News & events
The FLEXCHX project has ended on 30 April 2021. This website will no longer be updated.
Updates from the Coordinator
Three years of development and cooperation in FLEXCHX project!
The FLEXCHX project took off in March 2018 and now, the project has come to an end and will be finalized soon.
In FLEXCHX, successful project work has been carried out despite globally challenging times. The particular mission of the project was to validate the key enabling technologies of the FLEXCHX process and we have succeeded excellently in the pursuit of this goal.
The test campaigns were very successful although the pandemic challenged the whole world – FLEXCHX managed well!
Using exceptional arrangements, testing activities were possible to continue all the time in facilities, and the employees doing experimental work adapted well to the changes. The coronavirus crisis has shown the importance of cooperation between the scientific world and the rest of society, making the significance of applied science increasingly visible to society.
The results carried out during this project – also analysed according to techno-economic and LCA – have marked a promising track to be run for the development of the next-generation technologies!
Finally, the meetings and the continuous cooperation with all the consortium partners have been rewarding and fruitful. And most importantly, the aim to reach and break the proposed targets have been fulfilled!
Esa Kurkela, VTT – FLEXCHX Project Coordinator
Conferences, workshops
WEBINAR on "Compact Gasification and Synthesis for Flexible Production of
Transport Fuels and Heat"
19 January 2021, 10:00 – 12:30 CET
Thank you all who joined the webinar on 19 Jan 2021!
WEBINAR PRESENTATIONS - The material presented is available to download
[PDF]:
Johanna Kihlman (VTT): Welcome
and introduction
Sanna Tuomi (VTT): Concepts
for distributed primary biomass conversion and central refining
Esa Kurkela (VTT): Gasification
technologies for small-to-medium scale syngas plants
Harald Balzer (GKN Sinter Metals Filters): Hot
filtration
Benjamin Rollins (Johnson Matthey): Catalytic
reforming
Christian Frilund (VTT): Sorbent-based
final gas clean-up
Tim Boeltken (INERATEC): Compact
Fischer-Tropsch synthesis
Use of FT product at oil refineries
Mikko Wuokko (NESTE Engineering Solutions): Processing
alternatives
Jan Jencik (ORLEN UniCRE): Vision
of ORLEN UniCRE
Vincenzo Tota (Wood): Techno-economic
studies for COMSYN process
Ralph-Uwe Dietrich (DLR): Techno-economic
studies for FlexCHX process
Esa Kurkela (VTT): Concluding
remarks
Latest results of two research projects funded by the EU Horizon 2020
programme: COMSYN and FLEXCHX.
Agenda of the webinar [PDF]
Best Regards, Project coordinators, COMSYN
Johanna Kihlman VTT and FLEXCHX Esa Kurkela VTT
Assistance: For any questions, please contact minna.kurkela@vtt.fi
Validation of the key enabling technologies: One of the project’s main objective achieved!
The key enabling technologies of the FLEXCHX project were successfully validated at the 1 MW pilot gasifier of VTT Bioruukki in March 2020; despite the challenging situation dealing with coronavirus threat. Large-scale test campaigns could be implemented jointly with qualified personnel of VTT, Lithuanian Energy Institute and INERATEC, Germany.
The validation test for the complete gasification, gas cleaning, and FT-synthesis process were carried out. SXB-pilot plant was operated under gasification conditions continuously for 70 hours. The gasifier operation was satisfactory throughout the test, and there were no major process-related problems. The biomass residues were converted to Fischer-Tropsch wax and oil, which can be further refined to renewable transport fuels. Operation time with MOBSU-FT unit was roughly 61 hours.
EUBCE2019 - 27th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
The FLEXCHX project was presented at the 27th European Biomass
Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE
2019 Conference) on 27-30th May 2019 in Lisbon (Portugal) by oral
presentations:
FLEXCHX poster has been presented by Nerijus Striūgas, LEI during the
EUBCE 2019, download here. VTT participated also in the side event of EUBCE
Paving the way towards clean energy and fuels in Europe - Talks with
research, industry and EU Member States on bioenergy, advanced biofuels and
renewable fuels” on 29th May 2019 in Lisbon.
EUBCE 2019 Proceedings
http://www.etaflorence.it/proceedings/
Title: Flexible Hybrid Process for Combined Production of Heat, Power and
Renewable Feedstock for Refineries
Authors: Kurkela, E., Tuomi, S., Kurkela, M., Hiltunen, I.
