oxidation zone and treating the gas to remove impurities and generate a fine synthesis gas; and converting the optionally adjusted fine synthesis gas into the useful product in a further chemical reaction requiring a usage ratio.

A fuel production system includes a gasification unit including a gasification furnace that gasifies biomass feedstock to produce a syngas; a liquid fuel production unit that produces a liquid fuel from the syngas produced by the gasification unit; an electrolysis unit that produces hydrogen from water using electric power generated using renewable energy; a hydrogen tank that stores the hydrogen produced by the electrolysis unit; a remaining hydrogen amount determining section that determines the amount of hydrogen remaining in the hydrogen tank; a hydrogen supply unit that supplies the hydrogen from the hydrogen tank to the gasification unit; and a control unit that performs a hydrogen consumption increasing control to reduce the H.sub.2/CO ratio of the syngas produced by reaction in the gasification furnace and to increase the amount of hydrogen supplied by the hydrogen supply unit, when the remaining amount of hydrogen is more than a predetermined amount.

A fuel production system 1 includes a gasification unit 3; an electrolysis unit; 60 that is connected to a renewable power generating unit 5 and a commercial power grid 8 and produces hydrogen using electric power; and a control unit 7 that determines a power index that depending on the carbon dioxide emission intensity of the electric power supplied from the commercial power grid 8. When the remaining amount of hydrogen is smaller than a lower threshold, the control unit 7 causes electric power to be supplied to the electrolysis unit 60 from the renewable power generating unit 5 and the commercial power grid 8 for production of hydrogen, and controls, based on the power index, the amount of hydrogen supplied by a hydrogen supply pump 64 and the amount of commercial power supply from the commercial power grid 8 to the electrolysis unit 60.