By Greentech Lead Team:Carbon Sciences, a developer of a
technology to make transportation fuels and other products from natural gas, is
aiming for commercial viability of the new technology this year.
“We have the most promising catalyst in the world
for natural gas reforming in terms of performance, economics and environmental
impact. We are currently developing this catalyst specifically as a drop-in
replacement catalyst for use by the existing 2,000 steam reforming plants
worldwide. Our goal this is the year is to prove its commercial
viability,” said Byron Elton, Carbon Sciences’ CEO.
The initial plan includes continued catalyst testing and
validation, modifying and optimizing the base catalyst, filing additional
patents to broaden and strengthen the global patent portfolio, and developing a
commercial version (pellets) of the catalyst for steam reforming applications.
The second half of the plan involves selecting and
signing a partnership agreement with an engineering firm and a catalyst
manufacturing company. Conversations with prospective partners have been
underway for over a year.
“The unique low-coking characteristic of our
catalyst will enable steam reforming plants around the world to operate at a
substantially lower steam to methane ratio, resulting in lower operating costs,
lower capital costs, lower carbon footprint, and increased production. We are
confident that this year’s successful milestones will position us to begin
marketing and selling our catalyst worldwide next year,” Elton added.
Gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology, based on abundant and
inexpensive natural gas, offers the best solution to meet the increasing demand
for liquid transportation fuels. The GTL market is still developing and
represents the company’s most significant long-term market opportunity.
Today, most small to mid-size GTL plants use steam
reforming of natural gas to syngas as the first step in the process. Carbon
Sciences is targeting this market segment as a drop-in replacement opportunity
for its steam-reforming catalyst. By reducing the cost of the steam reforming
section, the most cost intensive part of a GTL system, the company intends to
significantly reduce the cost of producing gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and
other GTL products from natural gas.
The company continues to develop its dry reforming
catalyst that can be used with captured CO2 or high CO2 content natural gas.