To open the afternoon programme, Professor Jakob Burger and Dr Júnior Staudt from the Professorship of Chemical Process Engineering at the TUM Campus Straubing presented findings from the SynergyFuels project, which is developing an integrated refinery concept for renewable fuels. The research project combines biogenic residues with Power-to-X processes and integrates a range of thermochemical, electrochemical and biotechnological processes to use energy and raw materials as efficiently as possible. Its goal is to scale up these processes to a near-commercial level, particularly to produce fuels for transport applications that are difficult to electrify.
Senior Representative from the Federal Ministry of Transport Visits Straubing
Professor Burger then presented the participants with the results of a workshop entitled “€10 Billion to Scale Up Renewable Fuels: Where and How Should It Be Invested?”, which had taken place the previous day. Dr Arne Roth from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB provided further insights into research activities in Straubing.
A particular highlight was the visit by Dr Claudia Stutz, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport. She was welcomed by Professor Volker Sieber, Rector of the TUM Campus Straubing. Dr Stutz opened the second part of the afternoon programme with a welcome address. She highlighted Straubing’s importance in advancing renewable fuels. The close links between research, demonstration and practical testing allow the many organisations based in Straubing to show how new fuel technologies can be driven forward.
From the Lecture Hall to the Laboratories
Afterwards, the focus shifted from the lecture hall directly to the research facilities. During a guided tour, the guests explored a range of technologies currently under development.
At the TUM Campus Straubing, the tour included a pilot-scale demonstration plant that continuously produces polyoxymethylene butyl ethers (OMBE) on a tonne scale. Researchers are investigating OMBE as a sustainable alternative to fossil diesel fuel. The forum thus clearly demonstrated how researchers are taking new fuels beyond the laboratory scale.
The other stops on the tour also highlighted the breadth of renewable-fuels research in Straubing. At Fraunhofer IGB, participants viewed laboratory facilities where researchers develop and begin scaling up processes for the thermocatalytic synthesis of fuels from CO₂ and hydrogen. The Technology and Support Centre (TFZ) presented a test bench used to assess renewable fuels for agricultural machinery.
The forum brought together scientific research, technological development and the challenges involved in scaling up the market for renewable fuels. While the morning programme at the airfield focused on topics including industry, financing and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), the afternoon took guests directly to Straubing’s research projects and facilities. Research was not merely discussed but made tangible on site.