COMMERCIAL DEMONSTRATION OF BIOMASS GASIFICATION

Thermal gasification of biomass for use in gas turbine combined cycle plants is a technology under commercial development to improve efficie ncies and reduce capital intensity to meet the needs of the industry. One example of this technology has more than 20,000 successful hours o f operation at battelle Columbus Labs' process research unit (PRU). Th is process, the Low Inlet Velocity Gasification Process (LIVG), is the first to have operated a gas combustion turbine on 100% biomass deriv ed gas. A commercial scale demonstration of the technology (rated at a nominal 200 dt/day) is being constructed and will be put into operati on during the first quarter of 1997.