Process for producing fuel

摘要

A fuel is produced from bitumen by precipitating a substantial portion of asphaltenes from bitumen by contacting the bitumen with a lower alkane solvent. Suitable burners include a fluidized bed boiler, a circulating fluidized bed boiler and a pitch boiler which utilize either pre-combustion sulfur sorbents or post-combustion flue gas desulfurization. The sulfur in emissions can be used to produce sulfuric acid. The process uses a low cost fuel, generates steam, power and sulfuric acid and meets all emission requirements for SO_2, NO_x and PM.