Europe needs next-generation-biofuels-plants to reach specific environmental targets while petroleum refinery capacity is underutilized, degrading trade balance and refinery profitability and shrinking employment opportunities. While conventional biofuels (from food crops) were proven a non-sustainable solution in addressing the environmental issues, 2nd generation biofuels (from lignocellulosic and residual biomass) are not yet cost-competitive as they aim in producing drop-in fuels with several energy demanding conversion steps. The BioMates approach aspires in combining innovative 2nd generation biomass conversion technologies for the cost-effective production of bio-based intermediates (BioMates) that can be further upgraded in existing oil refineries next to fossil intermediates, as renewable and reliable co-feedstocks.
The project aims at enhancing the EU competitiveness, as the only EU project dedicated in valorizing 2G biomass via existing petroleum refineries for the direct decarbonization of transportation fuels, with the potential of satisfying 15% of the liquid transport fuel demand while enabling 50-140 million tons per year GHG emission savings. Moreover, the technology commercialization has the potential of reducing by 7% the imports of crude oil enabling over 7.5 billion € savings from oil imports, as well as creation of over 4,900 jobs in in rural areas.
The BioMates approach encompasses innovative biomass conversion technologies, including ablative fast pyrolysis (AFP) and single-stage mild catalytic hydroprocessing (mild-HDT) as main processes. Fast pyrolysis in-line-catalysis and fine-tuning of BioMates-properties are additional steps to improve the conversion efficiency and cost efficiency of BioMates, as well as its quality, reliability and competitiveness. Incorporating state-of-the-art hydrogen production from renewable sources and sophisticated electrochemical compression of the hydrogen required as well as optimised energy integration completes the sustainable technical approach leading to improved sustainability and decreased fossil energy dependency. The BioMates approach for decarbonising the transportation fuels will be demonstrated via pilot units in an industrially relevant environment (“Technology Readiness Level” 5). This will allow for the development of an integrated, sustainability-driven business case encompassing commercial and social exploitation strategy.
