SOTACARBO-XtL Pilot Plant

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X-to-Liquids Pilot Plant

TA32 – SOTACARBO-XtL Pilot Plant 

Location

Grande Miniera di Serbariu

09013 Carbonia,  Italy 

Description

The Sotacarbo XtL (X-to-Liquids) pilot plant is designed to test processes and characterize catalysts for the production of synthetic fuels (e.g. methanol, dimethyl ether, methane, Fisher-Tropsch liquids, etc.) from captured CO2 and renewable hydrogen. The unit consists of a high-pressure (up to 100 bar) catalytic reactor, installed inside a hot box to avoid possible condensation of volatile products, while also efficiently preheating the reactants. The unit includes two interchangeable reactors (for testing catalysts in powder and in pellet), 5 mass flow controllers (MFC's), a micro-regulation pressure control system, a high-pressure liquid/liquid/gas separator with a capacitive level sensor characterized by very low dead volume. The system is designed to work in continuous mode, with remote real time control of the process. A six-way valve makes it possible to bypass the reactor before reaction begins, while stabilization and feed analysis are taking place. The gas analysis is performed with a gas chromatograph (Agilent 7890B) equipped with a double-column system, connected to a flame ionized detector (FID, for carbon-containing compounds) and thermal conductivity detector (TCD, for permanent gases) as well as an offline gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer (Agilent 7890A and Agilent 5977A MSD). In December 2024 the system will be equipped with two electrolysers - based on PEM (proton exchange menbrane) and AEM (anion exchange membrane) technologies - to study the coupling between hydrogen production and e-fuel synthesis.

Testing Capabilities

Catalyst characterization; integration between renewable hydrogen production and e-fuel synthesis processes.

Technical Equipment

Thermochemical reactor; gas/liquid/liquid separator; gas chromatograph; mass spectrometer; proton exchange membrane electrolyser (since December 2024); anion exchange membrane electrolyser (since December 2024)

Additional information

Technology Readiness Level: 4-6

Special considerations: N/A 

Technology clusters: Energy Storage, Hydrogen, Materials for Energy

Website: http://www.sotacarbo.it

Availability: All the year

Provision of tools to prepare data sets in a FAIR way:  No 

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