SUSTEPS

Transport sectors such as aviation heavily depend on high energy density fuels, for which sustainable biofuels are the best near term low-carbon renewable alternative. Biofuel production based on algae is being considered as a main clean energy alternative and one of the most promising solutions. However, there are several challenges that hinder development and application of algae-based biofuel, ranging across the entire value chain. SUSTEPS main overall objective is to improve key knowledge, identify systemic constraints and opportunities, and propose solutions for the scaling up of a sustainable algae-based biofuel value chain. It aims to contribute to cost-effective and more sustainable large-scale production of sustainable algae-based biofuels by developing and validating a bio-refinery concept that efficiently produces sustainable biofuel from non-food/feed microalgae via CO2 fixation from high-emission facilities and through feeding on nutrient-rich wastewater, thereby minimising biomass production costs and utilising harmful CO2 emitted from energy-intensive activities. The process will be coupled with green hydrogen to be used in upgrading of microalgae-based fuel, and smart integration of processes that also produce value-added chemicals, valorising all side streams effectively.