The HyFlexFuel project is dedicated to the development of an entire process chain to produce sustainable liquid fuels based on hydrothermal liquefaction of a broad range of biomass feedstocks.

The Project website can be found at https://www.hyflexfuel.eu . The project ended in September 2021 but the outcomes and achievements from the proejct can be found at the project website and on CORDIS https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/764734/results

Context

The European Union has set out ambitious targets for renewable fuels and stipulated that they should cover 10% of the final energy consumption in transport in 2020 (Directive 2009/28/EC). Decarbonisation of the transport sector is highlighted as a major challenge in the Energy Roadmap 2050.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) has recently received increasing attention as technology option to convert essentially any type of biomass feedstock into liquid fuels without the requirement of prior energy-intensive drying. HTL holds the potential of truly sustainable and cost-efficient production of drop-in capable biofuels at large scale.

Objectives

The central objective of HyFlexFuel is to advance the technical maturity of the hydrothermal liquefaction technology to provide truly sustainable fuels that are compatible with existing infrastructure (drop-in capable) and that can be produced at competitive costs.

The specific objectives are:

• Demonstrating HTL conversion compatibility with diverse advanced biomass feedstocks
• Maturing key subsystems of HTL-based fuel production from TRL 2-4 to TRL 5, including the upgrading of the intermediate product biocrude to final fuel products
• Demonstrating drop-in capability of HyFlexFuel fuel products
• Increasing process efficiency through enhanced heat integration and product recovery procedures
• In-depth understanding of the relation between feedstock and process conditions vs. product yield and quality
• Efficient valorization of residual process streams, particularly of the aqueous phase from HTL conversion
• Quantification of technical, socio-economic and environmental performance potentials, risks and benefits
• Identification of technology gaps and development of an R&D roadmap towards full-scale implementation

The strength of HyFlexFuel lies in the fact that its scope goes beyond the process step of hydrothermal liquefaction and also includes the upgrading of biocrude to fuel products and the energetic and material utilization of the aqueous phase as main residual process stream. Moreover, supply and utilization of a broad range of feedstock is studied in detail. HyFlexFuel will examine the key subsystems in continuous operation under relevant conditions. In combination with an in-depth assessment of environmental, economic and social potentials, the project will thereby generate technology solutions and insights as valuable basis for further developments of HTL-based fuel production towards industrial application.