Norwegian Centre for Sustainable Bio-based Fuels and Energy (Bio4Fuels)

The FME Centre Bio4Fuels focuses on research and development within sustainable biofuel, including biogas, with the aim of reducing climate impact from the transport sector. Bio4Fuels is a cooperation between 7 research partners: NMBU, SINTEF, NTNU, RISE-Pfi, Ife and USN and almost 50 stakeholders covering all important aspects of the Centre's activities: resource owners, technology providers and end users. The Bio4Fuels Centre's management is a close cooperation between NMBU (host institution) and SINTEF (centre government). Bio4Fuels' research activities started in 20217. Many of the research- and industry partners are also active in associated projects, both nationally and in the EU. Bio4Fuels' vision is "To enable sustainable biofuel production in Norway". We realize this through new processes and value chains, from bio-resourses to implementation and end use. The Centre has a Nordic perspective with focus on forest residues as raw material in which sustainable production of andvanced biofuel is central. Research to solve the central challenges in the value chains is defined in the Centre's Sub Projects and covers the tevhnologies most relevant to Norway and the Nordic. In the Centre's last phase we focus on the most important value chains regarding realization of the production of biofuel in Norway: sustainable use of lignocellulose as raw material and value chain priorities, sustainable air- and marine fuels as well as added value from side streams and -products.

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In today's society, the environmental impacts of human activities have far reaching implications, not least through climate change. The 2 deg C climate goal proposed by the UNFCCC reinforces the need for the energy sector to adopt long-term development pathways to low-carbon energy supply. Efficient and sustainable use of biomass as renewable feedstock for heat, power and transportation are foreseen as key to achieving this target. According to the IEA-roadmap, 20-30% of global energy demand could be supplied from the conversion of biomass. The total emissions of CO2 in Norway were 53 Mt-CO2-equivalents in 2014; with emissions from transport accounting for 31%. The Norwegian "Klimakur 2020" report concluded that it is feasible to reduce Norwegian greenhouse gas emissions by 15 Mt-CO2 by 2020, of which 30 % could be realized in the transportation sector. As outlined in the project description, Bio4Fuels will follow a core value chain, delivering biofuels and other bioenergy applications from sustainable biomass, thus making a significant contribution to achieving the UNFCCC goals. We will build on earlier collaborations in research on stationary Energy (Cenbio) and experimental infrastructure (NorBioLab) to create a new national platform that will realise recent recommendations by Energi21 and NHO in developing economically viable value chains for industrial production of energy carriers in Norway. The vision of Bio4Fuels will be realised through cooperation between recognised research groups at NMBU, NTNU, NIBIO, PFI, SINTEF, IFE and HSN, in close collaboration with leading national and international industrial partners, national stakeholders and international research groups.