The objective of the NextGenRoadFuels project is to apply advanced HTL technology and subsequent upgrading to a selected range of low value/cost, concentrated biogenic residues from urban activity, in order to obtain cost competitive, sustainable drop-in quality synthetic gasoline and diesel fuels. From a highly efficient and validated baseline HTL process chain designed for lignocellulosics, new innovative process steps will be designed and existing steps optimized to address the additional challenges encompassed by such feedstocks, exemplified by sewage sludge, food waste and construction wood waste (termed urban feedstocks), with the objective to reach similar performance as for lignocellulosics. The main optimization targets are - To establish fundamental pretreatment process and parameters to provide highest possible organic dry matter content in feedstock slurry and efficiently remove valuable inorganics that can have added value as organic fertilizers and/or soil improvers. - To establish HTL processing parameters giving highest possible carbon and energy yields to oil phase - To establish efficient upgrading schemes to bring the HTL intermediate bio-crude to drop-in gasoline and diesel fuels - To close material and energy streams to and from the individual process steps in order to obtain maximum internal utilization and minimal environmental impact - To establish MFSP scenarios demonstrating cost-competitiveness, socio-economic benefits and superior LCA and GHG reduction effects in a pan-European as well as global perspective. Specific targets of the NextGenRoadFuels project are to demonstrate the potential to convert more than 100 M tons urban feedstock per year into almost 500,000 barrels per day of drop-in diesel and gasoline fuels (more than 10 % of the current use in the EU), at a cost of approximately 50-60 Euro-cent per liter. This will generate 50,000 direct and 300,000 indirect jobs within the EU, and reduce GHG emissions by more than 70%.

BioSFerA aims to develop a cost-effective interdisciplinary technology to produce sustainable aviation and maritime fuels. Thus, biogenic residues and wastes will be gasified and the syngas will be fermented to produce bio-based triacylglycerides (TAGs). Bio-fuels will be produced via TAG hydrotreatment. The overall process, combining thermochemical, biological and thermocatalytic parts is based on the gasification of biomass and other biogenic waste in a Dual Fluidized Bed gasifier and the 2-stage fermentation of the produced syngas. Through this process the syngas is converted to acetate (1st stage) and then the acetate is converted to TAGs (2nd stage). The produced TAGs contained medium and long fatty acids are hydrotreated and isomerized after the necessary separation and purification and the end-products are jet- and bunker-like biofuels, respectively. BioSFerA aims to evolve the proposed technology from TRL3 to TRL5. In the TRL3 phase, extensive lab scale tests will take place in order to optimize the process and increase its feedstock flexibility in terms of non-food bio-based blends. The best acetogenic bacterial strain will be identified based on its tolerance to syngas contaminants. Moreover, oleaginous yeasts will be genetically modified to convert the acetate derived from the first stage into C14 and C16-18 TAGs. Then, building upon lab tests, the pilot scale runs (TRL5) will investigate the overall process. At least two barrels of Hydrotreated TAGs will be produced as drop-in biofuels for aviation and marine. By exploiting the synergies between biological and thermochemical technologies, BioSFerA achieves a total carbon utilization above 35% and a minimum selling price <0.7-0.8 €/l. A process model of the overall BioSFerA process will be developed exploiting the know-how gained during piloting and used for realistic up-scaling calculations. Finally, techno-economic, market, environmental social and health and safety risk assessments will be performed.

The overall goal of IDEALFUEL is to enable the utilization of lignin from lignocellulosic biomass as maritime fuel in a sustainable manner. IDEALFUEL aims to develop an efficient and low-cost chemical pathway to convert lignocellulosic biomass into a Bio Heavy Fuel Oil (Bio-HFO) with ultra-low sulphur levels that can be used as drop-in fuel in the existing maritime fleet. This will be achieved by the strategy to first extract lignin from lignocellulosic biomass as a Crude Lignin Oil (CLO) and to convert the CLO - in a second chemical step - into a Bio-HFO. The solid cellulose fraction, which will be separated from the CLO via simple filtration, can be used in the pulp and paper industry or converted into ethanol. Hemicellulose will either be separated from the CLO or end up in the Bio-HFO. IDEALFUEL’s ambition is to develop new technologies, solutions and processes from the current lab-scale (TRL3) via bench-scale (TRL4) to pilot scale (TRL5) and to prove the performance and compatibility of the Bio-HFO over the whole blending range in maritime fuel systems and marine engines. This includes a safety evaluation, which is necessary for the approval by the relevant regulatory bodies. Further, IDEALFUEL will prove the techno-economic potential to reach a cost level of 700 € per tonne in 2025, 600 € per tonne in 2030 and < 500 € per tonne beyond 2030 resulting from optimisation, scaling effects of larger plant sizes and repetitive installations. This is cost competitive with Ultra-Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (ULSFO) which current, 2019, price level is 450-550 €/ton. IDEALFUEL will also carry out a Well to Propeller impact assessment and Life Cycle Analysis to check and proof the soundness of the environmental, society and sustainability aspects of the to be developed technologies, processes, products and logistics.

Intermediate bioenergy carriers (IBC) are formed when biomass is processed to energetically denser, storable and transportable intermediary products analogous to coal, oil and gaseous fossil energy carriers. IBCs can be used directly for heat or power generation or further refined to final bioenergy or bio-based products. MUSIC aims to facilitate further market uptake of three types of IBC (pyrolysis oil, torrefied biomass and microbial oil) by developing feedstock mobilisation strategies, improving logistics and development of IBC trade centres. First an evaluation is made of framework conditions to identify barriers and enablers. This will constitute the basis for core project actions i.e. development of (a) regional feedstock mobilisation strategies (b) tools for mobilising biomass and optimising size and location of trade centres, (c) industry-driven advanced and strategic case studies (one each per region; eight in total) yielding (d) optimised, cost-effective solutions for logistics along the entire IBC value chain. Two dedicated work packages targeting (i) regional stakeholders and (ii) industrial market actors, from the primary sector, industry and beyond, will build platforms for regional discourse and industry dialogue in the four target regions (Greece, Italy, Sweden/Finland and International). Project results are to include – besides direct market uptake due to the case studies, practical guidance to market actors and advice to policy makers serving as input for more informed policy, market support and financial frameworks, . The MUSIC consortium is characterised by strong industrial involvement, broad coverage across Europe, and top-level experience developing logistics for IBC. It comprises Europe’s leading technology developers for the three IBC types targeted. MUSIC consortium partners have wide networks in industry and industry platforms, ensuring relevance and transferability of all results.