ExpectedOutcome:
The cost-effective integration of advanced biofuel technologies in existing industrial plants will contribute to increase the competitiveness of these technologies and overcome the costly scaling-up of advanced biofuel production which requires heavy new infrastructure and investments and impedes their capacity building. It will thus allow high penetration of advanced biofuels in the transport energy system, in particular for hard to electrify sectors like aviation and maritime. Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Reduce capital and operational expenses (CAPEX and OPEX) of advanced biofuel production facilities.
- De-risk technology, boost scale-up of advanced biofuels and contribute to their market up-take.
- Contribute to the priorities of the SET Plan Action 8.
- Respond to short and medium term needs for renewable fuels in transport.
- Create win-win solutions for advanced biofuel production and conventional industrial phasing out plants, e.g., first generation biofuels, associated with socio-economic benefits.
Scope:
Proposals should demonstrate cost-efficient advanced biofuel technologies which improve the economic viability of the advanced biofuel production. This should be done through innovative transformation of existing plants to incorporate production of advanced biofuels from non-food/feed sustainable biomass feedstock into existing processes, e.g., first generation biofuel plants, paper mill industry, waste treatment plants, oil-refineries, petrochemical industry, etc. Integration of advanced biofuel processing should be done with new and innovative installations and it should be optimized implementing a circularity approach for energy and material, as well as digitalization as appropriate, e.g. by using sensors, smarter equipment, algorithms etc., to increase the efficiency, cost-effectiveness and performance of the final plant. Economic advantages in terms of both capital and operational expenditure for commercialization of advanced biofuels through transformation, as well as socio-economic benefits for phasing-out industries including the impact on current first generation biofuel sites should be addressed. Proposals should provide information about the expected economic improvements and the potential of full transformation to advanced biofuel plants as appropriate. All demonstrators should be fully and transparently documented, to ensure replicability, up-scaling and to assist future planning decisions.
This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.
Specific Topic Conditions:
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
Cross-cutting Priorities:
Digital AgendaSocial sciences and humanitiesArtificial Intelligence
