New research grant for optimizing OFT’s technology

Organic Fuel Technology has, together with knowledge partner Aarhus University, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, been awarded a grant of 3,4 million DKK by the Danish Innovation Fund (Innovationsfonden). The grant will co-fund a research project that will validate and optimize OFT’s microwave-processes. Funding is provided through the MissionBooster-program which supports small and medium-sized enterprises’ knowledge build-up in contributing to carbon capture and the production of green fuels.

OFTs microwave-technology has similarities with conventional pyrolysis technologies but differs in important respects. However, the precise mechanisms and effects of these differences have until now not been validated in a controlled scientific setting. A scientific validation is pivotal to fully understand the core technology and optimize it for coming commercialization.

– We know that OFTs technology works and has clear advantages in terms of process and products, but our solutions are novel and further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of it. With deeper insights into it we can speed up our journey towards commercialization, says Jens Henrik Haahr, CEO.

OFT has conducted more than 100 test runs at pilot plant scale demonstrating an ever higher success rate. However, the company’s claims have sometimes been met with skepticism since technology development has taken place without systematic involvement of research institutions.

– When we tell our story of a microwave reactor that processes biomass continuously at 350 degrees and convert it into significant amounts of oil and char, people are sometimes puzzled as conventional pyrolysis normally requires temperatures of 700 degrees or more. Going forward, we will be able substantiate our claims scientifically.

The project is not only about validation. With a bench scale lab test facility, tests and experiments with feedstocks and process parameters will be made much easier and can generate important results that will improve the technology further.

 

– We expect that the grant support will enable us to optimize the technology on important parameters, thereby improving our prospects for the commercial 
roll-out further, says Jens Henrik Haahr.

For more information:
Jens Henrik Haahr, CEO
 +45 4083 7523
jhh@organicfuel.tech