With the onset of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive Recast – RED II - European lawmakers are setting ambitious targets for renewable-fuel production...but can ambition be matched by capability? 
 
In this episode, Mikala interviews our own Sylvain Verdier, and Ian Moore, Technical Director – Low Carbon at Advisian, to help foster a better understanding of RED II’s purpose and objectives, and the potential impact they will have on Europe’s renewable fuel industry. 

The question of how to enable more sustainable air travel has long involved the challenge of SAF production. However, now everything seems to come together: feedstocks, technologies, and legislation. 

In this episode, Sylvain talks to Oskar Meijerink from SkyNRG, about the current state - and future - of sustainable aviation fuel, with insight from a legislative and technological perspective. They’ll discuss everything from blending mandates and approved pathways to feedstock selection and future technologies.  

Since the last season of The Fuel for Thought Podcast, the global renewable fuel industry has seen a surge in projects and interest in sustainable aviation fuel. Mikala and Sylvain are kicking off the new season with a discussion of what changes the industry has been through, and where it is headed.
 
In this episode, they will share their thoughts on the current trends in the global renewable fuel market, touching on everything from new biofuel initiatives to the rise of hydrogen – and more.

New technological developments are serving up new possibilities with pyrolysis, but a number of challenges regarding upscaling, unit placing, and the transportation and storage of feedstock remain. Which refineries could benefit from implementing pyrolysis technology – and how?

Once again, Topsoe’s Sylvain hosts David Dayton, a Senior Fellow at the American non-profit, RTI International (The Research Triangle Institute). This time they discuss the commercial aspects of pyrolysis. Sylvain also talks to Topsoe’s R&D Director Jostein Gabrielsen and Research Scientist Magnus Zingler Stummann to discuss what it takes for refineries to take advantage of the technology.

Pyrolysis is a mature technology, but it hasn’t always been viewed as a genuinely viable option in the world of renewables. Now, technological improvements are rapidly establishing pyrolysis as a key technology for upgrading low-value waste to high-value biofuels.

Topsoe’s Sylvain hosts David Dayton, a senior fellow at the major American non-profit, RTI International (The Research Triangle Institute). They discuss the possibilities with pyrolysis, covering the basics of the technologies, advantages and disadvantages, feedstocks, output and more.

Pre-treatment of oils and fats is an established technology with several units up and running. But how does pre-treatment work? What does it take to implement the technology in a biofuels production, and how does the financial ballpark figures look? 

Topsoe’s Sylvain hosts Global Commercial Director at Crown Iron Works, Bill Morphew and Market Unit Manager for Oils and Fats at Alpha Laval, William Younggreen. They discuss how pre-treatment works, the possibilities for refiners and what it takes to integrate the technology.

Around the world, hydrogen is named as one of the keys to achieving ambitious goals in the green transition. However, hydrogen is not just hydrogen, it can be grey, blue, renewable and green. But concerns regarding profitability and effectiveness of the new technologies still linger. 

Sylvain from Topsoe hosts Product Line Director at Topsoe, Sandra Winter-Madsen. They discuss the future of hydrogen in the industry, from the technological possibilities and coming breakthroughs to the political outlook and price range. 

Refineries setting out to transit their operations to renewables face several legislative, technical, and business-related barriers. At Preem, Sweden’s largest refinery, they have found their own ways of solving the puzzle. Topsoe’s Sylvain hosts Business Developer Åsa Håkansson and Development Engineer Eva Lind Grennfelt from Preem who provide you with an insight into their renewable journey. Learn about their overall strategic thoughts, the renewable revamp of their Gothenburg refinery, advanced feedstock focus areas and more.

Sylvain and Mikala, your host and co-host from Topsoe, are back with season two of The Fuel for Thought Podcast. They discuss what is happening in the world of renewables, including The European Green Deal and new legislation in North America which have set up significant new standards for refinery emissions. All the while, new feedstocks are emerging, and technologies are being increasingly improved. Are we on the verge of the ultimate breakthrough for advanced biofuels and hydrogen in refineries?

One way to future-proof your refinery against legislative demands is to expand your capabilities, so your plant can process any type of feedstock to produce on-spec transport fuel. But how mature is the technology for processing alternatives to fossil feedstocks? And, more pressing still, can it turn a profit? Topsoe’s Sylvain talks with Professor at Aalborg University Lasse Rosendahl, about his team's research into hydrothermal liquefaction as a means to process fuel from biomass. After the discussion, Sylvain and Mikala share their views on the technologies and discuss realistic timeframes for their commercialization.