Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; www.praxair.com), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Linde plc has signed a long-term agreement to supply oxygen to Fulcrum BioEnergy’s Sierra BioFuels Plant in Storey County, Nevada. Praxair will build two vacuum-pressure-swing adsorption (VPSA) plants at the facility, which is under construction and expected to start up operations in early 2020.
“Praxair is proud to partner with Fulcrum at its Sierra waste to fuels plant in Nevada,” said Armando Botello, West Region vice president of Praxair’s U.S. industrial gases business. “This project will use our Hot Oxygen Burner (HOB) and VPSA technologies to deliver an innovative and reliable solution for our customer.”
The Sierra BioFuels Plant will employ Praxair’s proprietary HOB technology for increasing synthesis gas (syngas) yield from the gasification process. HOB technology enables rapid partial oxidation of remaining hydrocarbons and tars in the produced syngas without the need for a catalyst or steam injection. The HOB technology, coupled with gasification in Fulcrum’s process, will help transform municipal solid waste into clean, high-quality syngas, which will then be converted to low-carbon transportation fuels such as renewable crude, jet fuel and diesel.
“Praxair is a leader in VPSA technology and we look forward to working with them on our innovative waste to fuels plant,” said Lee Rich, vice president of engineering and operations for Fulcrum. “From design to plant operation, Praxair has a strong record of providing safe, reliable and efficient service.”
Praxair was the first to develop VPSA technology and is a leader in VPSA applications for oxygen production.