Interest in thermal treatment, e.g. pyrolysis, of municipal sewage sludge has increased in Sweden in recent years. For smaller wastewater treatment plants, an investment in pyrolysis may become more attractive if cooperation between plants is established and the treatment is carried out regionally.

This study investigates the conditions for pyrolysis of sewage sludge in the Halland region. The study maps existing sludge volumes in Halland and investigates potential benefits of using sludge biochar in agriculture. Also, regulations relevant to the pyrolysis of sludge and the use of sludge biochar are analyzed, as well as the economic conditions for pyrolysis and related sludge logistics.

Biogas and biorefining for the agriculture of the future

By creating more value from the same raw material, the goal is to contribute to fossil-free food production, increased self-sufficiency and a more climate-neutral society.

Increased biogas production and fossil-free food production

The project explores how agricultural residual streams and arable land can be used more efficiently and sustainably. By combining biogas production with further processing of biomass, resources can be used more effectively while strengthening the production of renewable energy and sustainable food.

Sweden aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, while agriculture needs to become largely fossil-free by 2030. At the same time, demand for biogas is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Agricultural residual streams and biomass therefore have an important role to play in the transition to a sustainable and fossil-free society.

Increased resource efficiency through biorefining

The project examines how the concept can increase environmental benefits and resource efficiency. The focus includes protein extraction from grass and clover leys, as well as upgrading and further processing of biogas and digestate. By extracting more value from the same raw material, agricultural resources can be used more efficiently and contribute to a stronger circular economy.

From potential to implementation

The project maps available biomass and residual streams in Västra Götaland. Different scenarios are analysed to assess environmental impact, resource efficiency and economic feasibility. The project also examines how the solution can be implemented in practice by identifying key actors, opportunities and barriers, and by developing business models for future establishment.

Funded by Mistra Utmana

The project is carried out by RISE in collaboration with the Natural Resources Administration of Region Västra Götaland and is funded by Mistra Utmana.

The goal of Bio-MeGaFuel is to establish a novel efficient, and scalable process to convert low-value biogenic residues and organic waste to biomethanol through chemical looping gasification coupled with membrane reactors. 

Besides being an important chemical commodity, methanol is a multipurpose fuel that can be used directly in internal combustion engines, blended with other fuels or for producing fuel additives, which improves engine performance. Methanol has great potential to be one of the selected low-carbon fuels for heavy road and transportation, and marine freight. Technologies that are using methanol as fuel are gaining more momentum and attention globally. However, several challenges may hinder the wider adoption of methanol in energy systems as a fuel: 

• its current production is primarily reliant on fossil resources, 
• the high cost of producing methanol from renewable sources (such as e-methanol or biomethanol), driven by low process efficiency and the high expense of renewable inputs, and
• strong global demand for methanol in the chemical industry, limiting its availability for the energy sector. 

The Bio-MeGaFuel project aims to address the above-mentioned challenges by enhancing production capacity and reducing the cost of biomethanol. Bio-MeGaFuel is underpinned by technologies that are being developed to TRL 5 by an expert consortium. In addition, the project is backed by a strong reference group including the business leaders and market players in biomass supply, whole methanol production value chain, potential end users, and potential future players in the production, management, and distribution of biomethanol. 

Project full name: Bio Methanol Production via Chemical Looping Gasification Coupled with Membrane Reactors

Project acronym: Bio-MeGaFuel

Call: HORIZON-CL5-2023-D3-02

“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”

CESTAP is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, with contributions from about 28 industrial partners and the three academic partners Lund University (coordinating partner), Luleå University of Technology and RISE. The vision of CESTAP is to transform the aviation and power generation sectors to run continuous combustion engines on 100% sustainable turbine fuels. CESTAP aims to establish a leading centre for research related to sustainable turbine fuels in Europe, with a specific focus on the Swedish prerequisites in terms of feedstock for future fuels. 

Sustainable future energy use rely on a shift away from fossil fuels, which in some sectors can be done with new non-combustion technologies like batteries or fuel-cells. Still, in some sectors like aviation, maritime transport, and peak-load and back-up power generation, combustion will be difficult to replace. These sectors rely relatively heavy on continuous combustion engines like gas turbines and jet engines, and they together currently contribute with close to 10% of the global anthropogenic CO₂ release.

To meet the needs of aviation and power production industries, the aim of the competence centre is to develop knowledge and technologies to produces efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective turbine fuels that ultimately can be used as true mono-fuels – completely replacing fossil fuels.

The most efficient use of resources requires a focus on sustainable turbine fuels, that can be used as mono-fuels. Compared to the present efforts spent on drop-in fuels this will be a comparatively large, but necessary, undertaking. To achieve success the development must include the full range of activities from feedstock characterization and chemical conversion process development, via fuel development and production, to engine modifications to facilitate the use of fuels with wider specifications. In this respect it is important to have a holistic techno-economic framework to evaluate concepts against. All these aspects are included in the scope of CESTAP.

Simultaneously as the biofuel demand in the road transport sector is expected to increase up to 2030, it is expected to decrease after 2030–40, due to increased electrification, requiring plants to switch their production from biofuels for the road transport sector, to other sectors e.g. aviation. Through data analysis and stakeholder interviews, this project will study the market and policy landscape for biofuel production in the EU until 2030 and how the industrial infrastructure for biofuel production can be used to facilitate the transition to biofuels in other sectors such as aviation and shipping. The purpose is to provide a basis for today's decision-makers in government and industry.

Today, the aquafeed industry faces a huge protein supply gap. The European aquafeed industry, in particular, imports over half of the protein used in their products. Skretting (with their mother company, Nutreco), a Norwegian company and the largest aquafeed producer in the world, has set a clear goal to reduce 58% of their supply chain carbon footprint by 2030. Therefore, novel and low-footprint proteins are urgently needed.

Objectives

• Develop a zero-emission process integrating thermochemical (pyrolysis) and biological (fermentation) steps;
• Scale up single-cell protein production to pilot scale;
• Investigate the suitability of the single-cell proteins and biochar for aquaculture and agriculture feed;
• Quantify carbon storage and use, assess environmental impacts and analyse the life cycle for the entire value chain – from forestry to feed production;
• Disseminate results to stakeholders, raise public awareness and develop a business plan for market entry.