New European project to set the foundations of a first-of-a-kind biorefinery converting residual wood to isobutene-derived gasoline and jetfuel

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

11 project partners coming from 8 EU Member States have signed an agreement with the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) on behalf of the European Commission, regarding to a new project aimed at converting softwood residues into isobutene derivatives for use in gasoline and jetfuel (see press release from Global Bionergies, 14/5/2018). INEA manages the Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy societal challenge of the Horizon 2020 program.

The project REWOFUEL will set the foundations of a first-of-a-kind biorefinery converting residual wood to high performance drop-in renewable gasoline and jetfuel. With an estimated forestry residues potential of about 145 million tons per year, the European Union has the opportunity to support the deployment of hundreds of such biorefineries.

Name
REWOFUEL (N°792104)
Call
HORIZON 2020
Objectives
- To convert currently poorly valorised softwood residues into second generation renewable isobutene for subsequent conversion into gasoline and jetfuel.
- To demonstrate the new value chain at cubic meter scale by combining the technologies and know-how of participants.
European grant (M€)
13.9
Duration
3 years
Leader
- Global Bioenergies (France and Germany): Hydrolysates fermentation to bio-isobutene.
Partnership
- Ajinomoto Eurolysine (France): Valorisation of proteins from the dried killed residual biomass.
- Energy Institute at the University of Linz (Austria): Assessment of the sustainability and environmental benefits.
- Graanul Invest AS (Estonia): Residual softwood supply and processing.
- Neste Engineering Solutions (Finland): Bio-isobutene conversion to fuel components.
- Peab Asfalt (Sweden): Valorisation of the lignin side stream.
- Repsol (Spain): Evaluation of gasoline applications.
- Sekab (Sweden): Softwood conversion to hydrolysates using its CelluAPP® technology.
- SkyNRG (Netherlands): Evaluation of jetfuel application.
- TechnipFMC and IPSB (France): Preliminary engineering of a wood-to-isobutene plant and overall integration with a fuel conversion unit.

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