Projects & Partners

SOL – Sugar Oil as sustainable marine fueLs

This project considers crude sugar oil (CSOTM) as a fuel for internal combustion engines, specifically those that propel sea going vessels. CSOTM  is produced from cellulose and a stable blend with fossil marine fuel is created through emulsfication. The SOL project aims to validate the technical and economic viability of this fuel source whilst also achieving a greater than 80% relative greenhouse gas (GHG) emission avoidance during the first ten years of operation compared to the reference scenario. 

FACTS & FIGURES

Start date: 01 June, 2023
Duration: 2 years
Amount of innovation fund grant: 4.00 M€
Partner: 1
Fund: Funded by the European Union

HYDROGOLD – Drop-in jet and marine biofuel produced by
hydrogenation of Goldilocks®

Together with our partners Shell and TU/e we developed our breakthrough technology which is known as Goldilocks. This project highlighted the hydroprocessing of our Goldilocks lignin oil to sustainable aviation fuels and other biofuels. Our application was rewarded with 1st place for the innovations of climate-neutral fuels. We are currently still working on our Goldilocks product and advancing it to the next level.

FACTS & FIGURES

Start date: 01 January 2022
Duration: 3 years
Total budget: €499.914
Partners: 3

Co-funded by:

EBIEngineering Business Intelligence

Engineering Business Intelligence (EBI) will create a new digital method to detect how sub-optimal process operation measured within the process data, affects sustainability, quality and economic value of the process to provide input in mitigation and consequently leverage economics with environmental performance. This novel method will provide detailed insight into the effects of process anomalies, both incidental faults and expected drifts in routine operation (e.g. process fouling), on environmental, economic and consistency performance losses.

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: Engineering Business Intelligence
Acronym: EBI
Start date: 01 May 2021
Duration: 4 years, 1 month
Partners: cluster Industry 4.0

EHLCATHOLChemical transformation of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL) with catalytic solvolysis to fuel commodities under mild conditions

The EHLCATHOL research will focus on gaining the knowledge for improving greatly the catalytic activity and stability, mechanism of suppressing recondensation steps, solvation of login, selectivity to fuel molecules, product separation, fuel performance enhancement, combustion of the EHL biofuel, as well as reducing the environmental impact of the emission, all needed to develop the novel EHL catalytic solvolysis technology exploiting the energy, around 40% of the lignocellulose feed, stored in EHL with the highest efficiency. The consortium exists of Aalto, TUE, NTNU, LIKAT, EPFL, CNRS and VERTORO.

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: Chemical transformation of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL) with catalytic solvolysis to fuel commodities under mild conditions
Acronym: EHLCATHOL
Start date: 01 November 2020
Duration: 4 years
Total budget: 4.00 M€
Funding by the EC: 4.00 M€
Partners: 6

IDEALFUEL – Lignin as a feedstock for renewable marine fuels

IDEALFUEL is an EU-funded research and innovation action which aims to develop new production methods for sustainable marine fuels to replace heavy fuel oils (HFOs) in shipping. Due to their fossil origin, the use of heavy fuel oils contributes to global warming and in addition to the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. The goal of the IDEALFUEL project is to create sustainable alternatives by developing new efficient and low-cost methods to produce low-sulphur HFO from wood-based non-food biomass.

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: Lignin as a feedstock for renewable marine fuels
Acronym: IDEALFUEL
Start date: 01 May 2020
Duration: 48 months
Total budget: 4.77 M€
Funding by the EC: 4.77 M€
Partners: 11

IDEALFUEL partners

CHAPLIN – Collaboration in asphalt APplications with Lignin in the Netherlands

The aim of this project CHAPLIN is to evaluate lignin, which is produced in The Netherlands, in asphalt applications and monitor current and novel test roads of selected lignins. CHAPLIN will generate data on the availability of locally and Internationally sourced lignins and study its suitability as binder in hot mixed asphalt. The partners in CHAPLIN cover the full value chain including lignin production, processing of lignin in asphalt, test road construction, and integral knowledge of lignin, bitumen and asphalt.

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: Collaboration in asphalt APplications with Lignin in the Netherlands
Acronym: CHAPLIN
Start date: 04 March 2020
Total budget: € 454.382
Funding by the EC: € 454.382
Partners: 16

LOADED – Lignin Oil Based Performance Additives

The objective of the LOADED project is to quantify and optimize these properties, as well as evaluate the compatibility and added value of this bio-based thermoplastic material for use as a performance additive in various commercial polymers, including polyesters, polyolefins and polyamides. 

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: Lignin Oil Based Performance Additives
Acronym: LOADED
Start date: 01 January 2020
Duration: 2 years

Total budget: € 576.513
Partners: 4

OP Zuid – Doing more with lignin

A switch from fossil-based to renewable raw materials is necessary to reduce the carbon footprint of the Dutch chemical sector. Bioresidues play an important role in this transition as an emerging feedstock for chemicals and materials. The ‘Doing more with lignin’ project sets out to contribute to this goal by setting up a full value chain at pilot scale for lignin-based materials (polyurethane) and chemicals (phenol). Lignin – obtained from biomass – seems to be a very interesting residue as it is a low-cost and abundant renewable raw material.

