Descrizione del progetto
Una produzione efficiente in termini di risorse di biocarburanti sostenibili per l’aviazione
Il raggiungimento della neutralità climatica in Europa richiede grandi volumi di carburanti sostenibili nei settori dei trasporti come l’aviazione. Il progetto CIRCULAIR, finanziato dall’UE, concepirà un percorso integrato in grado di produrre biocarburanti economici per l’aviazione, basati sulla liquefazione idrotermale (HTL, hydrothermal liquefaction) di abbondanti residui agricoli (letame, paglia). Le innovazioni principali di CIRCULAIR comprendono uno stretto accoppiamento termico della conversione HTL con l’ossidazione esotermica a umido dell’acqua di processo HTL. Il progetto svilupperà anche approcci innovativi per valorizzare i biocrudi HTL in carburante per jet e accelerare l’approvazione dei carburanti derivati da HTL per l’uso nell’aviazione civile. Il processo, abbinato alla generazione di idrogeno verde, consente un utilizzo quasi completo della biomassa e produce metanolo come sottoprodotto principale. Inoltre, CIRCULAIR colmerà una lacuna di conoscenze sull’utilizzo dei solidi HTL per l’ammendamento del suolo e la cattura del carbonio.
Obiettivo
Achieving climate neutrality in Europe requires large volumes of truly sustainable fuels to provide long-term solutions for transport sectors where direct electrification is not viable. CIRCULAIR addresses this challenge with an integrated biofuel pathway that produces cost-effective aviation fuels and generates negative emissions. Key innovations of CIRCULAIR involve a close thermal coupling of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) conversion, based on abundant and available agricultural residues and lignocellulosic crops, with exothermic wet oxidation of HTL process water. In this way, autothermal operation can be achieved, carbon is fully utilized, and the process water disposal problem of HTL is solved. In addition, CIRCULAIR develops innovative approaches to upgrade HTL biocrudes to jet fuel and accelerates the approval of HTL fuels for civil aviation. The biomass resource utilization is maximized by developing valorisation schemes for all relevant side streams along the process chain. In particular, acetic acid will be extracted from residual process waters and methanol will be synthesized from effluent gas streams and renewable hydrogen. Importantly, CIRCULAIR will close a knowledge gap regarding the utilization of fixed carbon in the HTL solids for carbon sequestration and soil amendment, i.e. for a negative contribution to the carbon balance. The targeted overall net-negative emission will be quantified based on life cycle analysis. Finally, techno- and socio-economic analyses will identify important benefits and trade-offs associated with the advanced biofuel process.
In summary: CIRCULAIR will investigate and develop an innovative process for resource-efficient production of sustainable aviation biofuels alongside further marketable renewable chemicals and fuel products. The utilization of biomass feedstock that is abundant in agricultural environments ensures cost-efficiency, relevant scale and the potential to create net-negative carbon emissions.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsliquid fuels
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturesustainable agriculture
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbons
- natural scienceschemical sciencesphysical chemistrythermochemistry
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinatore
82024 Taufkirchen
Germania