Risk Minimization in Scale-Up of Biomass and Waste Carbon Upgrading Processes

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Renewable Energy Technologies
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Decarbonizing industries like aviation and materials necessitates efficient biomass and waste carbon utilization.
• Current scale-up approaches often prioritize demonstrating functionality over identifying and mitigating commercialization risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review deficiencies in current technology scale-up processes.
• To propose a more scientific, risk-minimized approach to biomass and waste carbon upgrading scale-up.
• To highlight the role of the U.S. national laboratory system in facilitating technology commercialization.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of scale-up deficiencies and common roadblocks.
• Economic and timeline data from pilot operations at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
• Case studies of successful and unsuccessful scale-up efforts.

Main Results:

• Many developers focus on "profit" (larger units) over "information" (up-front risk assessment).
• A scientific approach maximizing information in small, agile setups is more effective.
• Examples illustrate the consequences of insufficient risk mitigation during scale-up.

Conclusions:

• A shift towards prioritizing "information" collection is crucial for successful technology scale-up.
• The U.S. national laboratory system is well-positioned to support effective scale-up of carbon utilization technologies.
• Implementing a risk-minimized strategy accelerates the decarbonization of key industries.