Advanced CataLysts for H₂-free hydrodeoxygenation
A rEVolutionary approach Enabling pRactical biomass upgrading to bioFUEL
CLEVER-FUEL proposes a groundbreaking and revolutionary approach for low-carbon fuels production, establishing a direct and highly efficient "waste to biofuels" conversion strategy.
The project is focused on overcoming the primary bottleneck in current biomass upgrading technologies: the reliance on expensive, high-pressure hydrogen (H₂) for the crucial hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) process. Our innovative solution paves the way for the sustainable and commercial deployment of advanced biofuels.
Our Objective
Unlocking H₂-Free Biofuel Production
The overriding goal of CLEVER-FUEL is to create a new, safe, and cost-effective conversion pathway by utilizing the cheapest and safest possible hydrogen source: water.
The project will achieve this through a five-year program focused on creating new chemistry and reaction engineering concepts:
- H₂-Free HDO: Developing a completely novel route to produce deoxygenated hydrocarbons—essential compounds in the biofuel and biochemical industries—without the need for an external, high-pressure hydrogen supply.
- Multifunctional Catalysts: Designing advanced multifunctional catalysts capable of performing water reduction and hydrodeoxygenation simultaneously within a single reactor under mild conditions.
- Process Intensification: Combining these unique catalysts with advanced operando characterisation techniques and implementing novel reactor concepts based on microchannel catalytic systems to facilitate optimal process intensification.
CLEVER-FUEL represents a forward-thinking concept in catalysis and reaction engineering, conceived to open new horizons in bioenergy research, unlocking the full potential of biofuels in the pursuit of a low-carbon future.
Funded by the European Union
