Imagine taking leftover branches and wood scraps from forests and putting them through a high-heat 'pressure cooker' to create a raw oil. This project then cleans and refines that oil into high-quality fuel for planes and ships. It's like turning forest trash into liquid gold that keeps engines running while keeping the air cleaner.
The aviation and marine sectors struggle to find scalable, low-carbon fuel alternatives that meet strict engine specifications. Current bio-fuel processes often leave behind wasteful side streams that hurt the overall profit margin.
A TRL6-7 production process that converts forestry residues into certified SAF and marine diesel, including a system to recover 80% of the aqueous phase for biogas and solvents.
If you are an airline dealing with strict carbon emission targets — this project developed a process to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) that can reduce GHG emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil fuels.
If you are a shipping company dealing with the need for greener propulsion — this project developed marine diesel and Naphtha/Bio-methanol blends that meet ISO 8217 and ISO 8178 standards.
If you are a chemical plant dealing with waste streams in fuel production — this project developed a way to turn the heavy Naphtha fraction into industrial solvents via catalytic reforming.
Based on available project data, specific price points are not provided, but the project focuses on cost-efficiency and full valorisation of side streams to improve economic viability.
The project demonstrates technology at TRL6-7, transforming 1000 L of pyrolysis oil into approximately 450-500 L of SAF and 300-350 L of marine diesel.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on optimizing catalysts and scalability, but specific licensing terms are not disclosed.
SAF will be tested for D4054 certification (Tiers 1, 2 & 2.5), while marine fuels will be assessed according to ISO 8217 and ISO 8178 standards.
The project aims for commercial scale by 2030, with a plan to replicate in 10 sites by 2035 and 25 sites by 2040.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 8 industrial partners (67% of the group) and 5 SMEs, indicating a strong focus on commercialization rather than pure academic research. With 12 partners across 8 countries, the project leverages a broad European network to ensure the technology can be replicated across different regional forestry markets.
Contact SINTEF AS in Norway for technical specifications on the pyrolysis upgrading process.
Contact us to connect with the FUEL-UP consortium for early adoption of their bio-refining technology.
