Commercially beneficial carbon-containing fractions can be recovered from hydrothermal liquefaction reactions in various types of processors. Feedstock slurry from waste solids is placed into a pressurized processor where it is maintained at temperature and pressure for a predetermined period. On discharge from the processor the processed discharge is separated into liquid and solid fractions. Gaseous fractions including carbon dioxide can also be removed or off-taken from the processor. New molecular structures are created in this reaction, resulting in fractions including biogas, biofuels, biosolids and biocrude. Silica, phosphates, potash and low concentration nitrogen based fertilizer, along with carbonaceous material can also be recovered.

A method for treating carbonaceous material, the method includes a) providing a carbonaceous material CM, b) subjecting the carbonaceous material CM to hydrothermal gasification in a HTG reactor, thereby producing: an inorganic solid residue, a first gaseous fraction G1 comprising CH.sub.4, CO, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2, and a filtrate F1 containing readily biodegradable carbons such as VFAs, c) subjecting at least part of the filtrate F1 to an anaerobic treatment step in an anaerobic tank, leading to a digestate. An installation for treating carbonaceous material is also provided.

A combined hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) system and process are described that convert various biomass-containing sources into separable bio-oils and aqueous effluents that contain residual organics. Bio-oils may be converted to useful bio-based fuels and other chemical feedstocks. Residual organics in HTL aqueous effluents may be gasified and converted into medium-BTU product gases and directly used for process heating or to provide energy.

Char fuels are described that result from a simple and efficient carbonization of cellulosic and/or lignin-containing materials, and can be provided as pellets, briquettes, or powders. Such char fuels show very low water absorption.

Systems and methods are described for sequestering carbon stored in organic matter while minimizing the release of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and methane (CH.sub.4) into the atmosphere, with the carbon (C) being stored as char or coal through the coalification process. Organic matter will be moved to submarine hydrothermal vent fields where the extreme heat in the water will drastically accelerate the degradation of the material and destroy microbes that normally consume the organic material and release the carbon as CO.sub.2 or CH.sub.4. The oxygen level in the heated water around the vents is extremely low. The water surrounding these vents can reach temperatures of 400° C. (750° F.). Exemplary implementations may include constructing hydrothermal borehole vents to harness the energy continuously released from the Earth's core in the form of volcanic heat.

A system and method for torrefying a combination of biomass and biochar colloidal dispersion is provided.

It refers to a process and a plant for the transformation of biomass into hydrochar.

A hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) system can comprise a biomass slurry source, a first pump in fluid communication with the slurry source and configured to pressurize a biomass slurry stream from the slurry source to a first pressure, a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first pump and configured to heat a slurry stream received from the first pump to a first temperature, a second pump in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and configured to pressurize a slurry stream received from the first heat exchanger to a second pressure higher than the first pressure, a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the second pump and configured to heat a slurry stream received from the second pump to a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and a HTL reactor configured to produce biocrude from a slurry stream received from the second heat exchanger.

Methods and systems for treatment of organic waste by means of hydrothermal carbonization include a mixing tank for receiving organic waste. A first batch of mixed wet waste is fed from the mixing tank to a first thermal reactor to undergo thermal hydrolysis. A second batch of mixed wet waste is fed from the mixing tank to a second thermal reactor to undergo thermal hydrolysis. Bio-char sludge is fed in an alternating manner from the first and second thermal reactors to a bio-char cooler. To save energy, hot and pressurized water from the first thermal reactor is subsequently supplied to the second thermal reactor or from the second thermal reactor to the first thermal reactor in an alternating manner for the respective hydrolysis processes.

Systems and methods are described for sequestering carbon stored in organic matter while minimizing the release of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and methane (CH.sub.4) into the atmosphere, with the carbon (C) being stored as char or coal through the coalification process. Organic matter will be moved to submarine hydrothermal vent fields where the extreme heat in the water will drastically accelerate the degradation of the material and destroy microbes that normally consume the organic material and release the carbon as CO.sub.2 or CH.sub.4. The oxygen level in the heated water around the vents is extremely low. The water surrounding these vents can reach temperatures of 400° C. (750° F.). Exemplary implementations may include constructing hydrothermal borehole vents to harness the energy continuously released from the Earth's core in the form of volcanic heat.