Nacero lets contract for proposed Arizona GTG plant

Nacero Inc., Houston, has let contracts to Haldor Topsoe AS for services related to development of the operator’s proposed natural gas-to-gasoline (GTG) plant to be built in Casa Grande, Ariz.

As part of the contracts, Haldor Topsoe will deliver basic engineering and licensing of its proprietary Topsoe Improved Gasoline Synthesis (Tigas) GTG technology for the Casa Grande plant that, once in operation, will have the capacity to produce 35,000 b/d of finished gasoline from low-cost natural gas, the service provider said on Mar. 26.

Pending final investment decision (FID) on the project, Haldor Topsoe said it also will supply proprietary hardware, catalysts, and services for the plant.

The Tigas process technology—which comprises part of Haldor Topsoe’s proprietary SynCOR autothermal reforming methanol-conversion technology with a gasoline synthesis loop—also will enable the planned GTG plant to produce more than 10,000 tonnes/day of methanol for further processing into gasoline, leaving the operator only a byproduct of purified water—a valuable resource in the dry area.

Because the Tigas process has a very high-carbon efficiency, the GTG plant additionally will have the flexibility to meet various specifications and grades of gasoline, including local-quality specifications, Haldor Topsoe said.

"By making an environmentally superior gasoline from natural gas rather than crude oil, Nacero will enable drivers to keep their cars and help the planet. Using existing vehicles, markets, infrastructure, and proven technology affords Nacero the opportunity to quickly and predictably create meaningful benefits at world-class scale," said Jay McKenna, Nacero’s chief executive officer.

Haldor Topsoe did not reveal a value of the newly awarded contracts, but the service provider did confirm Nacero selected the Tigas process after careful consideration of unidentified competing technologies.

The contracts for the Casa Grande GTG plant follow the mid-2019 commissioning of state-owned Turkmengaz’s 15,500-b/d methanol plant—the world’s largest—based on Haldor Topsoe’s SynCOR Methanol technology at the operator’s GTG complex at Ovadan-Depe near Ashgabad, Turkmenistan (OGJ Online, Jan. 14, 2020; Apr. 29, 2016; Aug. 26, 2014).

Nacero GTG plant details

To be located on the operator’s existing 1,000-acre site in the heart of Casa Grande’s industrial and advanced-technology corridor, Nacero’s proposed $3-billion GTG plant—which will supply 80% of its own water needs, with the remaining 20% to come from municipal treatment plant effluents—aims to provide the US Southwest with a cleaner, cost-competitive source of gasoline, according to the operator’s website.

As part of Nacero’s plan to minimize its environmental footprint in the region, the Casa Grande plant will use existing pipelines, railroads, power lines, and highways for its operations, as well as draw 100% of its peak electricity from an on-site solar photovoltaic power plant.

While a specific timeframe for FID on the Casa Grande GTG plant has yet to be disclosed, Nacero said it currently plans to begin construction on the project in 2021.