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Yeast-based solutions for sustainable Aviation Fuels

Project description

Sustainable aviation fuels production by yeasts from biowaste

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) represent the primary short-term alternative to fossil fuels in aviation. Increasing SAF production necessitates both enhancing existing methods and developing novel renewable approaches. Using biowaste as feedstock is crucial for enhancing competitiveness. Yeasts show promise in eco-friendly SAF intermediate production, yet this method is still evolving and faces several challenges. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the YAF project seeks to generate carbon sources from biowastes, engineer yeast cell factories for SAF production, design bifunctional catalysts, and devise strategies for extracting fatty acids and terpenes. The project aims to establish a framework for scaling up SAF production methods, conduct life-cycle sustainability assessments to inform decision-making, and train the next generation of researchers.

Objective

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are the only short-term alternative to fossil fuels in aviation. Considering the increased number of passengers forecasted in the near future, a massive increased in SAF production has been estimated in the years to come. To fulfill this increase in demand, the combination of existing and new renewable production chains is needed. Current SAF-producing pathways are at different levels of maturity, implementation or even commercialization. However, lowering the cost and supply chain development are key challenges for commercial-scale SAF deployment. Using biowastes as feedstock for SAF is challenging but necessary to make SAF competitive with fossil fuels. In this context, yeasts may be key players to generate economically-viable SAF intermediates (terpenes or fatty acids (FA)) in an environmentally-friendly way from biowaste. This SAF production by biological means is very new and presents a lot of remaining challenges and training gaps that have to be addressed. YAF research programme aims at; i) producing carbon sources from biowastes, ii) developing new yeast cell factories to produce SAF, iii) designing new bifunctional catalysts, iv) achieving efficient strategies for FA/terpenes extraction, and v) creating robust framework tailored to the scaling-up methodologies and life-cycle sustainability assessment of different SAF producing routes, which will support decision-making. To achieve this, the right integration of biology, biotechnology, chemical engineering and environmental sciences will be required. Thus, the prime training/networking aim of YAF is to train the next generation of researchers in a highly interdisciplinary and intersectorial research environment such that they can soundly address upcoming challenges concerning production yeast-based SAF. YAF has been designed to strengthen European research and innovation, enhancing research visibility and generating a critical mass to address European (and global) challenges

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-DN-01

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Coordinator

Fundacion IMDEA Energia
Net EU contribution
€ 755 913,60
Address
AVENIDA RAMON DE LA SAGRA 3
28935 Mostoles Madrid
Spain
Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (6)

Partners (6)