EUBCE 2026 - Andreas APFELBACHER - Green Fuels Unleashed: Optimizing Catalytic Hydrogenation of Biogenic Oils for the Future

Green Fuels Unleashed: Optimizing Catalytic Hydrogenation of Biogenic Oils for the Future

Short Introductive summary

While effort is in the rise to create global energy alternatives to fossil fuel, this needs to be carefully created in such a way a to meet stringent quality of stability, scalability and sustainability. However, there are different methods to achieve this, in this present study, effort is made to investigate the catalytic hydrogenation of biogenic oils derived from thermochemical conversion (TCR® process) as an alternative route to reduce a high-quality green fuel. Experiments were conducted under varying hydrogen pressures (80–120 bar) with hydrogen flow rates (1000–4000 L h?¹), a temperature (350–400 °C), and using Nimo/?-Al2O3 and Co–Mo/Al2O3 catalysts. At end of the experiments, the oil shows a significant upgrade product which ranges from reduced oxygen content (=10 wt%), enhanced heating values (up to 44 MJ kg?¹), and improved hydrocarbon distribution within the C8–C18 range. A perform techno-economic assessment and sustainability was analysed. Mass and energy balances was conducted, and models were developed to validate process performance, while ASPEN Plus simulations will be employed to model reactor behaviours, optimize process parameters, The integrated results demonstr

I.T. Suleiman, Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental Safety and Energy technology., Sulzbach-Rosenberg, GERMANY
T.E. Mueller, Ruhr University, Bochum, GERMANY
A. Apfelbacher, Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental Safety and Energy technology., Sulzbach-Rosenberg, GERMANY
S. Holz, Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental Safety and Energy technology., Sulzbach-Rosenberg, GERMANY
R. Daschner, Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental Safety and Energy technology., Sulzbach-Rosenberg, GERMANY