Title: Integration of Waste Heat Streams into Industrial CHPs or District
Heating Units
Authors: Skvorčinskienė, R., Striūgas, N., Kurkela, E., Bakas, R., Radinas,
M.
Successful FLEXCHX Workshop in Lithuania!
On April 3, 2019, FLEXCHX held a well-attended industrial thematic workshop
“Highly Flexible Combined Heat, Power and Transport Fuel Production – Prospective Technology in our Energy Future” in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Workshop was organized by Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Enerstena UAB and Kauno energija AB. The workshop was opened by director Dr. Sigitas Rimkevičius from LEI. The welcome speeches were given by Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas and Member of the Seimas, Chair for Commission for Energy and Sustainable Development, Virgilijus Poderys. The workshop included presentations from project participants as well as from invited speakers representing industries, raw material supply chain, policy makers, environmental organisations and financing bodies.
FLEXCHX project would like to thank all workshop participants for their great interest and participation in the discussions.
See Workshop Programme and Presentations
here
See photos of the workshop
H2020 Contractor’s Workshop - Biofuels projects
23-24 May 2019, Brussels Belgium
VTT participated the workshop which
indentified ways of finding synergies and collaborations between the
on-going EU projects.
ProcessNet
“Jahrestreffen der ProcessNet-Fachgruppe Energieverfahrenstechnik und des Arbeitsausschusses Thermische Energiespeicherung“
6.-7. March 2019 DECHEMA-Haus, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
Presented by DLR (
programme)
4th Scientific SCI Meeting - Integrated Energy
20-21 September 2018, Location: DLR Stuttgart, Germany
FLEXCHX Project: “Flexible combined production of power, heat and transport fuels from renewable energy sources” was presented by DLR at Scientific SCI Meeting. The presentation is available
here.
H2020 Contractor’s Workshop - Biofuels and Alternative Fuels project
7 June 2018, Brussels Belgium
The meeting gathered together the beneficiaries of on-going H2020 RIA
and IA projects on biofuels and alternative fuels.
Horizon 2020 Workshop on Bioenergy, Advanced Biofuels and Renewable fuels
10-11 April 2018, Brussels Belgium
- VTT participated as a project coordinator.
Gasification 2018, ACI’s 7th Annual Gasification Summit
28-29 March 2018, Frankfurt Germany
http://www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/gasification/
- VTT participated with an oral presentation
Project meetings
1st Review Meeting and 4th Consortium Meeting of FLEXCHX project
The 1st FLEXCHX project Review meeting was successfully held on 13th November 2019 at VTT Bioruukki, Finland. During a half day meeting, the FLEXCHX consortium presented the project’s progress and achievements accomplished from the first 18 months of its implementation. During the Review day, the EC Project Officer, Daniel Maraver, and the participants were extensively informed about project’s work and the accomplishments that have been reached. Finally, the EC project officer thanked the project for the high quality work and encouraged to face the challenges at the end of the second period of FLEXCHX.
In the 4th Consortium Meeting on 13-14 November 2019 at VTT, the project participants were devided into working groups where they collaborated. The meeting included a visit to the VTT’s Piloting Centre Bioruukki.
3rd Consortium Meeting
4 April 2019, Kaunas, Lithuania
The 3rd FLEXCHX Consortium Meeting in Lithuania has been hosted by Lithuanian Energy Institute.
Valuable discussions and ideas of the FLEXCHX project after one year of research work.
FLEXCHX Working Group & 2nd Consortium Meetings
17-18 September 2018,
Espoo, Finland
VVTT hosted the Working Group and 2nd Consortium Meetings at
VTT Bioruukki, Espoo. Meetings were an important opportunity to disseminate
project results and to discuss new ideas among the partners. The
participants visited the Large Research Infrastructure at VTT Bioruukki test
hall. In FLEXCHX project, the SXB gasification process will be developed and
tested at the pressurized pilot plant. The existing pilot gasifier is
currently adapted for the experiments to provide results.
FLEXCHX Kick-off Meeting
2 March 2018, Brussels Belgium
- Kick-off Meeting with Project Officer Mr. Daniel Maraver de Lemus, European Commission (EU).
