ToFuel Project Kick-off Meeting in Graz, Austria
- Nicoleta Talpes
- May 1
- 3 min read
The EU-funded project ToFuel – An Integrated Biorefinery for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production from Tomato Residues held its Kick-off Meeting in Graz, Austria, on 3–4 February 2026, hosted by TU Graz, AT, the project coordinator.
The meeting brought together eleven partners from seven European countries, marking the start of a four-year collaboration dedicated to developing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from tomato production residues.
Funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme with a total budget of €3.5 million, ToFuel contributes to Europe’s climate-neutrality objectives by addressing aviation decarbonisation through circular bioeconomy-based fuel production.
Project Vision and Overview
The Kick-off Meeting opened with an overview presented by Marlene Kienberger, Project Coordinator, TU Graz, AT, who outlined the integrated biorefinery concept. The project aims to convert tomato residues into Sustainable Aviation Fuel, as well as fertiliser, animal feed, and nutritional oils.
Tomatoes are the second most-consumed vegetable worldwide, and the European Union is the third largest producer, harvesting around 17 megatonnes annually. Tomato processing generates significant quantities of residual biomass, often disposed of at considerable cost. ToFuel addresses this challenge by transforming biomass into valuable energy and bio-based products, strengthening both circularity and industrial competitiveness.
First-Year Research Priorities
The first year of the project will focus on biomass fractionation using two advanced technologies: hydrothermal liquefaction and extrusion. Within this framework, LNEG, PT, presented its work on extrusion, hydrothermal liquefaction, and algae integration. University of Zagreb, HR, introduced activities on microbial fermentation and lipid extraction. Industrial partners Mutti S.p.A., IT, and Podravka prehrambena industrija d.d., HR, provided insights into production processes and biomass streams from the food industry.
Parallel work will include the purification of bio-oil and lipids to prepare them for conversion into aviation fuel
From the beginning of the research activities, environmental performance will be continuously assessed. TU Wien, AT, and LUT, FI, presented the technology assessment framework, while Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) activities will ensure that ecological, economic, and social impacts are systematically evaluated.
Scale-Up and Fuel Upgrading
Partners presented plans for scaling up the developed technologies to the pre-industrial level. Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, DE, outlined scale-up activities, while the University of Leoben – MUL, AT, presented the upgrading pathway towards Sustainable Aviation Fuel (TSAF upgrade). These efforts will progressively validate the integrated biorefinery concept and assess its industrial feasibility.
Exploitation, Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement
The communication and exploitation strategy of ToFuel is coordinated by ESEIA, AT, and EEIP, BE. The dissemination team will establish the project website and newsletter to provide regular updates on research progress, results, and stakeholder engagement opportunities.
Through structured dissemination and stakeholder engagement activities, ToFuel aims not only to develop technological solutions but also to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, and policy actors in the field of sustainable aviation fuels.
Project Management and Governance
The second day of the Kick-off Meeting addressed organisational and governance aspects. A dedicated Data Management Plan workshop was conducted to ensure compliance with Horizon Europe requirements and best practices in research data governance.
About the ToFuel Consortium
The project brings together eleven partners from seven European countries. In addition to TU Graz, AT, as coordinator, the consortium includes: LNEG, PT, University of Zagreb, HR, Vienna University of Technology, AT, Lappeenranta University of Technology, FI, University of Leoben, AT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, DE, Mutti S.p.A., IT, Podravka prehrambena industrija d.d., HR, European Sustainable Energy Innovation Alliance, AT and Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes ASBL, BE.
Contact: tofuel@tugraz.at
ToFuel is funded by the European Union under Grant number 101235233. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority.
