Abstract
The modern pulp mill has the potential to be transformed into a biorefinery that produces electrical power, fuels and valuable chemicals at competitive prices in addition to pulp and paper. Estimates that have been made for Sweden indicate that about 25% of the national need for transportation fuels could be produced from the "black liquor" from pulp making. In Sweden a national research program on black liquor gasification ("the BLG II Program") was started in 2001. It has been extended two times and will continue to run until the end of 2009. The program focus is on experimental measurements in industrial scale, computer modelling of the process, studies of the kinetics of carbon conversion and inorganic reactions, on corrosion of materials, and finally on integration of the gasification process with the pulping process. Since 2005 a 3 MW black liquor gasifier is operated at ETC in Pitea, Sweden by Chemrec AB. The development plant (DP-1) is used for technical development and for long time testing of the process to assess process reliability and material behaviour. It is also used for scientific studies of the process by scientists and PhD students at participating research organisations. This manuscript presents a summary of some of the present activities in the BLG II program.