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Circular Advanced Renewable Biofuels from Wet Biogenic Residues via Hydrothermal Liquefaction

Objective

CARAVEL will deliver the first integrated, TRL8 hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) value chain that converts diverse wet biogenic residues into ready-to-deploy marine fuels with low greenhouse-gas intensity, while ensuring circular, compliant management of process water and hydrochar. The project integrates full-scale conversion, upgrading, end-user validation, sustainability verification, permitting and regulatory readiness in one demonstration designed for replication.
A TRL 8, modular HTL plant will be operated under real feedstock variability for ≥30 days, generating evidence on operability, separation, fouling and corrosion, and producing >100 t of biocrude. A harmonised cross-TRL dataset and predictive model will link feedstock composition to yields and fuel quality and define allowable mixtures of biocrudes produced from multiple HTL units for centralised upgrading in a hub-and-spoke concept.
A central innovation in CARAVEL is fuel upgrading and market deployment: First, it will formulate ISO 8217-compliant blending recipes using biocrudes from multiple residues, validate miscibility and stability, and prove performance through accredited fuel testing, long-duration injector trials, and a vessel trial at TRL8.
Second, CARAVEL will demonstrate two complementary TRL7 routes to 100% renewable marine fuels from individual and mixed biocrudes: (i) esterification scale-up using an industrial loop reactor concept to deliver deep acidity reduction and fuel-grade stability, and (ii) refinery-environment hydrotreating. In parallel, CARAVEL generates TRL 7 operational and catalyst stability evidence for sustainable aviation fuel production from mixed biocrudes, targeting high jet yields and carbon efficiency.
Validated performance will be translated into audit-ready life-cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis and bankable business cases, enabling an investor-grade replication roadmap for ≥10 EU locations aligned with RED III, FuelEU Maritime and ReFuel

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Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL5-2026-02

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Coordinator

AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution
€ 2 758 918,75
Address
NORDRE RINGGADE 1
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
Region
Danmark Midtjylland Østjylland
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 2 758 918,75

Participants (15)

Partners (1)