Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ICARUS (International cooperation for sustainable aviation biofuels)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-10-01 do 2025-03-31
The ultimate objective of this proposal is to develop best practices (based on improved innovative technologies) and concepts (founded on market access knowledge) along entire value chains for accelerating the scale-up of sustainable aviation biofuels production worldwide. The Icarus consortium has identified critical technology steps that at present limit the wider deployment of three Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production routes, namely: biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction to SAF, isobutanol from lignocellulosic biomass to SAF and synthetic Fischer-Tropsh from biomass gasification to SAF. These three value chains have been strategically selected by Icarus since they are close to market deployment and are needed to meet European and international SAF deployment targets.
Icarus aims to improve them with innovative solutions while at the same time addressing the whole value chain.
Icarus aims to improve them with innovative solutions while at the same time addressing the whole value chain.
A comprehensive evaluation of the framework conditions for SAF development across Europe and Mission Innovation Countries (MIC), is successfully delivered covering the three selected value chains. The consortium effectively assessed available and emerging feedstocks, in line with RED II Annex IX Part A, being energy crops and bioenergy carriers (microbial oils, alcohols from sugars, syngas from gasification). Innovative technological approaches were reviewed and provided in-depth overviews of each value chain, highlighting current status, challenges, and future potential. Policy and regulatory landscapes were structured and complemented by a dedicated international workshop, and identified systemic constraints were identified through detailed GAP analyses. Finally, a strong coordination and contributions from a broad group of partners including European and MIC countries was achieved.
Extensive research is focused on innovative feedstocks and specific technology innovations along with the three selected value chains which are still at low TRL. By collaboration with Canada, India, Brazil and USA further technological options and exchange learnings are sought so as to broaden innovations. Initial results on crop combinations have led to the selection of promising candidates, which will be further tested in the upcoming growing season (RP2) under real open-field conditions.
Significant progress has been made in understanding and optimizing nitrogen removal strategies from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) biocrudes. This includes both feedstock pretreatment methods and adjustments to process conditions. Preliminary HTL trials have enabled the critical calibration of experimental setups and the collection of baseline data essential for upcoming hydrotreatment (HDO) studies.
A microbial strain expressing the four major cellulolytic enzymes has been successfully developed. This strain can efficiently utilize cellobiose and partially digest cellulose, marking an important step toward effective biomass conversion.
Additionally, four selected catalysts were prepared and tested to validate literature-reported results regarding their high potential for SAF production. Based on these evaluations, one conversion route was chosen for further development into a complete syngas-to-SAF process.
The technical pathways and process modelling for SAF production systems have been meticulously analysed, including the creation of initial flowsheets for ICARUS SAF pathways. A thorough literature review has identified key performance indicators that reflect the status and effectiveness of SAF production systems. In addition, a preliminary Aspen Plus model was developed for the Oils-to-SAF pathway. For the Syngas-to-SAF and Isobutanol-to-SAF value chains, the conceptual design and preliminary flowcharts have also been delivered.
An in-depth analysis and systematic review of drivers, barriers and innovation potentials for the three value chains addressed within ICARUS was implemented based on internally generated intelligence, other publicly available information and dedicated interviews with selected experts.
Extensive research is focused on innovative feedstocks and specific technology innovations along with the three selected value chains which are still at low TRL. By collaboration with Canada, India, Brazil and USA further technological options and exchange learnings are sought so as to broaden innovations. Initial results on crop combinations have led to the selection of promising candidates, which will be further tested in the upcoming growing season (RP2) under real open-field conditions.
Significant progress has been made in understanding and optimizing nitrogen removal strategies from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) biocrudes. This includes both feedstock pretreatment methods and adjustments to process conditions. Preliminary HTL trials have enabled the critical calibration of experimental setups and the collection of baseline data essential for upcoming hydrotreatment (HDO) studies.
A microbial strain expressing the four major cellulolytic enzymes has been successfully developed. This strain can efficiently utilize cellobiose and partially digest cellulose, marking an important step toward effective biomass conversion.
Additionally, four selected catalysts were prepared and tested to validate literature-reported results regarding their high potential for SAF production. Based on these evaluations, one conversion route was chosen for further development into a complete syngas-to-SAF process.
The technical pathways and process modelling for SAF production systems have been meticulously analysed, including the creation of initial flowsheets for ICARUS SAF pathways. A thorough literature review has identified key performance indicators that reflect the status and effectiveness of SAF production systems. In addition, a preliminary Aspen Plus model was developed for the Oils-to-SAF pathway. For the Syngas-to-SAF and Isobutanol-to-SAF value chains, the conceptual design and preliminary flowcharts have also been delivered.
An in-depth analysis and systematic review of drivers, barriers and innovation potentials for the three value chains addressed within ICARUS was implemented based on internally generated intelligence, other publicly available information and dedicated interviews with selected experts.
During the first 18 months, Icarus has successfully advanced key technical activities across the three targeted SAF production pathways. More specifically, in terms of feedstock, research on crop growing techniques and crop combinations showed that the application of biostimulants improve growth, while the intercropping trials in pots revealed that mixed-cropped sorghum with legumes with the aid of biostimulants can increase biomass quantities and quality. The trials will continue in the following years.
In the Biocrude-to-SAF significant progress was achieved in understanding and optimizing nitrogen removal strategies from HTL biocrudes, both through feedstock pretreatment and through process condition adjustments. In addition, in the Isobutanol-to-SAF value chain, a strain, which is able to efficiently utilize cellobiose and partially digest cellulose (IMD3), has been successfully developed. A higher isobutanol concentration has been produced by the engineered strain IMD3 compared to the parent strain BMD191 in sorghum pulp material. Finally, in the Syngas-to-SAF value chain the four selected catalysts from WP1 were prepared and tested to evaluate whether the reported results of literature on which the high SAF potential was based can be reproduced. This is followed by additional optimizations of both the reaction conditions and/or catalyst composition to further enhance the (potential) SAF production. Based on these results, one route was selected for further development into the complete syngas-to-SAF process during the remainder of the project, including the production of actual SAF samples.
In the Biocrude-to-SAF significant progress was achieved in understanding and optimizing nitrogen removal strategies from HTL biocrudes, both through feedstock pretreatment and through process condition adjustments. In addition, in the Isobutanol-to-SAF value chain, a strain, which is able to efficiently utilize cellobiose and partially digest cellulose (IMD3), has been successfully developed. A higher isobutanol concentration has been produced by the engineered strain IMD3 compared to the parent strain BMD191 in sorghum pulp material. Finally, in the Syngas-to-SAF value chain the four selected catalysts from WP1 were prepared and tested to evaluate whether the reported results of literature on which the high SAF potential was based can be reproduced. This is followed by additional optimizations of both the reaction conditions and/or catalyst composition to further enhance the (potential) SAF production. Based on these results, one route was selected for further development into the complete syngas-to-SAF process during the remainder of the project, including the production of actual SAF samples.