Room: Poster Area
Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Time: 15:00 - 16:00 CEST
Session code 5AV.2
Innovation in advanced processes for biofuels production: materials, mechanisms, and performances (part 1)
Scaling Up Algae-Based Sustainable Advanced Biofuels: Technical Perspectives from the SUSTEPS Project
Short Introductive summary
SUSTEPS is an international project developing a circular, algae-based pathway for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). It integrates wastewater-grown microalgae, catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), and renewable hydrogen systems to maximize carbon and nutrient recovery. High-temperature catalytic HTL produces metal-depleted biocrude, while hydrotreating converts it into jet-fuel-range hydrocarbons. Integrated ATR/WGS and electrolysis supply hydrogen and recycle CO2 back to algae cultivation, enhancing overall carbon efficiency. Complementary membrane and nutrient recovery processes close water and nutrient loops. Early results show feasible biocrude yields, effective heteroatom removal, and strong potential for cost and energy optimization. Guided by Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) principles, SUSTEPS establishes a framework for scaling circular algae-to-SAF systems toward pilot and industrial implementation.
Presenter
Rene BÜTTGEN
FZ Jülich, IET 4, GERMANY
Presenter's biography
Chemist (B.Sc./M.Sc., RWTH Aachen) with a background in lignocellulose biomass combustion. At FZ Jülich, I focus on Autothermal Reforming and Water-Gas Shift reactions for the SUSTEPS Sustainable Aviation Fuel project. Outside the lab, I am a professional event photographer and father of three.
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
Session reference: 5AV.2.6