Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ALFAFUELS (SUSTAINABLE JET FUELS FROM CO2 BY MICRO-ALGAL CELL FACTORIES IN A ZERO WASTE APPROACH)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
The ALFAFUELS project aims to provide a mid- or long-term technological solution towards the development of renewable and sustainable jet fuels with zero Greenhouse gas emissions. The overall objective of ALFAFUELS is to enhance the upscaling potential of technologies for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) from CO2 by proposing a complete, zero-waste production approach with decreased production costs, improved and proven sustainability along the value chain, and optimised processes at small pilot scale (Technology Readiness Level, TRL 5). By completing these objectives, the project will contribute to the shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption to renewable energy sources and will satisfy the EU future energy needs in a sustainable, reliable, and efficient manner.
The technology under development focuses on renewable fuels of non-biological origin (liquid fuels) as a suitable option for aviation. Cyanobacteria are used to produce a volatile fuel precursor (isoprene) which is then upgraded (through photodimerisation) to jet fuel molecules. The project’s zero-waste approach creates synergies with other sectors by valorising all cell components towards various products (co-production of hydrogen and starch by microalgae) using CO2 as the unique carbon source and therefore, disconnecting sustainable jet fuel production from biomass resources. The starch produced will be used in food products as thickener or filler. Process modelling and Bioreactor design & manufacturing are performed to optimise (regarding yields, costs and sustainability) and upscale the process. In order to decrease the production costs and tackle the technological barriers delaying the upscaling of algal renewable fuel production technologies, the project focuses on the production of a volatile precursor (isoprene) in order to avoid all expensive downstream processing steps (harvesting, drying, lipids extraction). Reduced overall costs by faster process, fewer unit operations, model-based process optimisation, ambient conditions for most process steps
The technology under development focuses on renewable fuels of non-biological origin (liquid fuels) as a suitable option for aviation. Cyanobacteria are used to produce a volatile fuel precursor (isoprene) which is then upgraded (through photodimerisation) to jet fuel molecules. The project’s zero-waste approach creates synergies with other sectors by valorising all cell components towards various products (co-production of hydrogen and starch by microalgae) using CO2 as the unique carbon source and therefore, disconnecting sustainable jet fuel production from biomass resources. The starch produced will be used in food products as thickener or filler. Process modelling and Bioreactor design & manufacturing are performed to optimise (regarding yields, costs and sustainability) and upscale the process. In order to decrease the production costs and tackle the technological barriers delaying the upscaling of algal renewable fuel production technologies, the project focuses on the production of a volatile precursor (isoprene) in order to avoid all expensive downstream processing steps (harvesting, drying, lipids extraction). Reduced overall costs by faster process, fewer unit operations, model-based process optimisation, ambient conditions for most process steps
To increase isoprene (jet fuel precursor), enzyme-based metabolic engineering strategies for enhancing isoprene production in cyanobacteria have been identified, and an approach for integrating transcription regulatory networks with genomescale models for cyanobacteria has been developed. A productivity of >50 mg isoprene L-1 day-1 has been demonstrated at lab scale (TRL 4). In parallel, three types of CO2 streams have been identified: one from a gas turbine (3–4% CO2), one from an engine (6–8% CO2), and one from a boiler (8–10% CO2).
A preliminary biorefinery concept has been developed for the valorisation of lipids, proteins and dyes and cell debris from cyanobacteria. A protocol to open up the cell was developed. Supercritical CO2 methodology was optimized for lipids extraction from wildtype cyanobacteria achieving lipid recovery of 57 %. Glucose extraction from wildtype cyanobacteria was studied to achieve glucose recovery of ≥90 %. Metabolic models were developed to predict strategies for glucose-based mixotrophic growth and H2 production.
