SEAFAIRER aims to demonstrate, at TRL 7, the production of improved intermediate biofuels from residual biomass and their use as climate‑positive, drop‑in marine fuels (Pathway A) and via co‑processing in existing refinery infrastructure (Pathway B). During RP1, the project focused on building this foundation: securing and testing representative feedstocks, producing intermediate bio‑oil at pilot scale, scaling the VINTER reactor to a 250 kg/h demonstration unit, conducting first co‑processing tests in refinery‑relevant conditions, and characterising fuel suitability for maritime use. In parallel, SEAFAIRER advanced key enabling tools (a value chain simulation tool, a digital twin of the demo unit) and initiated regional Communities of Practice in Spain, with Nordic/Baltic and Mexico to follow, to anchor the technology in real value chains.
On feedstocks and conversion, the consortium validated several residual streams (including agave bagasse and biowaste‑derived materials) in the pilot VINTER unit, generating detailed mass and energy balances and optimised operating windows. Several hundred litres of intermediate oil were produced from the most promising feedstocks, while less favourable behaviour for rice husk led to a strategic shift towards other Annex IX‑compatible options to improve technical performance within the existing sustainability framework. The VINTER technology was then successfully scaled from about 70 kg/h to a 250 kg/h demonstration unit, which was engineered, constructed and cold‑commissioned in RP1 and will supply the intermediate oil and B30 blends needed for engine and vessel tests. A digital twin based on steady‑state process models was initiated to support optimisation and integration with system‑level analyses.
Downstream, extensive analytical work have shown good stability and compatibility in blends with marine fuels. Material‑compatibility tests defined safe blending boundaries and highlighted key parameters (e.g. acidity, sediments) to be controlled. In refinery‑oriented upgrading work, initial co‑processing trials of raw intermediates revealed challenges, which were resolved through additional characterisation and process adaptation, enabling stable hydrotreatment and providing practical guidance for future refinery integration.
On the systems side, a beta web‑based Value Chain Simulation Tool was developed to support “infrastructure investment analysis” along the VINTER value chain, allowing early case‑level exploration of techno‑economic performance, greenhouse‑gas implications and viability. Methodological groundwork for techno‑economic assessment, life‑cycle costing and life‑cycle GHG analysis was laid, and early work on biochar quality and certification indicated promising potential for recognised carbon‑sink accreditation. Finally, SEAFAIRER began embedding these technical advances in real value‑chain and policy contexts through regulatory analysis and the launch of Communities of Practice, ensuring that further demonstration and deployment steps are guided by realistic, multi‑stakeholder perspectives.
