Process and system for converting biomass materials into energy to power marine vessels

A process for converting biomass into energy to power a marine vessel comprising:

• a) conveying a carbonaceous waste material from a port-side storage facility to a on-board biomass storage system;
• b) harvesting biomass materials from the sea by continuously passing sea water from an intake mounted on the exterior of the vessel through an on-board biomass removal system, said removal system includes a flipping unit that flips the biomass materials into an on-board transient biomass holding bin and a drainage unit that strains the biomass materials from the sea water, the drainage unit being positioned within the holding bin after the flipping unit, the flipping unit comprising a plurality of arms having spoon-shaped ends on a shaft;
• c) returning the sea water from the drainage unit to the sea through an outlet;
• d) conveying the biomass materials from the on-board biomass holding bin via a rotary feeder to the on-board storage system;
• e) conveying the biomass from the on-board storage system to a gasification unit, said gasification unit is a steam reformer and operates at temperatures in the range of about 400° to about 1600° C.;
• f) converting the biomass in the steam reformer to synthesis gas;
• and
• g) passing at least a portion of the synthesis gas from the steam reformer as fuel for a power system of the marine vessel.