This year, the REFOLUTION project participated in the EUBCE – European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, one of the leading international events dedicated to biomass and bioenergy, held in The Hague.
REFOLUTION participated in the session organized by the FUELPHORIA project entitled “Advanced Biofuels Deployment, Policy Recommendations, and Market Barriers in the EU” which provided a crucial overview of the technological innovations and strategies needed to overcome market barriers and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources in the European Union.
Furthermore, a key scientific contribution focused on the decarbonization of existing refining infrastructure. The presentation explored the co-feeding of pyrolysis oil with conventional vacuum gas oil (VGO) in Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) plants. This technology currently represents one of the most promising routes for transforming bio-oils derived from rapid pyrolysis into advanced biofuels at an industrial scale, minimizing capital investment costs (CAPEX).
To address the chemical complexity of this process, the research presented illustrated the development of a lumped FCC process model. The model was specifically designed to:
- Map the impact of Blends: Describe the effects of co-feeding SPO (Stabilized Pyrolysis Oil) and VGO at different blending rates.
- Optimize Yields: Analyze the final distribution of FCC process products, focusing specifically on the yield and optimization of kerosene and diesel.
- Provide Predictive Estimates: Accurately evaluate the chemical composition of the fractions produced, including gasoline, diesel, and heavy fractions.
Integrating renewable feedstocks into existing refineries is a key pillar of REFOLUTION’s strategy. Validating such predictive models enables the industry to make data-driven decisions, reducing plant risks and maximizing the production of sustainable aviation, marine, and heavy-duty fuels.
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