Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FLEXI-GREEN FUELS (Flexible and resilient integrated biofuel processes for competitive production of green renewable jet and shipping fuels)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-01-01 al 2022-06-30
One of the most important challenges of the 21st century is the substitution of fossil fuels by next generation biofuels for shipping and aviation. These new technologies should have a commercial potential, must not compete with food production and should have a lower environmental impact and lower GHG emissions than the current renewable energy technologies.
FLEXI-GREEN FUELS aims to create a very flexible biofuels process capable of treating multiple types of waste biomass and produce a range of marketable shipping and aviation drop-in biofuel products and valuable by-products. The integrated FLEXI-GREEN FUELS process will diversify the feedstocks that have previously been used for production of aviation and shipping biofuels. Two distinct types of biogenic resources are targeted, lignocellulosic biomass residues (LIGN) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW).
The semi-continuous organosolv process is used for the pre-treatment of LIGN and the separation of cellulose and hemicellulose fractions from lignin. As lipids are far superior bio-crudes towards hydrocarbon fuels, this project will develop and optimize three efficient methods to convert sugars to lipids, namely fungal fermentation, algae dark fermentation and lipid rich larva production, which will be further converted via advanced hydrotreatment to diesel range alkanes. We will combine this with the utilization of furans derived from pentose/hexose sugars via condensation and hydrodeoxygenation routes to allow production of drop-in aviation fuels. And the utilization of lignin fast pyrolysis followed by selective fractionation, hydrodeoxygenation and alkylation will result in aviation and/or marine fuels.
The utilization of OFMSW and LIGN and support forest, agricultural and municipality waste-industries with additional value creation and jobs using the principles of green circular economy, while increasing possibilities in the production of low GHG footprint renewable fuels and valuable side-products.
FLEXI-GREEN FUELS aims to create a very flexible biofuels process capable of treating multiple types of waste biomass and produce a range of marketable shipping and aviation drop-in biofuel products and valuable by-products. The integrated FLEXI-GREEN FUELS process will diversify the feedstocks that have previously been used for production of aviation and shipping biofuels. Two distinct types of biogenic resources are targeted, lignocellulosic biomass residues (LIGN) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW).
The semi-continuous organosolv process is used for the pre-treatment of LIGN and the separation of cellulose and hemicellulose fractions from lignin. As lipids are far superior bio-crudes towards hydrocarbon fuels, this project will develop and optimize three efficient methods to convert sugars to lipids, namely fungal fermentation, algae dark fermentation and lipid rich larva production, which will be further converted via advanced hydrotreatment to diesel range alkanes. We will combine this with the utilization of furans derived from pentose/hexose sugars via condensation and hydrodeoxygenation routes to allow production of drop-in aviation fuels. And the utilization of lignin fast pyrolysis followed by selective fractionation, hydrodeoxygenation and alkylation will result in aviation and/or marine fuels.
The utilization of OFMSW and LIGN and support forest, agricultural and municipality waste-industries with additional value creation and jobs using the principles of green circular economy, while increasing possibilities in the production of low GHG footprint renewable fuels and valuable side-products.
FLEXI-GREEN FUELS can look back on a successful working period at its half-time of the whole project duration, in which all planned activities are in active progress. The focus of the last 18 months was on the pre-treatment and fractionation of the two types of waste biomass (LIGN and OFMSW) into cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, the catalytic upgrading of intermediates into crude biofuels, the separation of fractions suited as drop-in aviation and/or marine fuels as well as the assessment of the whole biorefinery system.
With regard to LIGN residues, beechwood and wheat straw were treated in the organosolv process, a key process to fractionate the raw materials into its building blocks cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Besides crucial insights into this process, we were able to deliver first fractionated materials as intermediate products to downstream partners. Similarly, good progress was made with regard to our second targeted bio residue OFMSW, i.e. food waste, where we established the collaboration with a Danish waste management company. This allows us to investigate and analyse the composition of this starting material on a regular basis within a whole annual cycle.
Following the FLEXI-GREEN FUELS pathway towards aviation and shipping biofuels, we were able to make significant progress in the transformation of biomass sugars into lipids. In the microbial production of lipids, algae and yeast species that are suitable and have high lipid potential could be identified. We are further working on optimising the lipid production in cultivations. First lipid samples deriving from black soldier fly larvae have been produced and sent to downstream partners for chemical analyses. The microbial electrolysis cell for bio-hydrogen production have been setup and are currently operated with synthetic media as benchmark.
We investigated the upgrading of lipids to aviation and/or bunker-type fuels. And we advanced in the fast pyrolysis as well as catalytic hydrotreatment/hydrodeoxygenation of the lignin and/or lipid intermediates. The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of light fractions of bio-oil was advanced by the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of catalysts. Furthermore we were successfully working on small-scale HDO of in-house or provided real lignin bio-oils with catalysts obtaining high degrees of deoxygenation to alkyl-cyclohexane hydrocarbons.
Overall, good progress has been made so far, half way of the project lifetime, since the first process step of integrated conversion of hemicellulose sugars towards jet fuel alkanes could be conducted. We are ready to crude bio-fuel fractionation /separation/testing and looking forward to start these tasks, soon. Finally, the whole integrated FLEXI-GREEN-FUELS biorefinery has been modelled for simulation, assessment and optimization of its technical, economic and environmental performance.
