Alberta publishes report assessing non-combustion uses for bitumen, opens $2M call for projects
22 April 2018
Alberta Innovates, in partnership with industry, government and other organizations, recently released the results of a study that investigates the best opportunities for “Bitumen Beyond Combustion” (BBC). Following a 2017 report that identified potential products that could be made from Alberta oil sands bitumen, this new study identifies the top potential uses to help Alberta diversify its economy outside of conventional fuels and chemical feedstocks.
To further accelerate this work, Alberta Innovates announced $2 million in funding to advance the most innovative research and development activities related to BBC.
The main objectives of the BBC Phase 2 study were to identify high potential non-combustion products that could be manufactured from oil sands, and assess the market potential for these products. This study provides insights into high-value products that can be made by, or in partnership with Alberta’s oil sands industry. The study focuses on four promising areas:
Carbon fibers and products incorporating carbon fibers. Production of CF is currently derived from both a synthetic feedstock Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and a synthetic pitch. The study determined that bitumen can be used for producing PAN (from cracked gas propane) and potentially a pitch product, utilizing the high-asphaltene content that makes oil sands bitumen unique. Considering the growth potential and relative early stage of development of the CF industry, there is a tremendous opportunity to work towards oil sands-based feedstocks becoming a major component in the evolving CF industry in the future, the report said.
Asphalt and asphalt transportability. Bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands could provide an excellent and consistent quality of asphalt with relatively easy processing. However, to this point, Alberta’s production of asphalt has not found major markets outside of western Canada due to molten-shipping limitations. Current practices involve loading and unloading of asphalt into railcars at 150 °C. Energy-intensive infrastructure is currently needed to load and unload railcars. The use of alternative asphalt transportation technology, such as pellets or balls at ambient conditions, has the potential to significantly change the overall economics of asphalt shipment from Alberta to other parts of North America and beyond.
Vanadium flow batteries for electricity storage. Vanadium is contained within oil sands bitumen in significant quantities (200 ppmw). Oil sands facilities already have concentrated Vanadium in current streams (i.e., fly ash and coke). Technology development and assessment work should continue to determine how Vanadium can be removed economically from these streams. Processing recovered Vanadium into a usable electrolyte could also represent a significant business opportunity.
Polymers. Only a small fraction of downstream bitumen derivate is used for Polymer production. Although the market size is considerable, this is matched with barriers to entry, such as comparatively lower feedstock costs (gas) and global market players owning highly-propriety technology for polymer production.
Developing these products ensures Alberta continues to derive value from its oil sands products, while significantly reducing GHG emissions associated with fuel uses of bitumen. These products offset the potential reduction in the demand growth of bitumen from factors such as increased global oil supplies, environmental concerns about fossil fuels, energy conservation, and electric vehicles. Commercial-scale manufacture of high value-added products not intended for combustion is a sound strategy. It ensures the value of our bitumen resources.
—Axel Meisen, former Chair of Foresight and now Advisor, Alberta Innovates
The $2 million in Open Call funding will support work on:
Producing and characterizing previously identified and/or new BBC products and demonstrating their production technologies, on laboratory or pilot-scale.
Validating technical, logistical, environmental, and market solutions to accelerate the commercialization of BBC products.
Assessing the business, marketing, energy, environmental, and greenhouse gas (GHG) issues related to BBC products and their production technologies.
Leave it in the ground
Posted by: dursun | 22 April 2018 at 11:36 AM
Producing valuable BBCs (4++) with bitumen from tar sands is obvious, specially at the current low price.
Would it produce less or more pollution and GHGs than refining and burning it in ICEVs?
Posted by: HarveyD | 22 April 2018 at 03:44 PM
Making carbon fiber body panels would make cars lighter, more fuel efficient and safer.
Posted by: SJC | 22 April 2018 at 06:15 PM
There's more to bitumen than oil. Whether they refine it into fuel or turn it into plastic there's still a lot waste left over. In 2013 the tailings ponds from the Alberta oil sands covered an area of about 77 square kilometres (30 sq mi). As of this year, there's about 340 billion gallons of toxic sludge sitting in those ponds. More of that we don't need.
Posted by: ai_vin | 23 April 2018 at 07:15 AM
A high percentage of the hundreds of billion of gallons dumped into the tailing ponds could already be converted into useful products but it isn't.
The main reason is that the Alberta government never insisted or passed a law to impose treatment of the created/accumulated toxic sludge.
Consent and permissibility is too easy to buy/get. It is surprising to see how little the greens and ecologists are doing to protect the environment. The Fed and Alberta Governments would rather invest into more pipelines to increase oil and sludge production? A unattended train, with over 75 tanks full of crude oil, can run wild, destruct 20% of a small town and kill 47 local residents, without anybody being accused.
Canada is already producing over 150% of the crude oil required? Do we really have to produce and transport more of that dirty stuff? A national programme to accelerate the electrification of transport means and reduce consumption of fossil and bio fuels could be a wise decision?
Posted by: HarveyD | 23 April 2018 at 07:06 PM