Regeneration of straw

　　Renewable bio-oil

　　The Renewable Clean Energy Laboratory of the University of Science and Technology of China announced that a new technological achievement developed by Professors Zhu Xifeng, Guo Qingxiang, and others can fundamentally solve this long-standing problem. They use pyrolysis liquefaction and reprocessing of various raw materials such as wood chips, rice husks, corn stalks, and cotton stalks to transform waste into treasure, converting them into bio-oil. The oil yield from wood chips is over 60%, and the oil yield from straw is over 50%, with a calorific value of 16-18 MJ/kg. This achievement has undergone pilot testing, and industrialization is imminent.

　　It is reported that China produces more than 700 million tons of crop straw and grain husks annually. On-site incineration not only wastes resources but also causes serious environmental pollution. This technology can directly convert straw and other biomass into bio-oil, which can be used as fuel directly in fuel boilers and industrial kilns. After refining, it can be used as vehicle fuel, and high-value-added chemical products can also be separated and extracted.

　　Based on years of research experience, experts from the University of Science and Technology of China have proposed the optimal route for the industrialization of this technology: first, moderately dispersed pyrolysis of biomass at the raw material production site is carried out to convert it into primary liquid fuel—bio-oil—that is easy to transport and store. Then, the bio-oil obtained from pyrolysis in various places is collected and reprocessed. This fundamentally solves the bottleneck problems of large-scale application of biomass resources, such as their dispersion and seasonal limitations.

　　It is reported that the optimal scale for a single pyrolysis liquefaction unit is to process 2 tons of straw per hour (straw collection radius of about 10 kilometers), producing 1 ton of bio-oil, with a production cost of approximately 790 yuan/ton. After simple quality improvement, the calorific value of bio-oil increases to about 18-20 MJ/kg. Assuming a sales price of 1000 yuan/ton, using it to replace diesel and heavy oil to provide the same amount of heat, the price is equivalent to 43.2% and 63.1% of the current prices of diesel and heavy oil, respectively.