Biofuel production using petroleum refining technologies

IEA has recently highlighted different projects in their initiative “Today in the Lab – Tomorrow in Energy?” One of the projects is about Exploring the production of low-carbon fuels with bio-intermediates in existing refineries, with involvement of IEA Bioenergy Task 34 (Liquefaction) and Task 39 (transport biofuels).

This project aims to explore the production of low-carbon fuels by co-processing in existing petroleum refineries the bio-intermediates produced from the liquefaction of biomass. This would enable a seamless and lower-cost introduction of these oleochemical/biocrude intermediates in transport fuel markets by using existing refinery infrastructure. The goal is to produce low carbon intensity fuels that will be needed by the “hard to decarbonise” long-distance transport sectors such as aviation, maritime transport and long-distance trucking.

The concept will

• lower the cost of producing advanced biofuels by using existing infrastructure;
• enable repurposing of existing petroleum refineries to produce low carbon intensity fuels;
• reduce the carbon footprint of aviation and long-distance travel;
• enable the use of non-food biomass to produce transport fuels.

Full project sheet available at: https://www.iea.org/articles/biofuel-production-using-petroleum-refining-technologies