Responsable: José Antonio Odriozola Gordón / Tomás Ramírez Reina
Tipo de Proyecto/Ayuda: Plan Estatal 2017-2020 - Líneas estratégicas I+D
Referencia: PLEC2021-008086
Fecha de Inicio: 01-09-2021
Fecha de Finalización: 31-03-2025

Empresa/Organismo financiador/es:

• Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

Equipo:

• Investigadores:
  • María Isabel Domínguez Leal
  • Laura Pastor Pérez

Contratados:

• Técnicos/Personal Administrativo:
  • José Rubén Blay Roger
  • Muhammad Asif Nawaz
  • Maria Saif
  • Guillermo Torres Sempere

Resumen del proyecto:

NICER-BIOFUELS aims to create a unique knowledge infrastructure that supports the decentralised, sustainable and cost-efficient conversion of biowastes and textile residues to sustainable Heavy Transport Biofuels (HTB) to contribute towards full transport system decarbonisation. The project targets the development of disruptive technologies that overcome critical technological barriers, increase process efficiency and reduce marginal costs in the bio-waste to HTB conversion process. Following the spirit of circular economy, the overriding idea of NICER-BIOFUELS is to combine CO2 emissions with bio-waste as a carbon pool to produce the next generation of HTB. Such an ambitious goal will be achieved by integrating advanced gasification strategies, unique catalytic technologies and digital tools to deliver fuel processors which are adaptable to feedstock input and HTB demands.

Briefly, bio-wastes and textile residues will be converted into unconventional H2-rich syngas via CO2 assisted gasification, and addition of hydrogen from biomethane (from biogas) catalytic decomposition. In a subsequent step, syngas will be conditioned (sulphur and impurities removal) prior to its further upgrading in a unique hybrid reactor for Fischer-Tropsch and hydrocracking. Herein syngas will be converted into upgraded hydrocarbons mixtures which can be easily customised as HTB (i.e. aviation sustainable fuel, maritime biofuel, heavy duty vehicles fuel, etc).

The catalytic syngas upgrading will be conducted in engineered microchannel reactors to favour process intensification, address bio-waste decentralisation issues and allow flexible production thus resulting in an overall carbon fingerprint reduction. A Virtual Plant of the integrated process will guide process optimisation. What makes NICER-BIOFUELS a winning approach? The flexible scalability of these technologies will allow their implementation in decentralised processing plants favouring flexibility for production cycles within a circular economy concept. CAPEX and OPEX costs can be remarkably reduced thus decreasing the marginal cost of sustainable high-grade liquid fuels, setting the scene for investment in the increased use of biofuels in aviation and other heavy transport sectors. Beyond the huge market opportunities, the knowledge created under NICER-BIOFUELS’s framework will impact the biofuel sector.