"Completely Sustainable" Biofuel Possible by 2020

Bridgwater said the fuel would use waste material, making it sustainable

Researchers at Britain's Aston University say they are working to develop a marine fuel using waste from the Norwegian forest wood industry, with the potential for large-scale production of a "completely sustainable" biofuel by 2020.

The ReShip project aims to process low-quality wood waste and chips into crude pyrolysis oil, using a method that involves heating the material without exposing it to oxygen.

The oil, which is too unstable for direct use in diesel engines, will be processed again with a rapid, low-temperature catalytic hydrogen treatment and then blended with conventional diesel and surfactant to produce the final product.

"This project will establish a knowledge platform for cost-effective production of all new sustainable fuels which have the potential to completely alter marine travel," said Tony Bridgwater, director of the university's European Bioenergy Research Institute.

"We hope to pave the way for large-scale biofuel production by 2020, in a way that is completely sustainable and doesn't impact on land usage."

Pyrolysis oil production is already on its way to commercialization in Scandinavia, with energy company Fortum investing €20 million ($27 million) in an integrate bio-oil plant, and another €32 million ($44 million) coming from the European Commission to help Swedish packing firm Billerud build a biofuel plant based on forest residues.

The ReShip project, funded with £321,000 ($537,000) from Norwegian commercial interests and the Research Council of Norway, is led by the Paper and Fibre Research Institute in Norway, with Aston University and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology serving as partners.

Processes to create fuel from waste products and other non-crop materials are seen as key to making biofuels truly sustainable.