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Flexible and advanced Biofuel technology through an innovative microwave pYrolysis & hydrogen-free hydrodeoxygenation process

Project description

Turning waste into sustainable biofuels

Many countries are turning to biomass-derived biofuels to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. However, most biofuels are made from food-related crops, which compete with food production. This has raised concerns about food security and sustainability. Additionally, the technology for producing biofuels in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way is still developing. In this context, the EU-funded FLEXBY project aims to solve these issues by creating advanced biofuels from waste materials. It uses biogenic waste, such as microalgae from wastewater and industrial oily sludge. Through a microwave pyrolysis process, FLEXBY converts these wastes into biofuels and bio-hydrogen. This approach will help reduce emissions and support sustainable biofuel use in the transport sector.

Objective

Biomass-derived liquid transportation fuels have been proposed as part of the solution to mitigate climate change and many countries are providing incentives to support the growth of bioenergy utilization. Nevertheless, most biofuels currently are made from food-related sources and have a negative impact on food production. The development of cost-effective solutions to minimize carbon waste and inhibit biogenic effluent gas emissions in sustainable biofuel production processes is still at an early stage of development.
FLEXBY intends to go significantly boost this development by producing advanced biofuel through an innovative, cost-efficient process that will reach TRL5. At FLEXBY we will produce biofuel using biogenic waste from microalgae cultivated in domestic wastewater as well as the oily sludge from refineries. This residual biomass will undergo a microwave pyrolysis treatment to produce three different fractions: bio-liquid, pyro-gas, and bio-char. The bio-liquid fraction will be converted to jet, diesel, and marine bio-fuels (heavy transport biofuels) through a versatile and innovative Hydrogen-free Hydrodeoxygenation. The gaseous fraction will be converted to bio-hydrogen through a steam-reforming water gas-shift process (WGS) and preferential CO oxidation (PrOx). Both liquid and gaseous biofuel will be tested and validated in fuel cells to produce electricity, along with an evaluation of their respective suitability for the transport sector. FLEXBY promotes a circular economy by recycling biomass residues and all sub-products obtained during the project. The combined expertise of the industrially-driven consortium (formed by 1 LE, 4 SMEs, 2 universities, 1 non-profit association, and 2 RTOs) from 5 different countries will be able to achieve these objectives. In terms of impact, FLEXBY will increase the use of advanced biofuels in the heavy transport sector, mitigating climate impact in key areas of the global economy

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-02

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Coordinator

IDENER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AGRUPACION DE INTERES ECONOMICO
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 853 750,00
Address
CALLE EARLY OVINGTON 24-8
41300 LA RINCONADA SEVILLA
Spain

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Region
Sur Andalucía Sevilla
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 853 750,00

Participants (9)

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