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scale. This makes it more complex to realize first-of-a-kind industrial scale plants, even though
their total fuel production costs are comparably attractive. Several projects were approved for
EU NER300 funding but so far none has come to realisation. The only European gasification-based
biofuel plant in operation, GoBiGas was closed for economic reasons in 2018 and GoGreenGas is
apparently struggling in the midst of construction of their small demonstration plant. In North
America, Enerkem has started producing ethanol from RDF in their plant in Edmonton, Canada,
and the Fulcrum and Red Rock biofuels Fischer Tropsch hydrocarbon projects in the USA, based
on RDF and forest residues, respectively, have both come into construction phase, and there are
also some additional projects planned. Two new plants to produce methanol from gasification of
RDF and external hydrogen, both having a capacity of well over 200 000 tonnes/yr. product, are in
planning in the EU, in Rotterdam, NL and Tarragona, ES.
Regarding pyrolysis, up to 2016, there have been several Ensyn plants in operation in
America, while in the EU, both BTG and Valmet/Fortum have constructed and operates industrial
scale plants in the Netherlands, and Finland, respectively, to produce pyrolis oil for fuel purposes.
One new Ensyn pyrolysis plant has come into operation in Canada while two others have been
announced, also in North Anerica. Two relatively small trials of co-processing pyrolysis oil (PO) to
biofuels in refineries in Brazil and the USA were publicly known in 2017. Additional co-processing
trials have since been made or are in planning, both in the USA and in the EU, but still at low blend
fractions. If successful, a large number of relatively small pyrolysis plants will have to be built to
come to sizable total volume within the decade to come. Upgrading capacity for pyrolysis oil will
at first instance largely use existing refinery infrastructure.
Biologically based methane is already commercially available for use as transport fuel
in captive fleets or injecting in the natural gas grid. The further development with respect to
the scale that bio-based methane is used in transport depends on the competitive demand for
biomethane for use in Combined Heat and Power (CHP)plants. Compared to the situation reported
in 2017 there has been an increase in the number of installations and their output both in the EU
and in USA. Verbio of Germany has bought the previously mentioned Dupont E2G plant in USA to
convert it to biogas from lignocellulosic materials.
Power to Gas or Liquids (PtG/L) is being developed at demonstration scale currently given
the expected availability of excess renewable power. However, Carbon Capture and Utilization
(CCU) is not a widely used technology at large scale yet due to lack of CO2 infrastructure, and
the technology at present can only access smaller carbon dioxide sources. Thus, it may have
a limited impact by 2030 unless close coupled integration with large sources providing cheap
renewable electricity will be demonstrated.
Algae technology is at the early demonstration scale and still in the process of optimising
energy efficiency as is required for the harvesting, drying and processing of algal products to
fuels. Opportunities in fuel markets are still limited with the exception of biomethane, and the low
energy prices drives the development towards targeting high-value specialities. This development
may therefore make an indent in the biofuels market post-2025.
“Recycle carbon fuels” from waste industrial streams for the production of liquid or gaseous
fuels have been acknowledged by the RED II to contribute to the decarbonisation but it will be the
member states that decide on if to include this option in their targets. Certain technologies have
moved forward, a Lanzatech plant steel mill gas ethanol plant is in operation in China and another
one is in construction in Ghent, BE, and in other cases developers are close to reaching the first-
of-a-kind plant status. They may possibly offer significant quantities by 2030.
New technologies such as hydro pyrolysis (IH2) hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) (Licella,
Steeper), thermocalatytic conversion (Susteen) and lignin depolymerisation (Renfuel) have
emerged to a sufficient technical maturity to be considered in the report. These produce different
grades of liquid intermediates which are to be upgraded to biofuels by mainly co-processing
in refineries. In general, these technologies are now being developed in small pilot plants, also
involving industrial companies such as Shell, Neste, Canfor, Södra and Preem, but have, with
few exceptions, still some ground to cover before these technologies become commercial. One
exception is lignin depolymerisation, where Renfuel is planning to construct an industrial scale
demonstration in Sweden in the next few years. Nevertheless, larger scale validation tests of the
upgrading of the intermediate have not been publicy reported.
The full report “Technology status and reliability of the value chains: 2018 Update” is
avaliable via the link: http://artfuelsforum.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ART-Fuels-Forum-
SGAB-Biofuels-Technology-report-2018-update.pdf