Development of smart concepts of integrated energy driven bio-refineries for co-production of advanced biofuels, bio-chemicals and biomaterials

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Expand the portfolio of cost-effective advanced biofuel production concepts through energy-driven biorefineries.
• Reduce cost, improve efficiency, support de-risking, to accelerate the availability of competitive and zero-waste advanced biofuel production concepts.
• Contribute to the Mission Innovation 2.0 mission of Integrated Biorefineries.
• Optimize resource efficiency, energy output and total products value from biomass
• Reinforce the European scientific basis and European export potential for renewable fuel production solutions through international collaborations.

Development of zero-waste and neutral or negative carbon emission energy-efficient biorefinery concepts for enabling the production of low-cost advanced biofuels through co-production of added value bio-based products and bioenergy. Conversion of biogenic wastes and residues as well as algae and aquatic biomass through chemical, biochemical, electrochemical, biological, thermochemical pathways or combinations of them in highly circular processes are in scope. The integration design is expected to include mass and energy flows, addressing the process heat and power needs by the use of co-produced bio-heat and bio-power, capturing and reusing biogenic effluent gases and sequestering biogenic emissions, for example in the form of biochar as soil amendment, such as to maximize overall material and energy efficiencies. An assessment of the feedstock cost supply at regional and local level and improvement of feedstock mobilisation patterns including via enabling technologies, such as digitalisation, should be included. Socioeconomic and environmental sustainability including circular economy, social, economic and environmental aspects are expected to be assessed on a life-cycle analysis basis. The advanced biofuels cost should aim to be reduced at parity with marketed biofuel equivalents or in the absence of these competitive to the fossil fuel equivalents. Technology validated in relevant environment is required. International cooperation with Mission Innovation countries is expected. Proposals should provide information and assessment about the economic feasibility and the potential of scaling-up the technology at commercial scale as appropriate.

Synergies are possible with topic HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION: Innovative technologies for zero pollution, zero-waste biorefineries (RIA) and respective cooperation activities are encouraged.

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.