Value chains with biofuel intermediates

Research Project, 2014 – 2016

This project will compare forest raw-material value chains for conversion to transportation biofuels, with respect to energy efficiency, climate impact and costs. The focus is on the comparison between a value chain with an added process step to produce an intermediate biofuel product, and a scenario in which the entire conversion from raw material to product is handled in one integrated step at one place.

Conversion to an intermediate product with higher energy density has benefits for transportation and handling of biomass when final conversion takes place at a large central unit, but could also be a disadvantage in terms of for instance lower overall yield of transportation fuel. It is therefore important to study the whole chain from raw material to product to investigate how factors such as transport, possibilities to integration, yields and size affect the overall outcome.