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Greetings from the management team
This Bio4Fuels newsletter comes out as we enter a period of high uncertainty and turbulence due to the complex set of geopolitical events around us.
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This situation is now impacting earlier commitments to climate-mitigation initiatives, making the “valley of death” for investment in renewable technologies even more challenging.
One very unfortunate example of this in Norway, is the announcement of the uncertain future of Silva Green Fuel, a pioneer in the development of HTL technology. We are now potentially looking at Silva Green Fuel following the same fate of Biozin which was discontinued last year.
This situation stands in stark contrast to the rhetoric around “Security of Energy Supply” and the growing need for biofuels to meet increasing blending regulations. Thus, within just 1 year, Norway may end up losing two companies on the pathway to local commercial production.
Duncan Akporiaye, SINTEF
Centre Leader
Svein Jarle Horn, NMBU
Deputy Centre Leader |
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Bio4Fuels at Arendalsuka 2025: Unlocking Norway's Sustainable Fuel Potential
At Arendalsuka 2025, Bio4Fuels hosted a high-level panel discussion titled
“The Path to Norwegian Sustainable Fuels for Aviation and Shipping.” The event brought together key stakeholders from industry, research, and government to explore how Norway can accelerate domestic biofuel production to meet growing demands and climate targets.
Speakers from Silva Green Fuel, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, NHO Luftfart, and ZERO shared insights on the urgent need for sustainable fuels. With the EU’s new mandates for aviation and Norway’s own ambitious decarbonization goals, long-term access to secure and sustainable biofuels is more critical than ever.
Participants emphasized that local production not only strengthens supply security, especially in times of crisis, but also ensures better sustainability verification and supports national value creation and job growth. Regulatory uncertainty was highlighted as a key barrier, while incentives and targeted policy measures were seen as essential to unlocking the full potential of Norwegian biofuels.
The clear takeaway: The need and willingness are in place. Now it’s time to act.
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Sustainable biomass for energy in Norway: How much do we have?
In September Enova published a report on the amount of sustainable biomass available in Norway. The report is written in Norwegian. Bio4Fuels organised a webinar about this report 13 June 2025.
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Update from PyroCO2
The project is moving forward! Late august the groundwork started at Tiller, Norway, as technical details on the building housing the PYROCO2 demonstrator are being finished.
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The engineering work contemplates utilities, OSBL and ISBL installations as a diversity of equipment being now under fabrication with projected deliveries for the first quarter 2026.
The main goal of the project is to showcase the production of green acetone in Norway.
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IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee to be hosted in Norway this November
Norway will host the upcoming technical meeting of IEA Bioenergy Task 39, focusing on transportation biofuels. Bio4Fuels will facilitate the event, where the next 3-year program will be finalised. This marks an important step in Norway’s growing role in international bioenergy collaboration. |
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November Conference - 2nd Bioenergy Session to be organised by Bio4Fuels
After the inaugural Biofuels/Bioenergy session in last year’s Brazil/Norway collaborative November conference in Brazil, Bio4Fuels is again hosting a session dedicated to Biofuels in the 2025 Conference. As shown in the preliminary agenda, industries from Brazil and Norway will be represented.
As a pioneer in the production and use of ethanol based fuels in transport, the goal will be to discuss and evaluate the potential synergies and collaboration between industries and research organisations. |
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Congratulations Dr. Nastaran Samani!
20 October, Nastaran Samani successfully defended her thesis
«Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation and Process Modelling of Biomass Gasification Reactors».
Nastaran has been contributing to Bio4Fuels work package 4.1 Gasification. |
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PhD defense Junhui (June) Hu
24 October Junhui Hu will defend her thesis
"The Forest-Based Climate Mitigation in the Nordic Region: Economic Trade-Offs, Biomass Competition, and Carbon Leakage Risk".
June has been contributing to Bio4Fuels work package 1.3 Energy, Fuels and Economics. |
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Nordic countries warn EU over forest carbon rules
Sweden and Finland are urging the EU to revise its forest carbon uptake rules, warning they may fail to meet targets without reducing logging, an action that could harm their economies.
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Forestry is vital to both countries, employing over 200,000 people and contributing significantly to exports.
They also cite climate change and increased demand for wood due to the war in Ukraine as reasons for maintaining current forestry levels. Norway shares similar concerns and has requested adjustments to better reflect national conditions and natural forest variations.
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SP4 Gasification Processes
Significance of pyrolysis in the circular economy: An integrative review of technologies, potential chemicals, and separation techniques |
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This SP4-related study, recently published in
Fuel, explores pyrolysis across the circular value chain, from feedstocks to conversion and separation. It classifies ~100 pyrolysis technologies and >100 separation techniques, and compiles nearly 1,000 organic compounds found in pyrolysis oils.
Key highlights include catalytic pyrolysis with green catalysts, solar pyrolysis reducing energy demand, and hydropyrolysis enhancing oil quality. Advanced separations like reactive distillation and nanofiltration show promise, though scalability remains a challenge. |
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SP4 Gasification Processes
EcoStrategic Index: Economic value creation through product-portfolio diversity for waste-to-X technologies |
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Although not directly funded by Bio4Fuels, this SP4-related study in
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews introduces the EcoStrategic Index (ESI), a metric for assessing economic value in circular product portfolios. Comparing pyrolysis (~1000 products) and gasification (~300), the study finds pyrolysis yields more fine chemicals, while gasification offers more inorganic products.
ESI scores favor pyrolysis overall, though adding TRL via a TechnoStrategic Index often shifts advantage to gasification due to its higher maturity. |
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Visit our website to find more news, webinar recordings and information about our research and partners. |
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