The Fuels-C project is advancing the development of next-generation biofuels from organic waste and CO₂, aiming to reduce fossil fuel dependence and enhance Europe’s energy security by 2050.
Europe’s energy transition requires disruptive solutions to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and move decisively towards climate neutrality by 2050. Within this framework, the Fuels-C project, funded under the Horizon Europe programme, is developing an integrated platform of innovative technologies to convert organic residues and biogenic CO₂ into high-efficiency advanced biofuels, ready for direct use in transport.
Tackling the challenge of transport decarbonisation
Transport sectors such as maritime shipping, and heavy road transport remain highly reliant on fossil fuels. Advanced biofuels represent a credible pathway to cut emissions and strengthen Europe’s energy security. Yet, technological and economic challenges still need to be addressed before scalable, competitive, and sustainable biofuel production becomes a reality.
Fuels-C aims to meet this challenge by producing four advanced biofuels – biomethane, ammonia, ethanol, and formic acid – from low-cost organic waste and CO₂ streams. The project will establish efficient conversion routes that maximise the utilisation of organic carbon, powered by renewable energy, to deliver truly sustainable fuels that can be used in Fuel Cells for transport application, including both maritime and road.
Innovation is structured in five pillars
The project is organised into five major pillars, combining scientific excellence with industrial relevance:
- Pillar I – Feedstocks and inputs: creation of a GIS-based mapping tool to assess the availability of biogenic residues, renewable energy potential, and logistics for efficient deployment across Europe.
- Pillar II – Road transport fuels: development of innovative thermochemical, electrochemical and bioelectrochemical conversion routes to produce ethanol and formic acid from complex waste streams and CO₂.
- Pillar III – Maritime transport fuels: advancement of biomethane and ammonia production using a combination of anaerobic digestion and different bioelectrochemical technologies as a conversion route, achieving higher efficiency and reduced energy consumption.
- Pillar IV – Fuel cell validation: direct testing of all four biofuels in solid oxide and direct liquid fuel cells, measuring power density, energy efficiency, and operational stability.
- Pillar V – Digitalisation and sustainability: creation of advanced models for each fuel’s production technology and a digital twin of the integrated conversion process, enabling techno-economic and environmental assessments and supporting replication across multiple European regions.
Expected results and impact
Through this integrated approach, Fuels-C will:
- Increase efficiency in biofuel conversion technologies and move emerging solutions to TRL 5 validation.
- Develop replicable and scalable solutions that link local feedstocks with regional fuel demand.
- Provide robust techno-economic and life cycle assessments to accelerate market readiness and adoption.
- Demonstrate significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional engines.
In the long term, Fuels-C will strengthen Europe’s leadership in biofuels innovation, reduce reliance on fossil imports, and open new market opportunities for the European energy and transport industries.
A strong European consortium
Fuels-C brings together 11 partners from seven European countries, combining expertise from research organisations, universities, innovative SMEs, and industrial stakeholders. Coordinated by Leitat Technological Center (Spain), the consortium pools cutting-edge knowledge in thermochemical, electrochemical, and bioelectrochemical processes, alongside advanced modelling, sustainability assessment, and exploitation strategies.
With its multidisciplinary collaboration and ambitious vision, Fuels-C positions itself as a key initiative to accelerate the European energy transition, showcasing advanced biofuels as a competitive and sustainable solution for the future of transport.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 24th edition of our quarterly publication.
