Project description
Biofuels from forestry residues through pyrolysis for transport sectors
It is becoming increasingly important to improve the decarbonisation process in the aviation and marine sectors and to produce scenarios for green hydrogen production. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks that reduces emissions from air transportation. The EU-funded FUEL-UP project aims to produce renewable SAF and marine fuels from forestry residues through pyrolysis. The project’s work will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in aviation and maritime transport. FUEL-UP aims to optimise the processes of stabilisation, deoxygenation, hydrodeoxygenation, hydrotreatment and hydro-isomerisation to minimise risks and ensure scalability. It will also ensure that the fuel produced meets industry standards and engine specifications.
Objective
FUEL-UP project aims at producing simultaneously the key renewable SAF and marine fuels from 100% biogenic feedstocks (primarily forestry residues) through pyrolysis and downstream upgrading of pyrolysis oils to advanced biofuels, reducing GHG emissions of the important aviation and marine transport sectors. FUEL-UP will demonstrate at TRL6-7 the production of sufficient aviation and marine fuel in the project, transforming 1000 L HPO to 450-500 L SAF, 300-350 L marine diesel and 100-200 L marine fuel Naphtha/Bio-methanol co-blend for testing. The key challenges are to de-risk and optimize stabilisation, deoxygenation, hydrodeoxygenation, hydrotreatment and hydro-isomerisation steps; including optimisation of catalysts and scalability. FUEL-UP will ensure the fuel quality meets standards and engine specifications. The produced SAF will be tested according to aviation standards (Tier 1, 2 & 2.5) to qualify them with D4054 certification and provide a strategy for fuel certification through introduction to EU Clearinghouse. The produced marine biofuels streams fuel quality (marine diesel and Naphtha enhanced Bio-methanol co-blend) will be assessed with marine engine testing performed according to ISO 8217 and ISO 8178 standards. FUEL-UP will also maximise the valorisation of all carbon side streams (gaseous and aqueous), with aqueous phase treatment and extraction up to 80%, resulting in at least 200 L valuable compounds /t HPO, followed by subsequent conversion into high quality biogas. The heavy component of Naphtha fraction will be evaluated for aromatisation by continuous catalytic reforming to produce solvents. Environmental impact of the value chain will be assessed to show up to 80% GHG emission reduction compared to fossil fuels and provide scenarios for green hydrogen production. Process engineering will ensure scale-up of technologies to reach commercial scale by 2030 and replication in 10 sites by 2035 and 25 sites by 2040, allowing production of >2Mt fuels.
Fields of science
- natural scienceschemical sciencescatalysis
- social sciencessocial geographytransport
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energyhydrogen energy
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesforestry
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
7034 Trondheim
Norway