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Dear Bio4Fuels supporters,
In this newsletter, among other news, we'll give you some updates from our sector as well as a reminder to sign up for Bio4Fuels Days 2023, and an invitation to our next webinar, Climate-Friendly Energy in the Norwegian Armed Forces and Norwegian Construction Site Engines. Please also check out the updates from our Sub-projects.
We would like to thank our partners and supporters for your contributions so far this year and wish you a wonderful season ahead ❄
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Updates from the Bio4Fuels management team
We are now well into the last quarter of 2023, and within this short period there has been a significant increase in the Norwegian and European ambitions for the role of biofuels specifically, and sustainable fuels generally in addressing the cuts in climate gas emissions needed by 2030.
Within Norway, the government has now given advanced biofuels the responsibility of taking the burden of 40% of the upgraded ambitions for all climate gas reductions, with all sectors of transportation assigned with concrete blending mandates.
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The EUs third Renewable Energy Directive in the same period set mandatory goals, specifically applying to aviation and shipping sector.
These upgraded targets are a reflection of the increasing urgency for achieving production of "drop-in" fuels that can be implemented in existing engines. The new initiative towards the "SusFuels" Centre is thus extremely important to support industry in the deployment in the transition to 2050 and beyond.
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Don't miss Bio4Fuels Days 2023
15-16 November we invite you all to join us together with speakers from Avinor, Zero, and Biokraft in Oslo at Scandic Sjølyst for the annual Bio4Fuels Days.
Sign up by 6 November. |
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The airplanes will also need Norwegian biofuel
We should start making aviation fuel from Norwegian biomass as soon as possible, such as residues from forestry operations or waste. Both the EU's climate goals and the danger of trade wars suggest it.
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Application for a new FME Centre
We are working towards the application deadline which is 15 November 2023.
A workshop between potential industry partners and researchers were held at Gardermoen 14 September. Areas of interest for both industry and researchers were mapped.
Dedicated people among Bio4Fuels' researchers and management are now writing a draft application.
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Annual Report 2023
It is soon time for the annual report to The Research Council of Norway. The deadline for the report is 7 January.
An e-mail will be sent out to partners with information about the reporting in the beginning of December. Please remember that in-kind is not just when you are in contact with anyone at Bio4Fuels, but it is all activities that can be related to the project.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with Senior Advisor Ann-Solveig Hofseth at ann-solveig.hofseth@nmbu.no
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Webinar 23 Nov 09:00-10:00
Climate-Friendly Energy in the Norwegian Armed Forces and Norwegian Construction Site Engines
In our next webinar you will hear Brynjar Arnfinnsson and Even Kristian Tønsberg from The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) present their report on the Zero Emission Defence. Then Fredrik Tronhuus from Maskinentreprenørenes Forbund (MEF) will talk about the Energy Situation among Norwegian Construction Site Entrepreneurs. |
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Webinar
Updates on anaerobic digestion - Perspective from the United States
At our last webinar Professor Ruihong Zhang from University of California Davis (UC) and Professor Samir Kumar Khanal from University of Hawaii at Mañoa (UHM) shared their research with us. We record all our webinars and save them for you. |
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SP1 Bio-resources, Environment and Climate
What if Bio-CCS is included in EU ETS?
The answer is that the demand and price of forest biomass increase with carbon prices. This is due to the incentivized bio-carbon capture during the biofuel and pulp production process. |
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This surge in demand creates a competitive environment for high-quality biomass, and the biomass once allocated for heating boilers is, hence, shifted towards biofuel and pulp production. Consequently, there will be an increased reliance on harvesting residues. Moreover, the growing import of forest biomass is expected to surpass the rise in domestic harvests. This highlights the concerns about carbon leakage that demand close caution. |
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SP1 Bio-resources, Environment and Climate
New Publication in Energy Conversion and Management: X
Climate change mitigation potentials of on grid-connected Power-to-X fuels and advanced biofuels for the European maritime transport |
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SP3 Biochemical Processes
LPMO activity increases the productive binding capacity of cellobiohydrolases on cellulose
A new publication resulting from NMBU PhD student Camilla Angeltveit’s three months research visit to UC Davis last fall. Real-time measurements of enzymatic cellulose degradation after pretreatment by oxidative enzymes (LPMOs) using a biosensor was carried out.
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The study showed a delayed LPMO effect suggesting that the improved binding capacity for cellulases does not directly result from cellulose chain cleavage by LPMOs but rather from the cellulose decrystallization following the oxidative cleavage. |
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SP3 Biochemical Processes
NIBIO researcher present the work to EUBCE 2023
The objective of this work was to inoculate enriched hydrogenotrophic methanogens into biofilm that could conversion CO2/H2 to methane efficiently. The work is financially supported by both Bio4Fuels and BioSynGas. |
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SP3 Biochemical Processes
Syngas biomethanation test started
Biomethanation from synthesis gas (syngas) is an alternative to natural gas in a bio-circular economy. This process consists in the fermentation of a gaseous substrate, mainly composed by H2, CO, and CO2, carried out by anaerobic micro-organisms able to utilize these gases as a carbon and energy source. This summer, syngas biomethanation test has started in NIBIO using trickle bed reactors. |
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SP3 Biochemical Processes
Showcasing integrative Bio4Fuels activities at the ESCAPE conference
Researchers Matteo Gilardi (left) and Filippo Bisotti (right) from SINTEF represented Bio4Fuels at the 33rd European Symposium on Computer-aided Process Engineering (ESCAPE) in June, 2023. They presented their work on scaling up a biorefinery route combining biochemical and thermochemical processes. This work is the result of a collaborative effort spanning activities within three subprojects, namely SP2 Liquefaction Processes, SP3 Biochemical Processes and SP5 Process Design and End Use. The work garnered a positive reception and drew considerable interest at the conference. The findings also got published in two conference proceedings, one focusing on the biochemical upstream processes and one focusing on the thermochemical downstream processes.
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SP4 Gasification Processes
Successful gasification of sewage sludge digestate and mixtures of sawdust + sewage sludge
See the results and experimental plan as well as measured values on our website.
Sewage sludge digestate -> |
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SP5 Process Design and End Use
Exploring Combustion and Emissions of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Fuel |
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WP5.2 Product Quality & End Use have conducted a detailed study on combustion and emissions in an optical engine using hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) fuel. We are excited to share the findings from our recent paper (Khare et al., Energies 16 (2023) 6754) followed by the study on fuel production from municipal solid waste (Kohansal et al., Fuel 350 (2023) 128770). |
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