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: European Grant ‘Doing more with lignin’
Start date: 01 October 2019
Total budget: 2.9 M€
Funding by the EC: 2.9 M€
Partners: 3

Bright coatings

This project, led by TNO spin-off Relement, will see hemi-cellulose fractions, also one produced by Vertoro, first converted into platform aromatics (2-MF & MPA), and thence processed into a 100% biobased, sustainable coating. This coating will be produced 100kg-scale and ultimately demonstrated on an electric wheel loader vehicle. www.brightcoatings.eu

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: Bright coatings
Acronym:

Start date: 01 May 2021
Duration: 2 years, 5 months

Partners: 3

LIBERATE – Towards a more holistic Biomass pretreatment Technology

LIBERATE aims to realize the first pilot scale plant for the so-called ‘lignin-first’ approach, a novel route produce not only cellulose, but also an aromatic oil directly from woody biomass. These fractions can serve as a feedstock for many fuels and chemicals and will be evaluated by interested third parties. Parallel to these R&D activities, andepth techno-economic and sustainability assessment will be made. 

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: Towards a more hoLIstic Biomass prEtReAtment TEchnology
Acronym: LIBERATE

Start date: 01 Juni 2018
Duration: 3 years (extended until December 31, 2021)

Total budget: 1.3 M€
Partners: 5

CARBIOW

Addresses green transition and circular economy by proposing novel technologies that cover the whole process of conversion of organic waste to sustainable marine and aviation fuels.

FACTS & FIGURES

Funding agency: Top Sector Energie (Netherlands)
Start date: October 1st, 2022
End date: March 31st, 2026
Total budget: € 4.850.123
Partners: 14

GOLDILOCKS® BY SEA

Concerns all requisite front-end loading (FEL) activities for our first commercial scale plant in the Port of Rotterdam.

FACTS & FIGURES

Funding agency: Kansen voor West – EU REACT program (Netherlands)
Start date: March 1st, 2021
End date: December 31st, 2023
Total budget: € 2.000.000
Partners: 1

LIGNIN2JETFUEL

Aims to develop a proof of concept (TRL 3-4) scalable technology to produce jet fuel components; oxygen free- alkyl aromatics and cycloalkanes from 2nd generation lignocellulose derived lignin.

FACTS & FIGURES

Funding agency: Top Sector Energie (Netherlands)
Start date: March 1st, 2022
End date: March 1st, 2025
Total budget: € 500.000
Partners: 6

HOUDINI

In this project, technology will be developed and implemented at our 1ktpa continuous demo plant for the extraction of high-value chemicals and materials from our crude lignin oil (CLO™) and crude sugar oil (CSO®) platforms, including lignin oligomers (GOLDILOCKS®), levulinic acid, long-chained fatty acids, and Homo Vanillin Acetal.

FACTS & FIGURES

Start date: 01 November 2023
End date: 31 October 2025
Total budget: €2.458.176,29
Partners:

Co-funded by:

Cellulose-to-Jet (C2J)

In this cellulose-to-jet (C2J) project, Vertoro will validate that cellulose can be converted directly into glucose and thence to ethanol by means of in-house proprietary mild acid hydrolysis and fermentation technology, respectively. In parallel, downstream partnerships will be forged to further process ethanol to jet fuel via alcohol-to-jet (A2J) technology.

FACTS & FIGURES

Start date: 01 June 2022
End date: 31 March 2025
Total budget: € 2.066.212,40
Partners:

Co-funded by:
Kansen voor West

SLICE

SLICE – is a Just Transition Fund (JTF) funded research and innovation action which aims to scale up low molecular (oligomeric) lignin production from residual biomass streams and to convert this lignin into heavy fuel and (aromatic) base chemicals.

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: ValoriSation of LIgnin to bio-based Chemicals and fuEls
Acronym: SLICE
Start date: 01 Jan 2023
End date: 31 Jul 2026
Total budget: 2.6M€
Funding by the Just Transition Fund (JTF): 2.1 M€

Partners:

CSO

CSO – the Future Sweet is aimed at accelerating the production of biobased oil. Vertoro has developed a proprietary technology that converts biomass into crude lignin oil (CLO®)and cellulose, which can be recycled and upgraded into a glucose-rich syrup, Crude Sugar Oil (CSO®). This glucose syrup can then be refined via fermentation into advanced ethanol, which can serve as a raw material for gasoline or sustainable aviation fuel. The goal is to further scale up to a full commercial plant of 100-250 KTPA after 2026 with sufficient employees with the right skills. That is why the project also invests in the development of green skills of employees for sustainable employability in the transition.

FACTS & FIGURES

Project full name: CSO – The Future is Sweet
Start date: 23 Jan 2023
End date: 31 Jul 2025
Total budget: 4.0M€
Funding by the Just Transition Fund (JTF): 2.0 M€

Partners: