Electrifying biomass-to-liquid processes using plasma-assisted entrained flow gasification

The efficient utilization of biomass for sustainable fuel production is crucial for reducing carbon emissions and fossil fuel dependence. Conventional Biomass-to-Liquid (BtL) processes suffer from limited carbon efficiency, necessitating novel approaches to improve performance. Plasma-assisted gasification, as a high-temperature and high energy density technology, can enhance syngas composition and process efficiency. This study integrates plasma-assisted entrained flow gasification into a BtL process and compares it to alternative process routes, including hydrogen addition and co-electrolysis, using detailed process simulations. The results demonstrate that plasma-assisted gasification significantly increases the H2/CO ratio and cold gas efficiency. On a process level, this leads to an increase in carbon efficiency from 40% in conventional BtL to 67% when using plasma-assisted gasification. When combined with H2 addition or solid oxide electrolysis-reforming of product gases, carbon efficiency approaches 100% at similar energy efficiency. These findings show that plasma-assisted entrained flow gasification can be a competitive alternative to electrolysis-based process configurations for improving BtL system performance. The developed process model provides a robust basis for future techno-economic, environmental, and comparative analyses.