Isoprene is converted to jet fuels molecules via a photochemical approach leading to kerosene-type C10 hydrocarbons after hydrogenation. We have identified the most suitable photocatalyst for this process which enables us to take a step forward towards the technological realization of the photochemical isoprene dimerization at pilot scale. The semiconductor quantum dot (QDs) and a homogeneous organic photocatalyst (a carbonyl-based catalyst such as dinaphtylmethanone) showed high activity for photodimerisation.
To design a PBR tailor-made for isoprene production, two main designs are considered, flat panel or annular reactors. Based on experiments in WP1 and WP6, F&M and UNIFI, design an innovative annular column PBR especially designed for isoprene production. Three PBRs of 2,5 L are now under construction.
A modular LCA framework tailored to the ALFAFUELS system (M8.1) has been developed, and the first and second versions of the ALFAFUELS life cycle inventory data model have been completed. The 2nd version has been uploaded in the collaborative space and has been delivered as milestone (M8.2).
We have delivered a strong project identity, high-quality promotional materials, active online channels, and wide visibility through media, and scientific publications. We established the exploitation and IPR framework, validated Key Exploitable Results, and initiated Horizon Results Booster services.
A preliminary biorefinery concept has been developed for the valorisation of lipids, proteins and dyes and cell debris from cyanobacteria. A protocol to open up the cell was developed. Supercritical CO2 methodology was optimized for lipids extraction from wildtype cyanobacteria achieving lipid recovery of 57 %. Glucose extraction from wildtype cyanobacteria was studied to achieve glucose recovery of ≥90 %. Metabolic models were developed to predict strategies for glucose-based mixotrophic growth and H2 production.
Isoprene is converted to jet fuels molecules via a photochemical approach leading to kerosene-type C10 hydrocarbons after hydrogenation. We have identified the most suitable photocatalyst for this process which enables us to take a step forward towards the technological realization of the photochemical isoprene dimerization at pilot scale. The semiconductor quantum dot (QDs) and a homogeneous organic photocatalyst (a carbonyl-based catalyst such as dinaphtylmethanone) showed high activity for photodimerisation.
To design a PBR tailor-made for isoprene production, two main designs are considered, flat panel or annular reactors. Based on experiments in WP1 and WP6, F&M and UNIFI, design an innovative annular column PBR especially designed for isoprene production. Three PBRs of 2,5 L are now under construction.
A modular LCA framework tailored to the ALFAFUELS system (M8.1) has been developed, and the first and second versions of the ALFAFUELS life cycle inventory data model have been completed. The 2nd version has been uploaded in the collaborative space and has been delivered as milestone (M8.2).
We have delivered a strong project identity, high-quality promotional materials, active online channels, and wide visibility through media, and scientific publications. We established the exploitation and IPR framework, validated Key Exploitable Results, and initiated Horizon Results Booster services.
The novelty of the project is to create value from CO2 industrial streams and to develop a cost efficient and sustainable technology connecting it with other sectors to increase profitability in line with the EU regulatory frameworks. The first results of the project already indicate potential impacts as well as key needs to ensure further progress and future uptake and commercial success. Indicatively, the isoprene productivities already achieved allow for optimisation experiments towards further upscaling. The identification of three industrial CO2 streams as potential CO2 sources paves the way for industrial CO2 streams to be valorized into (SAF), intermediates, and other products. The biorefinery work has gone beyond the state of the art by applying supercritical CO2 for the extraction of lipids in cyanobacteria for the first time. In WP4 the carried out solar light driven isoprene photodimerizations at multiliter scale (5L) with the new organic photocatalyst move the research frontier beyond state-of-the-art within research on SAFs. A direct comparison of different PBR designs is performed to get insights for photobioreactors design. The in-progress sustainability studies already indicate the future impact and needs towards a sustainable overall process: The development of a modular LCA framework tailored to the ALFAFUELS system (M8.1) enables systematic sustainability benchmarking across different ALFAFUELS configurations and scenarios and indicate as Key needs the Integration with TEA models and continuous updates as technology scales