Sundrop Fuels’ technology centers on its proprietary biomass-to-syngas conversion steps: (1) the Biomass Preparation Process (BPP), which provides a low operating cost, extremely high volume biomass powderizing process for virtually any feedstock and (2) its Biomass Reforming Reactor (BRR) system for complete thermal conversion at high temperature. The high temperatures and unique biomass to gas processing promotes high yields and eliminates organic tars that have been a problem with typical biomass conversion technologies. The technology results in industry-leading yields and cost efficiency. In addition, the process creates a minimal environmental impact, resulting in low life-cycle carbon emissions and water usage.

The Sundrop Fuels technology is designed to be simple, cost efficient and safe. In addition to the core technology, the company uses conventional commercial technologies for final conversion into transportation fuels. Sundrop Fuels recognizes that the successful path to large scale production of renewable transportation fuels requires that it become the low cost producer in an environmentally sensitive world. The company’s technology approach is competitive with current world standards for fuel production.

One challenge to producing advanced biofuels with biomass feedstock is maximizing yields to enable optimum efficiency and cost. Sundrop Fuels’ proprietary process can solve this problem in locations where economic natural gas or other carbon sources are available. Combining hydrogen-rich natural gas with hydrogen-short biomass significantly increases yield (as shown in the graphic). In fact, this configuration of the patented Sundrop Fuels processes convert virtually all renewable carbon to transportation fuel and not be lost as waste carbon dioxide. This provides one of the highest yields of biofuels per ton of cellulosic feedstock compared to any current technology in the world today.The resulting fuels produced are fully compatible with fuel industry quality standards and available at an unsubsidized cost of about $2 per gallon (~$0.53 per liter) Other sources of carbon, such as low-grade coals, can also be blended with the biomass as feedstock in the Sundrop Fuels process.

As importantly, the Sundrop Fuels biofuels or chemicals production path significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions as compared to conventional petroleum processes. Every gallon of Sundrop Fuels drop-in cellulosic advanced biofuel will generate RIN credits under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Sundrop Fuels is currently in the engineering design stage for its inaugural production facility located just outside of Alexandria, Louisiana in the USA.  When fully operational, Sundrop Fuels’ first facility will produce over 16,000 barrels per day of finished, 87-octane gasoline.  It will also represent the world’s largest commercial production of cellulosic advanced biofuel using methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) technology, which was originally demonstrated as a commercially available process in the 1980s.