Towards Refinery Integration of Bio-Oils: TRL 5 Co-Hydroprocessing for the Production of Advanced Hybrid e-Fuels

This manuscript presents the scale up of a technology for e-fuels production through co-hydroprocessing of partially stabilized pyrolysis oil from straw waste with a petroleum fraction, using a TRL 5 unit, as a continuation of previous published work. Significant quantities of a partially stabilized pyrolysis oil were tested in various blends with Straight Run Gas Oil and Light Cycle Oil, also examining the impact of operating parameters. The optimal blend was processed, resulting in the production of 240 L of hybrid fuel that was fractionated in a batch distillation unit, yielding high-quality e-fuels within the diesel, jet, and gasoline boiling ranges. The resulting e-fuels were evaluated against standard specifications: EN 590 (road diesel), EN1655 (aviation fuel), and EN 228 (gasoline). The quality assessment revealed only minor deviations from these specifications, attributed primarily to the limitations of the fractionations, which allowed heavier, sulfur-rich hydrocarbons to carry over into the lighter gasoline and jet fractions. Despite this, the process was successfully scaled up using a TRL 5 hydrotreating plant, which operated stably for 30 days without pressure drop build-up. In total, 1000 L of hybrid fuel was produced. This study lays the groundwork for further development at higher TRL, aiming toward full commercialization of the technology.