ToFuel Project at EUBCE 2026

The ToFuel project was presented by Florbela Carvalheiro (LNEG, PT) on 21 May 2026 at the EUBCE 2026 – 34th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition in The Hague, the Netherlands, as part of a dedicated event organized by the Integrated Biorefineries Mission of Mission Innovation, highlighting innovative approaches to sustainable aviation fuel production from tomato waste streams and future opportunities for collaboration.

Photo: Florbela Carvalheiro, LNEG, PT ; ©EUBCE, 2026

The Integrated Biorefineries Mission is a multinational initiative launched in 2015 alongside the Paris climate talks to accelerate clean energy innovation and support climate and net-zero goals. It is one of Mission Innovation’s seven programmes and aims to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions that accelerate the commercialization of integrated biorefineries. It is currently co-led by the Netherlands and India, with Brazil, Canada and China as core members, and the UK and the European Commission as supporting members, while Switzerland is currently participating as a pilot member.

After introductions to Mission Innovation by Rebecca Groen, Director of the Integrated Biorefineries Mission, and to Horizon Europe by Maria Georgiadou, Senior Expert for Renewable Energy R&I at the European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation, three Horizon Europe-funded projects were presented: BioSMART, BIOVAL, and ToFuel. All three projects were funded under the same topic, HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-02-03, focused on smart concepts for integrated, energy-driven biorefineries for the co-production of advanced biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials.

The presentation highlighted that ToFuel explores a novel set of biomass resources: the agricultural and industrial tomato waste streams, which are not yet fully exploited. Innovative technological solutions are designed to support zero-waste targets, including a 'blueprint' for efficient water management in biorefineries. Professor Mazouzi Benali, from Natural Resources Canada, also gave a presentation on advancing SAF through harmonized biorefineries.

The discussion ended with all projects expressing interest in possible future mutual collaborations.

Contributor: Florbela Carvalheiro, LNEG, PT