Unlike other alternative fuel processes, Primus’ proprietary process can use a variety of feedstocks, including natural gas and biomass in the form of pelletized wood waste or energy crops such as Miscanthus. The ability to use a variety of feedstocks reduces feedstock supply risk. Also, the fact that energy crops can be grown on marginal lands means there is no competition with the food supply.
Due to its low cost, Primus will use natural gas as the feedstock in its first commercial plant while it continues to develop its biomass gasification technology — a process the company calls “incremental commercialization.”
While we remain committed to producing gasoline from woody and herbaceous biomass, we are moving ahead with our gas-to-liquids (GTL) fuel synthesis process, which produces gasoline from natural gas, rather than waiting for our biomass gasification process to be proven out. Why? For the simple reason that our GTL process … is ready to go and the low price of natural gas makes this option economically attractive.
Robert Johnsen, Primus CEO, in AOL Energy