Potential of Biocrude Production from Camel Manure via Hydrothermal Liquefaction: A Qatar Case Study
| Main Authors: | Mohammad Alherbawi, Prakash Parthasarathy, Tareq Al-Ansari, Gordon Mckay |
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| Format: | Proceeding Journal |
| Terbitan: |
, 2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://zenodo.org/record/4588276 |
Daftar Isi:
- Livestock manure is a significant contributor to methane emissions which are released upon the decomposition of manure under anaerobic conditions. Besides, the mismanagement of manure may lead to serious water and soil contamination. In Qatar, camels are commonly domesticated for their meat and milk. Its camel population generates around 120,000 tonnes of manure annually, resulting in nearly 4 kilotonnes of CO2 eq emissions. Meanwhile, Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) has emerged as a promising technology for the valorization of wet wastes, as it does not require the energy-intensive drying step as in gasification and pyrolysis technologies. As such, this study investigates the potential of biocrude production from camel manure in Qatar, and potentially other similar areas, using HTL. Proximate and elemental analysis of manure samples is conducted, while the process is simulated using Aspen Plus® software with an optimal feed capacity to completely utilize most of Qatar’s camel manure. Moreover, an economic assessment is conducted using Aspen Process Economic Analyzer (APEA). The demonstrated results are encouraging; whereby, a biocrude yield of 37.9% (dry, ash-free basis) is achieved, with a minimum selling price of 72 US$/bbl. Nevertheless, the presence of well-established oil refineries in Qatar makes it feasible to upgrade biocrude into drop-in transportation fuels via co-processing with petroleum crude, which has been recently certified by the American Society for Testing and Materials.