Optimising agricultural and forest residues and waste management to increase renewable energy incorporation and reduce the carbon footprint of agricultural and forestry systems is currently essential and goes hand in hand with improving the resilience and sustainability of remote regions. The PYRAGRAF project will develop a mobile and integrated unit to demonstrate the pyrolytic conversion of forestry and agriculture crops residues and wastes into added-value products. The concept for this mobile demonstration system at TRL 7 is composed of 3 main modules: 1) a solar-assisted gasifier burner, 2) a biomass dryer, and 3) an integrated pyrolysis reactor thus producing sustainable products using renewable sources (solar energy and biomass). This multi-product approach includes two main product categories - biochar and wood vinegar ecosystems services; and energy applications of upgraded pyrogas and bio-oil – that can be integrated with different agriculture applications, thus enabling to reduce GHG emissions and the use of fossil resources and in agricultural practices; improve the development of rural areas, among other benefits. Field demonstrations with the involvement of local stakeholders inside and outside of the project will be conducted in 3 countries (PT, DE and TR) to demonstrate the operation of the mobile pyrolysis unit and evaluate the fertilisation and biopesticide potential of biochars and wood vinegar in different soils/crops and climate conditions. The pyrogas and bio-oil will also be evaluated as energy carriers for dual-fuel engine sand fuel cells as biofuel to be used in local agriculture or forestry practices. Because of its potential impact, the project will work towards reaching the outcomes of the work programme and lead to relevant changes in practice via three well-defined impact pathways that will ultimately contribute to producing low-carbon products that fit the ambitious requirements of the policies and strategies defined by the EU.

The ongoing decarbonisation of the energy and transport systems is a current challenge in Europe. As the rising prices of fossil natural gas make evident, the need to increase renewable gas capacity is undeniable and goes hand in hand with solving bottlenecks that current biomethane production technologies cannot effectively address. The HYFUELUP project aims to demonstrate a flexible and hybrid pathway for the efficient and cost-effective production of biomethane through thermochemical technologies combined with renewable hydrogen. A complete deployment value chain, including biomethane offtake and distribution, will also be demonstrated to contribute to the market penetration of biomethane in key sectors. Thanks to the broad composition of the consortium, the project will blend market knowledge with advanced academic and industrial perspectives to demonstrate the production of biomethane at scale. First, the flexible conversion of low-grade feedstocks via sorption-enhanced gasification will be validated, coupled with syngas or flue gas clean-up, in a demonstrator at TRL6. Then, a second demonstrator will also validate fluidised-bed methanation of either syngas or flue gas with the dynamic addition of hydrogen at TRL6, before both technologies are integrated into a third demonstrator to produce biomethane at scale and reach TRL7. Together, such developments work toward reaching the impacts of the work programme and lead to relevant changes in action and practice via two well-defined impact pathways (“technological development and adoption”, and “enhancing capacity”) that will ultimately help strengthen the European scientific leadership for the development of a highly competitive renewable gas industry, widen the technology portfolio of biomethane production technologies, and improve citizen well-being via reduced climate and social risks.

The Icarus consortium has identified critical technology steps that at present limit the wider deployment of three Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production routes, namely: biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction to SAF, isobutanol from lignocellulosic biomass to SAF and synthetic Fischer-Tropsh from biomass gasification to SAF. These three value chains have been strategically selected by Icarus since they are close to market deployment and are needed to meet European and international SAF deployment targets. Icarus aims to improve them with innovative solutions while at the same time addressing the whole value chain. Novel biomass production concepts such as sequential cropping and mix cropping are also addressed aiming to ensure increased sustainable biomass availability for SAF production. Along the complete value chain techno-economic, environmental, and social assessments will be carried out. Icarus has a very strong international consortium of 20 reputed partners including 5 from 3 Mission Innovation Countries (MIC) Canada, India and Brazil, who will carry out innovative research with common targets and objectives with the European ones ensuring international collaboration in this critical area. Two more partners from a 4th MIC, USA are joining research activities as members of the External Executive Advisory Board (EEAB). The Icarus results will significantly improve the cost effectiveness of SAF and therefore have global significance and reach and will facilitate scaling-up of these technologies and value chains enabling market deployment of SAF on a global scale. Guidelines, assessments, best practices and improved concepts will be used throughout the project to disseminate the results on global scale via targeted and effective dissemination and communication outreach activities to all stakeholders.