Solar-Enhanced Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Plastics and Biomass: Advanced Containment and Process Development

Australia faces two linked pressures: heavy dependence on imported liquid fuels and rising waste from soft plastics and agricultural residues. This project aims to turn these hard-to-recycle wastes into synthetic crude oil using water at high temperature and pressure with short residence time. The process is powered by concentrated sunlight plus thermal energy storage so it can run day and night. The process, called hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), produces a sustainable oil and a carbon-rich solid that can be upgraded or used for carbon storage. We will replace all-steel pressure vessels with reinforced concrete lined with a thin tough steel alloy to significantly reduce cost. We also combine the patented low-cost Perflection® Ultra concentrated solar collector and thermal energy storage to replace fossil fuel in supplying continuous heat. This cuts capital cost and emissions and enables future large plants to make meaningful contribution toward replacing existing diesel imports.