The Integrated European Project 'Renewable Fuels for Advanced Powertrains (RENEW)' has brought together 32 European partners among them automotive manufacturers, mineral oil industry, plant builders and R and D institutes to cooperate in a four year project to undertake a technical, economic and environmental assessment of production routes for renewable biomass-to-liquid (BTL) fuels. The whole chain from biomass production up to fuel application in today's and future combustion engines will be investigated. The common interface is a synthesis gas (H2 plus CO) which is produced from lingo-cellulosic biomass (wood, straw and energy plants) via gasification. Fisher-Tropsch-diesel, HCCI-fuel, DME and ethanol will be produced via synthesis. After 30 months duration production of BTL fuels has been completed and engine tests proved the suitability of such motor fuels. Activities now concentrate on further optimisation of processes and fuel specifications. Investigations on the biomass potential in EU-28 revealed a considerable substitution potential of fossil fuels. The methodology for an environmental, technological and economic assessment of BTL production routes have been defined and agreed among the consortium, the data acquisition has been completed and evaluation of results started. The outcome of the project Renew will be the generation of a comprehensive knowledge-base on different BtL-production pathways, open to relevant stakeholders in the EU and commonly agreed strategic recommendations on future technology options (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD E212343.
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