Reststoff2Kraftstoff

Reststoff2Kraftstoff (2021-2024)

Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany

Veronika Grimm

Using waste from the paper industry for biofuels

In order to make the transport sector CO2-neutral and reduce climate-damaging emissions, research is being carried out into alternatives to fossil fuels. One option could be the processing of biogenic industrial waste. In the Reststoff2Kraftstoff project now launched, a research team is testing how climate-friendly fuels can be produced from paper waste. The participants are covering the entire process chain, from the generation of the residual materials to engine testing of the new fuels.

Every year, the German paper industry produces more than two million tons of fiber residues, mainly from wood fibers. The researchers in the Reststoff2Kraftstoff project are making further use of this biogenic paper waste: carbon dioxide (CO2)-neutral crude oil is to be extracted from it, which will then be processed into renewable gasoline and diesel. Finally, the project team plans to test the fuels on BMW and MAN engines both on the test bench and in real-world operation in terms of their emissions and fuel quality.

In the project, the thermo-catalytic process of the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT will be further developed on a pilot scale. In two stages, the process can convert biomass at up to 800 degrees Celsius into renewable crude oil, among other things. The project partners are not only concerned with reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector. They also want to improve the subsequent refining process so that the fuels emit fewer soot particles.

Focus on the entire production chain

The extent to which the bio-crude oil can be used in the existing infrast en-Nuremberg, the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden and the ructure of conventional refineries, such as the one operated by project coordinator Gunvor, is also being investigated. At the same time, the research team aims to develop a concept for a large-scale plant at the site of paper manufacturer LEIPA to produce renewable crude oil from biogenic residues on site.

During the project, the legal and regulatory framework of the novel fuels will be evaluated. The Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlang company Clariant Produkte are also involved.

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