Finnish research group VTT is exploring the feasibility of using biomass and waste plastics to make fuel oils for power plants and ship diesel engines. The aim of the three-year Business Finland BioFlex project is to determine the most ecologically and economically sustainable way to replace fossil fuels.

Other partners in the project, which has a budget of €1.6 million, includes fuel producers, users and equipment manufacturers such as Auramarine, Fortum, Neste, Valmet and Wärtsilä, among others.

“Our goal is to find the most ecologically and economically sustainable way to replace fossil heavy fuel oil in ship and power plant diesel engines,” said VTT senior principal scientist Anja Oasmaa. “We compare different methods of industrially producing fuel oils from, for example, waste plastics or biomass, such as harvest residues from forestry and agriculture. We are also conducting experiments to examine the suitability of the oils for applications.”

VTT said in theory, the chemical composition of bio- or waste-based fuel could be identical to that of fossil fuel oil. However, in practice, the objective is for similar oil that does not require significant modifications to diesel engines when used. The research center added that it is essential for the oil to keep well in storage, mix with fossil oils and have low sulfur, nitrogen and particulate emissions.

“The use of bio-oils is still limited, mainly for cost and availability reasons, and I expect the project to address these factors,” said Ilkka Rytkölä, chief technology officer at fuel injection systems supplier Auramarine. “Every effort must be made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and bio-oils will play a significant role in this battle going forward.”

The project also aims to support the International Maritime Organization’s objective to halve greenhouse gas emissions from marine traffic by 2050.