Process and apparatus for producing synthesis gas through thermochemical conversion of biomass and waste materials

1. A process for converting feedstock to synthesis gas, the process comprising the following steps:

(a) supplying the feedstock, the feedstock comprising biomass and/or carbon-containing solid waste material, to a gasifier, the gasifier comprising a fluidized bed zone and a post-gasification zone;

(b) contacting the feedstock with a gasification agent comprising steam and oxygen in the fluidized bed zone, at an average temperature of between about 350-400° C. below the ash softening temperature of the feedstock, to partially oxidize the feedstock;

(c) contacting at least a portion of the partially oxidized product produced in step (b) with a gasification agent comprising steam and oxygen in the fluidized bed zone, at a higher average temperature than in step (b), the average temperature being between about 250-350° C. below the ash softening temperature of the feedstock;

(d) contacting at least a portion of the product produced in step (c) with a gasification agent comprising steam and oxygen in the post-gasification zone, at a higher average temperature than in step (c), the average temperature being between about 200-300° C. below the ash softening temperature of the feedstock;

(e) contacting at least a portion of the product produced in step (d) with a gasification agent comprising steam and oxygen in the post-gasification zone, at a higher average temperature than in step (d), the average temperature being between about 150-250° C. below the ash softening temperature of the feedstock, to produce the synthesis gas; and

(f) recovering the synthesis gas from the product produced in step (e).

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises a step of cooling at least a portion of the product produced in step (e) to an average temperature lower than in step (e), the average temperature being no greater than about 200° C. below the ash softening temperature of the carbonaceous feedstock, wherein this step takes place in the post-gasification zone.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the cooling step takes place in a quench subzone of the post-gasification zone and the step of cooling is performed using quench water or process condensate.

4. The process of claim 1 , further comprising a step of removing at least a portion of a bottom product, optionally a heavy solid residue, produced in step (b) to a sedimentation subzone in the fluidized bed zone.

5. The process of claim 4 , further comprising treating the bottom product in the sedimentation subzone with a gasification agent comprising steam and/or CO 2 , optionally wherein the treatment is carried out at an average temperature lower than in step (b), the average temperature being not greater than about 400° C. below the ash softening temperature of the feedstock.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (f) comprises feeding at least a portion of the synthesis gas to a cyclone and separating the produced synthesis gas from entrained particulate material, optionally fly-ash or char, and recycling at least a portion of the particulate material back to step (b) in the fluidized bed zone.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein a residence time of raw synthesis gas in the post-gasification zone is at least about 7 seconds.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process comprises providing the gasification agents through a plurality of nozzles, optionally tuyeres, wherein at least one of the nozzles is arranged at an acute angle relative to a horizontal plane of the gasifier.

9. The process of claim 1 , further comprising operating the gasifier at a pressure of about 1000 kPa to 3000 kPa, optionally wherein the gasifier is a refractory lined reactor.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising operating the gasifier without adding external catalyst.

11. The process of claim 1 , further comprising supplying the gasification agent to the gasifier so that the oxygen content in the gasifier is in the controlled range of 0.28-0.52 Nm 3 /kg (daf) of the feedstock, of which at least about 20% and not greater than about 80% is supplied to the fluidized bed zone and so that the amount of steam in the gasifier is in the controlled range of 0.23-0.52 Nm 3 /kg (daf) of the feedstock, of which at least about 40% and not greater than about 80% is supplied to the fluidized bed zone.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the supplied feedstock is a pelletized feedstock, optionally further comprising pressurizing the pelletized feedstock in a pressurisation system prior to supplying the feedstock to the fluidized bed zone in step (b).

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the post-gasification zone is arranged in the gasifier above the fluidized bed zone, wherein the fluidized bed zone is in a conical portion of the gasifier.

14. The process of claim 1 , further comprising performing each of steps (b) to (e) in substantially separate subzones within the gasifier.