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Liquid fuels and feedstock

Introduction

The ETM can model various processes for producing liquid fuels and feedstock, ranging from conventional oil refining to advanced synthetic fuel production. These processes convert different types of feedstock (including crude oil, biomass, waste, hydrogen and CO2) into transport fuels and chemical feedstocks such as diesel, kerosene, methanol and naphtha. The processes for liquid fuels and feedstock production can be set in the Liquid fuels and feedstock section of the ETM.

The various processes have specific feedstock input and fuel output. For some processes, different feedstock routes can be set (such as for Fischer-Tropsch and methanol synthesis), which affect the fuel output from the process.

This page provides an overview of the modelled liquid fuel production processes, the possible feedstock input routes, fuel outputs and remarks on important modeling considerations.

Overview of processes

In the table below, the various production processes for liquid fuel and feedstock production are summarised. Note that additional remarks are provided about how the processes are modelled. The slider texts in the Liquid fuels and feedstock section give more information about modelling considerations and technical and financial specifications of each process.

ProcessFeedstock inputFuel outputAdditional remarks
Oil refineriesCrude oilDiesel, gasoline, LPG, kerosene, heavy fuel oil (HFO), naphtha, other oil products, refinery gasOutput fractions based on refinery archetype if no refinery present in start year
Fischer-TropschHydrogen, electricity, CO2Kerosene (main product), gasolineOutput fractions increased proportionally to account for product output not modelled in the ETM
Non-biogenic wasteKerosene, diesel, naphthaCO2 emissions captured by default
Biogenic wasteBiokerosene, biodiesel, bionaphthaCO2 emissions captured by default
Dry biomassBiokerosene, biodiesel, bionaphthaCO2 emissions captured by default
Methanol synthesisHydrogen, electricity, CO2Methanol-
Non-biogenic wasteMethanolCO2 emissions captured by default
Biogenic wasteBiomethanolCO2 emissions captured by default
Dry biomassBiomethanolCO2 emissions captured by default
Pyrolysis oil fractionationPyrolysis oil (non-biogenic), hydrogenDiesel, gasolineRequired pyrolysis oil is produced by non-biogenic waste by default
Pyrolysis bio-oil fractionationPyrolysis bio-oil (biogenic), hydrogenBiodiesel, bio-ethanol**Actual output is biogasoline, but modelled as bio-ethanol; required pyrolysis bio-oil can be produced from dry biomass or biogenic waste
Hydrotreatment to HVO (biokerosene)Oily biomass, hydrogen, network gasBiokerosene (main product), bionaphthaOutput fractions increased proportionally to account for product output not modelled in the ETM
Hydrotreatment to HVO (biodiesel)Oily biomass, hydrogenBiodiesel (main product), bionaphthaOutput fractions increased proportionally to account for product output not modelled in the ETM
Bio-ethanol productionWet biomass, network gasBio-ethanolOutput of non-energy by-products considered as loss
Bio-ethanol-to-jetBio-ethanol, hydrogenBiokerosene (main product), biodieselOutput fractions increased proportionally to account for product output not modelled in the ETM
Methanol-to-jetMethanol, hydrogenKerosene (main product), gasolineOutput fractions increased proportionally to account for product output not modelled in the ETM
Biomethanol-to-jetBiomethanol, hydrogenBiokerosene (main product), bio-ethanol**Actual output is biogasoline but modelled as bio-ethanol; output fractions increased proportionally to account for product output not modelled in the ETM