With regard to LIGN residues, beechwood and wheat straw were treated in the organosolv process, a key process to fractionate the raw materials into its building blocks cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Besides crucial insights into this process, we were able to deliver first fractionated materials as intermediate products to downstream partners. Similarly, good progress was made with regard to our second targeted bio residue OFMSW, i.e. food waste, where we established the collaboration with a Danish waste management company. This allows us to investigate and analyse the composition of this starting material on a regular basis within a whole annual cycle.
Following the FLEXI-GREEN FUELS pathway towards aviation and shipping biofuels, we were able to make significant progress in the transformation of biomass sugars into lipids. In the microbial production of lipids, algae and yeast species that are suitable and have high lipid potential could be identified. We are further working on optimising the lipid production in cultivations. First lipid samples deriving from black soldier fly larvae have been produced and sent to downstream partners for chemical analyses. The microbial electrolysis cell for bio-hydrogen production have been setup and are currently operated with synthetic media as benchmark.
We investigated the upgrading of lipids to aviation and/or bunker-type fuels. And we advanced in the fast pyrolysis as well as catalytic hydrotreatment/hydrodeoxygenation of the lignin and/or lipid intermediates. The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of light fractions of bio-oil was advanced by the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of catalysts. Furthermore we were successfully working on small-scale HDO of in-house or provided real lignin bio-oils with catalysts obtaining high degrees of deoxygenation to alkyl-cyclohexane hydrocarbons.
Overall, good progress has been made so far, half way of the project lifetime, since the first process step of integrated conversion of hemicellulose sugars towards jet fuel alkanes could be conducted. We are ready to crude bio-fuel fractionation /separation/testing and looking forward to start these tasks, soon. Finally, the whole integrated FLEXI-GREEN-FUELS biorefinery has been modelled for simulation, assessment and optimization of its technical, economic and environmental performance.
Exploring the FLEXI-GREEN FUELS biorefinery technologies will improve economics, reduce the environmental impact and result in social benefits, both in urban areas converting OFMSW as well as in rural areas converting LIGN into sustainable biofuel products. FLEXI-GREEN FUELS aims at near to zero waste generation, reducing the GHG emissions associated with waste treatment and minimising the environmental impact. FLEXI-GREEN FUELS is able to significantly reduce LIGN and OFMSW bio waste and residues, while offering innovative valorisation routes. Also the utilisation of OFMSW for biofuels production will avoid GHG emissions caused by composting or simple incineration and minimises the volumes needed for MSW landfills.
The implementation of the FLEXI-GREEN FUELS results will directly contribute to 8 of the 17 UN Sustainability Goals and will have a direct impact on the society, namely to:
GOAL 2 – Zero hunger: by replacing food crops currently used with non-edible organic wastes for the production of biofuels.
GOAL 7 – Affordable and clean energy: by optimising and integrating processes to produced advance aviation and shipping fuels from waste feedstocks.
GOAL 8 – Decent work and economic growth: creating jobs and economic growth in the forest, agricultural, waste handling, and bioprocessing industry.
GOAL 9 – Industry innovation and infrastructure: by implementation of the innovative processes and by presenting a new industrial opportunity.
GOAL 11 – Sustainable cities and communities: by creating more sustainable aviation and shipping fuel and by optimising waste utilisation and valorisation (circular economy).
GOAL 13 – Climate action: by the GHG emission savings offered.
GOAL 15 – Life on land: by promoting forest and agricultural industry and better management of forests and agricultural residues.
GOAL 17 – Partnerships for the goals: FLEXI-GREEN FUELS represents a European partnership for all of the above goals. The project combines acknowledged expertise and acts on a wide geographic basis.
FLEXI-GREEN FUELS will increase the energy security in Europe by reducing the fossil crude oil and biofuels import.
The implementation of the FLEXI-GREEN FUELS results will directly contribute to 8 of the 17 UN Sustainability Goals and will have a direct impact on the society, namely to:
GOAL 2 – Zero hunger: by replacing food crops currently used with non-edible organic wastes for the production of biofuels.
GOAL 7 – Affordable and clean energy: by optimising and integrating processes to produced advance aviation and shipping fuels from waste feedstocks.
GOAL 8 – Decent work and economic growth: creating jobs and economic growth in the forest, agricultural, waste handling, and bioprocessing industry.
GOAL 9 – Industry innovation and infrastructure: by implementation of the innovative processes and by presenting a new industrial opportunity.
GOAL 11 – Sustainable cities and communities: by creating more sustainable aviation and shipping fuel and by optimising waste utilisation and valorisation (circular economy).
GOAL 13 – Climate action: by the GHG emission savings offered.
GOAL 15 – Life on land: by promoting forest and agricultural industry and better management of forests and agricultural residues.
GOAL 17 – Partnerships for the goals: FLEXI-GREEN FUELS represents a European partnership for all of the above goals. The project combines acknowledged expertise and acts on a wide geographic basis.
FLEXI-GREEN FUELS will increase the energy security in Europe by reducing the fossil crude oil and biofuels import.