General information

The Institute of Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering at TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF) is involved in the REF4FU project with the professorships of Energy Process Engineering and Reaction Engineering. In research and teaching, the institute focuses on topics in the areas of sustainable energy and raw material supply, and air pollution control. In doing so, the institute covers a broad spectrum from basic and applied research to the piloting of chemical plants.

Important competencies, preliminary work and infrastructure

TUBAF’s project-specific preparatory work for the REF4FU project includes many years of research into producing sustainable fuels and chemical raw materials using methanol as a starting material. For example, TUBAF was involved in the Kopernikus and C3-Mobility funding projects, in which the MtG process (methanol to gasoline) was further developed to synthesize sustainable gasoline. Novel zeolite catalysts and reaction engineering design parameters were investigated. In the KeroSyn100 project, a methanol-based process chain was developed in which methanol was first converted into olefins (methanol to olefins, MtO), which were then oligomerized into gasoline, kerosene, and diesel components. The oligomerization was followed by hydro finishing, which refined the olefinic oligomers. In particular, the KeroSyn100 project also included knowledge-based catalyst development and reaction engineering studies of the individual sub-processes. Basic research into olefin oligomerization on acid catalysts was also funded by the TUBAF-affiliated Dr. Erich Krüger Foundation. In addition to extensive laboratory and pilot plant equipment and adequate analytical equipment, TUBAF has extensive know-how in the planning, constructing, and optimizing experimental plants with the Mini plant (STF+) and the MtG demonstration plant (STF).

Expectation of progress through the project

TUBAF intends the knowledge-based improvement of MtO, MtG, and olefin oligomerization catalysts and the resulting adaptation of process parameters to efficiently produce CO2-neutral gasoline, kerosene, and diesel/heating oil. A further focus is on scaling up the catalysts and the production of hydrogenated and fractionated oligomerizates (petrol, kerosene, diesel) on the 100 L scale. Furthermore, the processes being pursued are to be conceptually integrated into the environment of a future refinery.