REWOFUEL · Project

Drop-In Biofuels From Wood Waste — Ready to Replace Fossil Gasoline and Jet Fuel

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Imagine taking the leftover softwood that sawmills throw away and turning it into gasoline and jet fuel you can pump straight into existing engines — no modifications needed. That's exactly what REWOFUEL demonstrated. They break wood down into sugars, ferment those sugars into a building-block chemical called bio-isobutene, and then convert it into three different fuels that work just like their fossil counterparts. Two SMEs already had demo plants running and scaled them up during this project to produce fuel at near-commercial volumes.

By the numbers

drop-in biofuels demonstrated (bio-ETBE, bio-isooctane, bio-isododecane)

consortium partners across the value chain

EU countries represented

92%

industry partners in consortium

SMEs involved in the project

SMEs with existing demo plants upgraded during the project

tons

of wood hydrolysate delivered for biofuel production

The business problem

What needed solving

The transport fuel industry faces mounting regulatory pressure to blend renewable fuels, but most biofuel options require engine modifications or compete with food crops. Meanwhile, the forestry sector generates massive volumes of residual softwood with limited high-value uses. Companies need drop-in renewable fuels made from genuine waste streams that work in existing infrastructure.

The solution

What was built

The project built and demonstrated a complete value chain from residual softwood to 3 drop-in biofuels at pre-commercial scale. Concrete outputs include upgraded demo plants for wood deconstruction (SEKAB, Sweden) and sugar-to-isobutene fermentation (Global Bioenergies, France), delivery of tons of wood hydrolysate, and validated processes for valorizing coproducts including lignin for bitumen, microbial proteins, biogas, and fertilizers.

Audience

Who needs this

Fuel refineries and blending companies needing advanced biofuel supply to meet RED II quotasSawmills and pulp mills looking to monetize residual softwood wasteAirlines and freight companies sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)Chemical companies currently buying fossil-based isobuteneRoad construction companies interested in bio-based bitumen from lignin coproduct

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Oil refining and fuel distribution

enterprise

Target: Fuel refineries and blending companies looking to meet renewable fuel mandates

If you are a fuel refinery or blending company struggling to meet EU renewable fuel quotas — this project demonstrated 3 drop-in biofuels (bio-ETBE, bio-isooctane, bio-isododecane) produced from residual softwood at pre-commercial scale. These fuels slot directly into your existing infrastructure with no engine or logistics changes, using wood waste as feedstock instead of food crops.

Forestry and wood processing

mid-size

Target: Sawmills and pulp mills with residual softwood waste streams

If you are a sawmill or wood processing company paying to dispose of residual softwood — this project turned that waste into high-value sugar hydrolysate at ton-scale volumes. The process also valorizes lignin, microbial biomass, biogas, and fertilizers as coproducts, meaning nearly every fraction of your waste becomes a revenue stream.

Aviation and transport

enterprise

Target: Airlines and logistics companies seeking sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

If you are an airline or freight carrier under pressure to decarbonize — this project produced bio-isododecane, a drop-in bio-jet-fuel component made from wood residues. With 13 partners across 8 countries validating the full value chain from forest waste to fuel, this offers a scalable SAF pathway that doesn't compete with food production.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would this biofuel cost compared to fossil fuel?

The project validated economic sustainability for a commercial plant but specific per-liter cost figures are not available in the published data. Since the feedstock is residual softwood (a low-cost waste material) and coproducts like lignin and biogas add revenue, the economics are designed to compete with fossil-derived isobutene products. Based on available project data, a full cost analysis was part of the commercial plant validation.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

Yes — the project explicitly demonstrated production at pre-commercial scale. Two core SMEs (SEKAB in Sweden and Global Bioenergies in France) already operated demo plants that were upgraded during the project. The deliverables confirm delivery of first larger volumes (tons) of wood hydrolysate to the fermentation unit.

Who owns the IP and can I license this technology?

The core technology is developed by 2 SMEs: Global Bioenergies (France) for the sugar-to-isobutene fermentation, and SEKAB (Sweden) for the wood deconstruction process. Licensing discussions would go through these companies. With 92% industry partners in the consortium, the IP is oriented toward commercial exploitation.

Does this meet EU renewable fuel regulations?

The project was designed to produce drop-in biofuels from non-food residual wood, aligning with EU Renewable Energy Directive preferences for advanced biofuels from waste feedstocks. The 3 biofuels (bio-ETBE, bio-isooctane, bio-isododecane) are chemically identical to their fossil equivalents, requiring no regulatory changes for engine compatibility.

How long until this could be deployed commercially?

The project ran from 2018 to 2022 and reached pre-commercial demonstration with existing demo plants. The 4 defined objectives included validating technical, safety, economic, and sustainability targets for a commercial plant. Based on available project data, the pathway to full commercial deployment depends on investment in scaling from demo to full-size plant.

Can this integrate with existing refinery infrastructure?

That is the core advantage — these are drop-in biofuels. Bio-ETBE, bio-isooctane, and bio-isododecane are chemically equivalent to their fossil-derived versions, meaning they enter the same supply chain, storage, distribution, and engines without modification. The market they target is today supplied entirely by fossil-based isobutene products.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily industry-driven consortium with 12 out of 13 partners from the private sector (92% industry ratio) and 5 SMEs — unusually high for an EU project and a strong signal that the technology is commercially oriented, not academic. The 2 lead SMEs (Global Bioenergies in France and SEKAB in Sweden) both brought existing demo plants into the project, meaning this wasn't starting from scratch. With 8 countries represented and only 1 research organization, the consortium was built to demonstrate and commercialize, not to publish papers. For a business buyer, this means the technology has been stress-tested by companies with commercial skin in the game.

GLOBAL BIOENERGIESCoordinator · FR
GLOBAL BIOENERGIES GMBHthirdparty · DE
NESTE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OYparticipant · FI
METEX NOOVISTAGOparticipant · FR
REPSOL SAparticipant · ES
SKYNRG BVparticipant · NL
SEKAB E-TECHNOLOGY ABparticipant · SE
TECHNIP ENERGIES FRANCEparticipant · FR
FIBENOL IMAVERE OUparticipant · EE
ENERGIEINSTITUT AN DER JOHANNES KEPLER UNIVERSITAT LINZ VEREINparticipant · AT
IPSBparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

Global Bioenergies (France) — a publicly listed biotech SME specializing in bio-isobutene production. Contact through SciTransfer for a warm introduction.

Order a report on this consortium See GLOBAL BIOENERGIES profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing bio-isobutene technology or sourcing drop-in biofuels from wood waste? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the REWOFUEL team and provide a tailored briefing for your specific use case.

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