Demonstration of the most promising advanced biofuel pathways

It is essential to diversify the technology portfolio and feedstock basis to allow competitive production of advanced biofuels for use in transport.

The following sub-challenges should be addressed:

• improving the technical and economic feasibility of the production of new and advanced liquid biofuels;
• demonstrating the feasibility of using feedstock particularly suitable for transport energy purposes.

Scope

Proposals shall aim at moving technologies that reached already TRL 5-6 to TRL 6-7 (please see part G of the General Annexes) through industrial demonstration projects in line with the Implementation Plan of the EIBI. Projects should target the most promising advanced liquid biofuel production pathways incorporating new or improved biochemical/thermochemical/chemical conversion together with upgrading technologies and valorisation of co-products that improve the economic viability of the fuel production.

Environment, economic and social issues including health and safety should be considered in the whole life cycle and appropriately addressed. A methodology that permits robust and reliable assessment of the environmental (notably in terms of GHG performance), economic and social benefits with respect to current technologies should be included.

The proposals should respect the principle of the minimum bioenergy content laid out in the EIBI Implementation Plan: 'At least 70% of the bioproducts produced by the plant shall be bioenergy (biofuels, heat, power) , calculated on energy basis.

Biofuels produced from starch, sugar and oil fractions of food/feed crops are excluded.

Proposals should address both sub-challenges described above, while the main effort in 2016 shall be in addressing sub-challenge a) and in 2017 sub-challenge b). Where synthesis gas or intermediate energy carriers are produced, their final use for production of advanced biofuels for transport must be demonstrated.

In particular, proposals shall address one of the following:

In 2016:

• Biomass gasification to synthesis gas;
• Biomass pyrolysis and torrefaction to intermediate bioenergy carriers (pyrolysis oils and torrefied biomass);
• Biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass sugars to hydrocarbons for diesel and jet engines;

In 2017:

• Biofuels from the carbon content in flue gases of industrial wastes through biochemical and/or biological conversion;
• Biofuels from aquatic biomass;
• Liquid biofuels from wastes and residues (forest, agricultural, the organic fraction of municipal and industrial wastes).

Proposals shall explicitly address performance and cost targets together with relevant key performance indicators and the expected impacts. Industrial involvement in the consortium and explicit exploitation plans are a prerequisite.

Proposals shall include a work package on the business case of the technology solution and which identifies potential issues of public acceptance, market and regulatory barriers, including standardisation needs. It should also address, where appropriate, synergies between new and existing technologies and other socio-economic and environmental aspects from a life-cycle perspective. Furthermore, they shall address the risks (technological, business, process) and their possible mitigation.

Opening the project's test sites, pilot and demonstration facilities, or research infrastructures for practice oriented education, training or knowledge exchange is encouraged.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 10 to 15 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected Impact

Demonstrating advanced biofuel technologies at large industrial scale reduces the technological risks and paves the way for subsequent first-of-a-kind industrial projects. For this purpose, the scale of the proposals should permit obtaining the data and experience required so that up-scaling to a first-of-a-kind, industrial project can be envisaged as a next step. Favourable energy and GHG balances are expected. The demonstrated industrial concepts should ensure the techno-economic feasibility of the entire value chain and have the potential for a significant social and economic impact, notably in terms of job creation, economic growth and safe and affordable energy supply.