Biogas production from non-food lignocellulosic biomass waste.

Project Information

BioFuel Fab

Grant agreement ID: 882510

DOI

10.3030/882510

Project closed

EC signature date 4 November 2019

Start date 1 December 2019

End date 31 May 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

FINRENES OY
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BioFuel Fab (Biogas production from non-food lignocellulosic biomass waste.)

Reporting period: 2019-12-01 to 2020-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

BioFuel Fab is an energy self-sustainable and versatile solution able to make biogas production from lignocellulosic wastes economically profitable and environmentally sustainable. This is achieved thanks to a proprietary high-temperature and high-pressure pretreatment process that makes woody waste suitable for anaerobic digestion. Performances are disruptive: the digestion process speed is increased up to 75%, empowering the plant capacity by 3 times.
The application of BioFuel Fab will allow the exploitation of lignocellulosic materials as biogas generation plants feedstock. This will support EU institutions to reach the target of 32% for renewable energy by 2030 and of biogas production of 50 billion m3 per year.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The Phase 1 project was focused on the analysis of technical and economic viability of BioFuel Fab application in the biogas sector. The study is divided into two sections:
1- Technical Feasibility Study – BioFuel Fab plant is designed and optimized; a Bill of Materials for a pilot plant is delivered; industrial sites for pilot plant installation and testing are selected; certifications needed are defined; applications for brown pellets (the by-product of BioFuel Fab process) are validated.
2- Business Feasibility Study - a market survey is delivered to verify the market dimension and quantify the market potential; customers and key partners are met and involved in the initiative; the business model for market uptake is selected; the business plan and go-to-market strategy are delivered, together with the IPR strategy; the next phases technical / commercial activities and financing needs are defined.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

BioFuel Fab is the first technology able to make lignocellulosic biomass suitable for anaerobic digestion plants. This will allow to convert existing biogas plants fed with energy crops to plant fed by woody wastes. It is beneficial for biogas producers considering the new and upcoming stricter regulations limiting the use of energy crops and the much lower cost of woody waste as biogas generation feedstock.
To reach the industrial scale and enter to the market, Finrenes needs to:
• manufacture a pilot plant to demonstrate BioFuel Fab industrial feasibility;
• validate the pilot plant in one of the hosting sites identified;
• promote and industrialize BioFuel Fab, with the scope to select partners for commercialization.

Finrenes Solution