1 Million Euro Fund Support from the European Commission for Tüpraş R&D Fuel-Up Biofuel Project
With the vision of producing the energy of the future, Tüpraş is starting an important R&D project that aims to benefit from different raw material sources for the production of biofuels to be used in aviation and maritime transportation. While Tüpraş R&D was entitled to 1 million Euros of funding from the European Commission with its Fuel-Up biofuel project, the company became one of the 2 Turkish organizations that received funding among 118 projects and 1972 institutions within the scope of “Horizon Europe sustainable, safe and competitive energy calls”.
Tüpraş continues to register its success with the sustainable business models and innovative projects it has implemented in line with the 2050 Strategic Transformation Plan. The company was awarded 1 million Euros of funding by the European Commission for its R&D activities with the Fuel-Up biofuel project within the scope of “Horizon Europe sustainable, safe and competitive energy calls”. Thus, Tüpraş, which stood out among the 118 projects and 1972 institutions competing in Horizon Europe, became one of the 2 Turkish institutions that were eligible for funding.
With the Fuel-Up project, it is planned to use pyrolysis (thermal cracking) oils obtained from 100 percent biogenic (non-fossil) forestry residues as a renewable raw material alternative, and it is aimed to produce environmentally friendly aviation and marine fuels on a demo scale for the first time. While the total budget of the 4-year project is determined as 9 million Euros, 70 percent of the 1.5 million Euros to be used for Tüpraş works will be supported by the European Commission.
Tüpraş will research accessible forest and agricultural waste alternatives for Türkiye
Tüpraş signed a license agreement with Honeywell for the use of UOP Ecofining™ technology in the second half of 2022, in line with its aim of becoming an important sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producer in Turkey; With its investments, it aims to process 400 thousand tons of biofuel raw materials in 2030 and to triple its SAF production capacity in the post-2035 period.
R&D studies are also carried out on developing technologies based on alternative raw materials, with the aim of becoming Turkey’s largest SAF supplier. With the Fuel-Up project, the production of low-emission and high-value-added fuels will be investigated by using forestry and agricultural waste from Turkey’s biomass resources, which are accessible but not yet widely used in converting into valuable products.
The company, which prioritizes carrying out studies focusing on high efficiency and low cost with innovative processes, will assume important responsibilities in reducing dependence on vegetable and animal waste oils in the long term. In the Fuel-Up project, Tüpraş will determine the process roadmap and conditions required to improve the properties of oils obtained from biopolymer-containing woody sources and convert them into fuel. With the solutions to be developed, refineries will be adapted to popularize fuels that comply with environmental regulations and have a low carbon footprint.
Sustainable aviation fuel, marine diesel and naphtha will be produced
The high oxygen content and corrosive effects found in oils obtained from residues of forestry and agricultural activities make direct processing with current methods in refineries unsuitable. As a result of processing the product with existing processes, negative consequences on fuel quality may occur. The combination of catalyst development activities to be carried out with the partners of the Fuel-Up project and Tüpraş’s refining experience stands out as a solution that will eliminate these restrictions.
In this way, Tüpraş plans to play an important role in the transformation of alternative bio raw materials into sustainable fuels in R&D studies, in parallel with our 2050 Strategic Transformation Plan targets. In the Fuel-Up project, the validity of the method to be developed to convert wood-based oils into biofuels will be tested at the pre-commercial level and will produce sustainable aviation fuel, marine diesel and naphtha.
In the process, the quality assessment of the fuels produced will be made, paving the way for the standardization of the new production method.