STAB3

Challenge

The current transition toward net-zero CO2 emissions requires the shipping industry to adopt new fuels for existing ships and engines. Currently, the availability of new quality fuels is limited compared to the scale of the bunkering market (300 million tons annually). Therefore, it is desirable for available green fuels to be blended into the existing conventional bunker pool. This requires that fuel blends are stable with regard to phase separation, solid precipitation, or sludge formation.

Solution

The STAB3 Project aims to improve the stability of bio-oil bunker fuel blends. The project investigates how to determine whether a bio-feedstock can be mixed with fossil oil, what the relevant variables are, and how to address compatibility issues if they arise.

Main Deliverables

• Development of an improved platform for assessing the stability of bio-oil and fossil fuel blends, which can also test bio-oil blends.
• Utilization of these methods to formulate "dispersants and cosolvents" that enhance blend stability.

Expected Outcome

Current stability tests for bio-oil fuel blends rely on outdated methods designed for fossil fuels, focusing exclusively on asphaltene stability and thus only the stability of fossil macromolecules. The new method uses a different approach and can be adapted to compounds without asphaltenes. Additionally, it is non-invasive, enabling long-term stability assessments without requiring sub-sampling or separation.

The new testing method will also be used to evaluate whether the stability of a bio-oil fuel blend can be enhanced by adding chemical additives to improve miscibility.

Part of Innomissions

The EU funds four green, mission-driven research and innovation partnerships uniting the country’s top researchers, businesses, and organizations to make Denmark a leader in sustainability. These partnerships focus on carbon capture and utilization (CCUS), Power-to-X, climate- and environmentally-friendly agriculture and food production, and circular economy initiatives targeting plastics and textiles.

This innovation project is part of Innomissions 2: MissionGreenFuels – Green Fuels for Transport and Industry. The MissionGreenFuels partnership aims to phase out fossil fuels for shipping, heavy road transport, aviation, and the maritime industry by 2030. Learn more at missiongreenfuels.dk.