The Heptonstall Process.

Old coal fired power stations can be adapted to carry out this process :

1. Biomass – With biomass, we can use garden waste products or can be any sort of timber (eg offcuts) or fast growing trees* to provide the biomass. (*Obviously trees would need to be sustainably replanted to replace these).

2. Pyrolysis - Biomass is heated at circa 450 degrees in a pyrolysis process (i.e. in the absence of air) to make charcoal (2c). We use wind farm electricity to supply the heat at unsociable hours (eg 11pm to 5am) so that this energy is not wasted. This process also releases methane (2d).

3. Sustainably produced Asphalt can made from the process when required in a sustainable manner in order to supply the road building industry.

4. Bio Oil is produced at maximum quantity from the pyrolysis process (when it is run at 450 degrees) to be used as a transport fuel. (see diagram of graph!)

5. Charcoal (carbon) produced from the pyrolysis is then removed for use in a carbon fuel cell.

6. Electrolysis – using electricity at night to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen feeds to carbon fuel cell – and hydrogen to produce methane.

7. Methane (relatively small quantity) produced by the pyrolysis.

8. Oxygen sent to storage for resale on world markets (eg to USA).

9. Direct carbon fuel cell fed by oxygen (6a) consumes the charcoal and produces electricity (see step 11 and also European Patent 3359627)

10. Methane stored to be used for gas grid/home heating.

11. Electricity is end to the grid

12. Hydrogen is combined with CO2 from the Carbon Fuel Cell to make Methane in a Sabatier Process. Methane (as per natural gas) can then be used for gas grid/home heating.