Process to continuously prepare a char product

A method to continuously prepare a char product having a high BET surface area, and also a gaseous fraction comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and hydrocarbons, the method comprising:

• moving particles of a torrefied biomass having a volatile content of between 60 wt % and 80 wt from one end of an elongated and substantially horizontally positioned reactor furnace along a solids pathway zone in the reactor furnace to at least one char product outlet at an opposite end of the reactor furnace and at least one gaseous fraction outlet at the opposite end of the reactor furnace;
• wherein the solids pathway zone comprises an upstream end part and a downstream end part, wherein the upstream end part and the downstream end part are of equal length;
• whereby the char product is discharged at the char product outlet;
• whereby the gaseous fraction comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and hydrocarbons is separated from the char product in the reactor furnace, and the gaseous fraction comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and hydrocarbons is discharged from the reactor furnace at the gaseous fraction outlet;
• wherein the temperature in the reactor furnace is between 400° C. and 800° C.;
• wherein the solid residence time in the solids pathway zone is between 10 minutes and 80 minutes;
• wherein the particles of the torrefied biomass are contacted in the solids pathway zone with a reactive gaseous mixture comprising steam and oxygen;
• wherein the total amount of oxygen supplied to the reactor furnace is between 0.1 kg and 0.4 kg per kilogram of particles of the torrefied biomass;
• wherein the average molar ratio of oxygen to steam of the reactive mixture is between 1:5 and 1:1;
• wherein the reactive gaseous mixture of steam and oxygen is supplied to the upstream end part and to the downstream end part of the solids pathway;
• and
• wherein more than 55% of the combined amount of oxygen and steam as supplied as part of the reactive gaseous mixture to the reactor furnace is supplied to the downstream end part, whereas the remaining oxygen and steam is supplied to the upstream end part.