Carbon Negative Biofuels from Organic Waste

Project Information

CARBIOW

Grant agreement ID: 101084443

DOI

10.3030/101084443

Project closed

EC signature date 21 October 2022

Start date 1 October 2022

End date 31 March 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 4 850 123,75

EU contribution

€ 4 850 123,75

Coordinated by

FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CARBIOW (Carbon Negative Biofuels from Organic Waste)

Reporting period: 2024-04-01 to 2025-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

CARBIOW (Carbon Negative Biofuels from Organic Waste) is a Research and Innovation Action funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Programme that addresses green transition and circular economy by proposing novel technologies that cover the whole process of conversion of organic waste to biofuels.

The goal of CARBIOW is to establish an efficient and scalable process to convert the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) and other hard-to-utilize solid organic wastes to biofuels with the following key targets:

1.Establishing a new pre-treatment process of OFMSW where a cleaner, denser, carbon-rich, dry, and homogenous solid biofuel is produced.
2.Utilization of pure oxygen (nitrogen-free gas) in combustion and gasification to produce clean syngas.
3.Carbonization of gasification ashes with CO2 through innovative carbonation techniques to decarbonize the cement industry and address carbon negativity.
4.Production of Fischer-Tropsch fuels for the maritime and aviation industry. The latter target will focus on the production of alcohols for maritime, and kerosene for the aviation sector.

The ambition of CARBIOW closely contributes to the key aspects of sustainable development, green transition, and (bio)circular economy by:

•Establish novel techniques such as torrefaction for organic waste pre-treatment and clean biofuel production.
•Boost novel technology advancement in oxy-conversion of waste biofuels.
•Valorization of OFMSW as a reliable, abundant, and secured source of biomass; besides boosting collaboration to establish a true bioeconomy.
•Decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and maritime.
•Decarbonization of large industries, such as cement, through CO2 fixation by promoting innovative and efficient techniques and generation of new negative carbon footprint mineral feedstocks.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the M18–M30 period, significant technological milestones were achieved. Torrefaction experiments were optimised according to the type of organic waste and operating conditions, including both dry and wet methods applied to challenging residues such as OFMSW, wood cellulose pulp, and other biogenic waste. Wet torrefaction with catalysts produced high-value liquid by-products containing light alcohols and improved the quality of the resulting biochar, representing an advancement beyond the state of the art.

The type of bed material and the optimal operating window for oxy-fired fluidised bed gasification were defined through laboratory-scale tests. Various torrefied wastes were successfully gasified, providing essential data for pilot-scale validation. The pilot campaign has now started and will be completed in the final phase of the project.
In the Fischer-Tropsch process, 3D-printed monolithic catalysts were developed and tested, showing promising results for the direct production of kerosene-range hydrocarbons and light alcohols. Additional catalyst types are under development to further enhance performance.

For CO2 fixation, gasification ashes and bed materials were evaluated for their carbonation potential, aiming to produce stable carbonates suitable for use in cement-based products. Work also continues on integrating renewable hydrogen and oxygen from electrolysers into the system to support clean fuel production. Techno-economic, environmental and social assessments are ongoing to evaluate the full value chain.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Compared to road transport, the aviation and maritime sectors remain hard to decarbonise due to the low feasibility of electrification. Therefore, developing drop-in, low- or negative-carbon fuels is essential to achieving transport climate goals. CARBIOW contributes to this by advancing integrated technologies for the valorisation of organic waste into sustainable fuels.

To date, CARBIOW has demonstrated results beyond the current state of the art, including catalytic wet torrefaction of challenging waste streams, yielding high-value liquid compounds and high-quality biochar. Gasification tests have defined optimal conditions for fluidised bed reactors, enabling the production of clean syngas. Novel 3D-printed monolithic catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis have been successfully tested, showing promising outcomes in producing light alcohols and kerosene-range hydrocarbons. CO2 mineralisation of ash residues for use in cement-based products also shows strong potential.

The project reinforces the role of OFMSW as a secure biomass feedstock and supports the development of a circular bioeconomy. Further research, demonstration, and supportive regulatory frameworks will be essential to scale up these innovations and enable their commercial uptake in aviation and maritime sectors across Europe.

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