Genifuel – Thermal Processing

Home / Catalog Entries / Genifuel – Thermal Processing

Genifuel – Thermal Processing

Developing Technology…Producing Clean Energy

About the Company:

Genifuel Corporation produces equipment to make renewable fuels from wet organic material by a highly efficient process known as Hydrothermal Processing (HTP). The Genifuel process starts with wet organic material such as food processing wastes, animal wastes, and human-generated wastes.  Regardless of feedstock, the organic material is collected and then processed in the hydrothermal system, which achieves very fast conversion of more than 99% of the organic content of the wet waste.  The output of the system is biocrude oil or natural gas, or both, depending on how the system is configured. Essentially the hydrothermal process accomplishes in less than an hour what would take millions of years in nature.

About the Solution:

Genifuel’s hydrothermal technology is a wet process, in which wastes are converted to renewable fuels. HTP consists of a first step which produces biocrude oil, and a second step which produces methane gas.  The steps can be used alone or together. HTP is a continuous-flow process, with total time through the system of less than one hour.  The water which carries the waste through the system is cleaned in the process, and the output water is clear and sterile.  The process is highly efficient, using less than 14% of the energy produced in the fuels to operate the system.  More than 99% of the feedstock organic matter is converted, leaving no solids for further processing or disposal.  The output products can be used in ways similar to their fossil equivalents.

The Genifuel process has no atmospheric release of nitrogen as it is converted to ammonia during the hydrothermal process and remains in the effluent water.  Other plant nutrients such as potash and trace elements also remain in the effluent water.  If the effluent water is applied to the soil it has fertilizer value similar to the original manure, minus the bulk and odor potential.

Genifuel , USA 801-467-9976 Visit Company Website

Solution Type

  • Hydrothermal Carbonization

Vendor

  • Equipment Vendor

Product

  • Energy

Problem

  • GHG
  • Odor
  • Pathogens
  • Phosphorous
  • Storage

To view additional information about this vendor, click below.

Solution Strengths, Weaknesses and Critical Indicators

Hydrothermal Carbonization:

  • May produce a salable product in the form of hydrochar, a product similar to biochar
  • Hydrochar does not yet have an established, stable commercial market in the United States
  • There is variation of operational intensity by site and by technology, many technologies require pairing with other technologies to offer a comprehensive manure management solution
  • There is significant variation of cost depending on site and by technology
  • Proven technology for phosphorous recovery, storage reduction, GHG reduction, odor control and pathogen reduction but not widely adopted
  • This technology may lose nitrogen to the atmosphere

Newtrient Comments/Opinions:

Thermal process technologies:

  • Produce a soil amendment in the form of biochar, ash and other products
  • These products have not yet established a stable commercial market
  • Include pyrolysis, torrefaction, gasification and hydrothermal carbonization
  • There is significant variation in energy use and recovery depending on feedstock
  • There is significant variation of operational intensity by site and by technology
Newtrient will continue to work with Genifuel to further refine the cost and performance information as more information becomes available and as new commercial dairy installations come on line.

Newtrient 9-Point Scoring Rating

View the Scoring Page

Disclaimer: Newtrient has collected the information and photographs on this page from public sources including the vendor’s website and promotional material in accordance with Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance for "fair use". All vendor product and company names are trademarks™, registered trademarks® and/or trade names of the respective vendors or their licensors. Unless otherwise noted, Newtrient is not associated, connected or affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, any vendor or licensor of such trademarks and trade names. See Terms of Use for details.

1. OPERATIONAL HISTORY