In the SynergyFuels project, innovative diesel fuels were developed from sewage sludge, organic waste, and hop spent grains. Fraunhofer UMSICHT in Sulzbach-Rosenberg employed its proprietary TCR process – a pyrolysis process with integrated upgrading of the products, especially the pyrolysis oil. Through targeted optimizations in the hydrogenation process of the oil, contaminants were reduced, resulting in fuels of good initial quality.
At the Technology and Support Centre (TFZ), the fuel quality was further enhanced: by blending in 7% biodiesel and using special additives to increase the cetane number and oxidation stability, quality was significantly improved. Laboratory tests conducted by Volkswagen AG and TFZ confirmed that the fuels meet the requirements of the DIN EN 590 diesel standard.
With this essential quality standard met, further testing is now underway. In particular, compatibility with sealing materials is being examined to ensure that the fuels can be safely used in the existing vehicle fleet. The SynergyFuels project impressively demonstrates how sustainable and high-quality fuels can be produced from regional residual materials.