Neste to develop Power-to-Liquids plant at VTT Bioruukki Pilot Centre

VTT and Neste have agreed to build a technology demonstration facility at VTT Bioruukki Pilot Centre, Espoo.

The work has started by first modifications to the research infrastructure at VTT Bioruukki. During 2022 and early 2023, electrolysis, CO2 capture, and synthesis units in sea containers will be connected to VTT Bioruukki research infrastructure.

The E-fuel project pilot runs are expected to be completed during 2023. Establishing the infrastructure for Power-to-Liquids production contributes to strengthening cooperation between Neste and VTT in e-fuel production development from pilot to commercial scale.

The technology demonstration will employ CO2 capture from flue gas, hydrogen production by highly efficient high-temperature electrolysis and fuel synthesis based on the Fischer-Tropsch technology. The CO2 capture and electrolysis solutions are provided by Finnish project partners Kleener Power Solutions Oy and Carbonreuse Finland Oy and Convion Oy and Elcogen Oy, respectively.

VTT will provide the fuel synthesis unit and technology, and Neste will upgrade the synthetic crude oil into fuel products fulfilling the specifications. Neste is expecting to see a successfully integrated demonstration of technologies and to receive at least 300 kg of synthetic crude oil for synthetic fuel processing development.

Neste started this business platform in its Innovation unit in 2019 as part of its efforts to commercialise the Power-to-X strategy for synthetic e-fuel and e-feedstock production. Such pilot projects support competence development at Neste as well as more broadly and offer a venue for focused process development and R&D in key technology areas relevant to Power-to-X commercialisation.

Dietmar Huber, VP of Innovation Business Platform Power-to-X at Neste, said, “Substitution of crude oil in transportation requires utilisation of all sustainable solutions like renewable fuels, electric vehicles and synthetic fuels (e-Fuels via Power-to-X). Power-to-X is one technology pathway, which has the potential to unlock new raw material pools beyond biomass with innovation to accelerate emission reduction in transportation.”

Lars Peter Lindfors, SVP Innovation at Neste, said, “We need breakthrough innovations and continued focus on research and technology development in order to provide cost-efficient and value-creating solutions for the future.”