ALFAFUELS

The global transition from fossil-based energy sources to renewables is crucial to achieving a low greenhouse gas emission economy while meeting future energy needs in a sustainable and efficient way. The ALFA FUELS project can play an important role in the decarbonization of the aviation sector by offering a new approach to sustainable aviation fuels, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). 

Within the four-year project, funded through the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, a multi-faceted approach will be implemented by capturing and using CO₂, developing cost-effective and sustainable technological solutions at every stage of the process, and exploring integration opportunities with other sectors to overcome the current key challenges hindering the technological maturity and commercialization of SAF. To address high production costs, sustainability issues and technological limitations, ALFAFUELS will develop three technological innovations: microbial production for isoprene, solar-powered photochemistry and biorefinery method. 

RISE is the coordinator and responsible for project monitoring, reporting and management of the project. In the project, RISE will cultivate both cyanobacteria and microalgae to generate cell debris which will be hydrolyzed to generate glucose-rich hydrolysate. The glucose-rich hydrolysate will be used as a substrate for co-production of H2 and starch by microalage. The whole process will be upscaled to TRL 5.RISE will also design and develop a photochemical reactor system to scale up the jet fuel production and conduct tests to see how the process, for the production of aviation fuel, works on a larger scale.