Integrated Biorefineries Mission
Our goal is to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions to accelerate the commercialisation of integrated biorefineries, with a target of replacing 10% of fossil-based fuels, chemicals and materials with bio-based alternatives by 2030.
Greenhouse gas emissions from the transport and chemicals sectors already account for nearly one-third of global emissions with transport responsible for a quarter of them. These are projected to increase by 2050, in particular from transport. There is a need for low-carbon and renewable alternatives to fossil-based fuels, chemicals, and materials, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as, long-haul transportation, and industry.
Co-leads
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India
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Netherlands
THE PLAN
Integrated biorefineries using sustainable feedstocks currently receive insufficient policy attention, with bio-based fuels and agricultural biomass being the primary focus of governments’ innovation efforts to date. A greater diversity of government support is needed, such as procurement to grow demand for bio-products, and programmes designed to incentivise collaboration between stakeholders across the biorefining value chain. The Mission will focus on the following three areas to achieve the goal:
Supporting Research and Development
Accelerating Pilots and Demonstrations
Improving Policy and Market Conditions
Supporting Research and Development
Supporting biorefining R&D across the short, medium and long-term, focused on technologies and processes that improve both the cost competitiveness of bio-based fuels, chemicals and materials (FCMs) and the sustainability of their production.
Innovation priorities:
- Biomass supply – RD&D on new and emerging feedstocks, plant breeding, soil health, onsite treatment and processing, transportation, conversion and processing will be important to ensure sustainable and consistent supply of feedstock for biorefineries.
- Conversion processes – To reduce OPEX and manufacturing costs of FCMs including through chemical catalysis, bio catalysis, thermochemistry, as well as processes to co-produce multiple high-value products.
- End-products and markets – Including improving the quality, sustainability and availability of FCMs to grow and diversify demand.
Accelerating Pilots and Demonstrations
Accelerating support for pilot and demonstration level biorefining projects to support the transition to commercial operations and improve their cost-competitiveness and financial viability.
Innovation priorities:
- Advanced marine feedstocks (e.g., algae and kelp) and different technologies to assess the viability of conversion pathways and competitiveness of end-products.
- Diversify pilots and demos to begin producing high-value intermediaries/end-products such as sugars and alcohols.
- Integrating carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS) technology to demonstrate technological viability.
- Using multiple pathways to support end-product manufacturing (e.g., gasification through Fischer Tropsch and thermal processes through pyrolysis).
- Increasing the use of upgrading processes at pilots and demos to improve quality of intermediate and end-products.
Improving Policy and Market Conditions
Improving policy and market conditions to de-risk and improve investor confidence needed to attract investment in the sector, support value chain integration, and provide policy and regulatory certainty to support market growth.
Innovation priorities:
- Using mandates or environmental standards to provide stable demand for end-products.
- Government procurement strategies, especially for end-products from pilot and demonstration projects.
- Financial tools and incentives to attract investment such as special purpose investment banks and funds, public-private innovation agencies9 to support end-product RD&D and business development simultaneously, and green bonds to provide access to funding for capital expenses and improve financial stability of early investments.
- Standardised and internationally recognised life cycle assessment and suitability criteria for end-products.