Performance of OLGA tar removal system

The OLGA process has proved itself in many lab and pilot scale tests. The performance of OLGA has been
tested downstream two air blown biomass gasifiers at a capacity of 2 and 200 mn3/h at ECN. The simplified
process scheme of the 200 mn3/h gasification system used for the duration tests is presented in the figure
below. On a larger scale, OLGA has been installed downstream a special type of air blown updraft gasifier
at Eneria in France with a capacity of 2,000 mn3/h. The OLGA facilities at ECN are also used downstream
the autothermal indirect gasifiers on site.

Biomass OLGA OLGA

To flare Collector Absorber

Combustion
in steam boiler
OLGA
Tar
removal

Fresh sand Micro

OLGA ESP Gas Turbine
CFB
Bottom ashes Gasifier
Primairy Cyclone Aqueous
Product Gas Condenser
Cooler & Scrubber
Gas Engine
Gasification air fan Pressure Fan

Bottom Ashes Heat Coarse solids Heat Light tar Condensate water
Fine solids Inorganic impurities
Heavy tar (NH3 – HCl etc )

The OLGA tar removal system is based on a multiple stage scrubber in which the gas is cleaned by special
scrubbing oil. In the first step of OLGA (the collector), the gas is gently cooled down by the scrubbing oil,
gently condensing the heavy tars. The heavy tar condensate together with the fine solids is recycled to the
gasifier as a liquid. In the second step (the absorber/stripper), lighter gaseous tars are absorbed by the
scrubbing oil resulting in a product gas practically free from tars and solids.

Test facilities at ECN
The 2 mn3/h laboratory OLGA facility at ECN,
shown on the left in the picture below, was started
up in 2002 and has been operated at ECN for over
2,000 hours downstream the bubbling fluidized
bed gasifier WOB and the indirect gasifier Milena.
In 2004 the 200 mn3/h OLGA pilot installation was
started up downstream the air blown circulating
fluidized bed gasifier BIVKIN at ECN premises.
This installation (shown on the right in the picture)
is constructed by Dahlman and is based on
industrial scalable equipment and has been
operated for more than 900 hours, including a
duration test of 675 hours at the start of 2006.

During these tests OLGA could be operated

stable, with the performance given in the table
below. The total tar content was reduced for 99%
from 16,855 to 200 mg/mn3. The main gas
compounds (CH4, CO, H2, C2H4, C2H6, N2)
remained in the producer gas, whereas benzene
and toluene were removed for 30% respectively
65%.
b-08-024

ECN Biomass, Coal & Environmental Research T. +31 224 56 4574 Contact: R.W.R. Zwart, A. Bos, J. Kuipers
P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten, The Netherlands F. +31 224 56 8487 zwart@ecn.nl

www.ecn.nl
 Raw After Before
The absorber/stripper used for separating the light
producer OLGA booster tars also showed good performance, with the key
gas
compounds phenol (undetectable after OLGA)
H2 vol%dry 7.2 7.3 7.4
CO vol%dry 17.4 17.1 17.4
and naphthalene (99%) sufficiently being
CH4 vol%dry 4.6 4.5 4.6 removed. During the wine residue tests, the plants
CO2 vol%dry 15.5 15.5 15.5
C2H2 vol%dry 0.2 0.2 0.2 power output (1.1 MWe in the Caterpillar gas
C2H4 vol%dry 2.0 1.9 1.9
C2H6 vol%dry 0.1 0.1 0.1 engine) was measured by an independent
N2 vol%dry 51.3 51.6 52.0
H2O vol% 14.6 14.6 1.9 organization. The performance of OLGA is also
Benzene ppmvdry 3,511 2,415 2,424 shown in the picture below. This photo was made
Toluene ppmvdry 448 156 158
H2S ppmv 10 10 10
just before engine start-up. The beautiful clear
Total tar mg/mn³dry 16,855 197 91
blue flame demonstrates clean gas, free of tars &
Naphthalene mg/mn³dry 4,023 38 35 solids.
Phenol mg/mn³dry 386 < 2.5 < 2.5
Tar aerosols mg/mn³dry -- 10 5

Tar dewpoint (measured) °C -- -- -1 ±1

Tar dewpoint (calculated) °C -- 5 2
Tar dewpoint @2.5 bar (calculated) °C -- 14 14

More importantly, the tar dew point was reduced

from >250°C to 5°C and the reduction of the
phenol concentration from 386 mg/mn3 to below
the detection limit of 5 mg/mn3. Visual inspection
of the gas engine and measurements of the oil
quality showed similar results as for a gas engine
running on natural gas.

The existing 200 mn3/h OLGA facility at ECN now Most of 2007 and 2008 the plant could not
is connected to the newly constructed 800 kWth operate because of administrative reasons. The
indirect Milena gasifier in order to remove tars temporary permit was replaced by a final permit
from the producer gas. Although the tar content of with more stringent demands for which extra
the Milena producer gas is significantly higher investments were necessary and valuable time
than for normal air blown gasifiers, the existing was lost. Optimization and duration tests however
OLGA required only some minor adjustments. are scheduled. During these tests more detailed
results will become available.
Demo facility at Eneria
In 2006 the French company Eneria decided to Outlook
build a 4 mn3/h biomass gasification plant in In 2007 Dahlman decided to
Moissannes as a demonstration for 6 future invest and focus on the
commercial 12.5 MWe plants. The OLGA renewable energy market by
technology was selected as the preferred tar creating a special Renewable
removal technology downstream a special air Energy Technology team,
blown fixed bed updraft gasifier. Solids are developing OLGA projects
removed by a cyclone and the OLGA ESP. The world wide. The 3D design
cleaned gas is combusted in a Caterpillar engine impression on the right is of
to produce 1MWe electricity. the OLGA for a gasification
project in the USA. This plant
The demonstration plant in Moissannes, France, should be in operation in 2010.
was tested on the biomass also foreseen for the
commercial plants, being wood and wine residue. Further information
In the raw producer gas, tar concentrations were
measured up to 11,000 mg/mn3, while the tar dew
point at the inlet of OLGA exceeded 190°C. For
both fuels tested, the OLGA process worked www.ecn.nl www.dahlman.nl
correctly. The collector and ESP, separating heavy
tar from the producer gas, were operating OLGA tar removal technology website
according to design. www.olgatechnology.com

ECN Biomass, Coal & Environmental Research T. +31 224 56 4574 Contact: R.W.R. Zwart, A. Bos, J. Kuipers
P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten, The Netherlands F. +31 224 56 8487 zwart@ecn.nl

www.ecn.nl