15 September 2026 (15:00 – 17:00 CET)

This Final ICARUS Webinar serves to present and discuss project results with members of the External Executive Advisory Board (EEAB), the end users (EU) and other interested stakeholders active in the field of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

ICARUS R&I results address innovative solutions and concepts for up-scaling for three main SAF production routes, namely Biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction to SAF, Isobutanol from lignocellulosic biomass to SAF, and Synthetic Fischer-Tropsch from biomass gasification to SAF. Furthermore, ICARUS outcomes concern increased sustainable biomass supply, techno-economic, environmental, and social assessments throughout the entire value chains, as well as SAF certification, policies and markets.

ICARUS has strong participation from Mission Innovation countries facilitating market deployment of SAF based on the value chains mentioned above in the EU and beyond.

• Webinar Registration

We look forward to meeting you at the ICARUS Final Webinar.

25 September 2026, Comet Louise, Pl. Stephanie 20 in Brussels

This ICARUS Final Conference serves to present and discuss project results with interested stakeholders active in the field of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) at an on-site event in Brussels.

The ICARUS project provides innovative solutions and concepts for up-scaling for three main SAF production routes, namely Biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction to SAF, Isobutanol from lignocellulosic biomass to SAF, and Synthetic Fischer-Tropsch from biomass gasification to SAF. Project targets include increased and sustainable biomass supply, cutting edge technological developments, techno-economic, environmental, and social assessments throughout the entire value chains.

Conference Registration:
Please, send an email confirming your participation to rainer.janssen@wip-munich.de
 

On 21 May 2026, ICARUS organised an on-site co-creation workshop entitled SAF Upscaling – Time for Action! at the 34th European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE) in The Hague. It had been concluded that organising a single umbrella workshop would be the most impactful approach. 

The event brought together more than 60 participants from around the world – including Europe, Brazil, the United States, Thailand, and other regions – resulting in a fully packed room that clearly reflected the strong interest in, and high relevance of SAF upscaling.

The workshop was structured around three main blocks. The first block, fully represented by ICARUS partners (SINTEF, CRES, University of the Basque Country, TNO, NTNU & DBFZ), focused on the technology dimension, starting with how innovative feedstock strategies can unlock large-scale SAF deployment and reduce reliance on limited resources. It presented then the latest conversion technology developments to overcome process limitations and accelerate commercialization, concluding with an analysis of production costs and environmental impacts for the selected pathways.

The second block moved beyond technology to address policy frameworks, market dynamics, and sustainability certification requirements, including financing needs and instruments essential for SAF upscaling. This session engaged both project partners (KM-IIC and RSB) as well as Maria Georgiadou, senior expert on renewable fuels, biofuels and bioenergy in the European Commission (DG-RTD).

Finally, the third block featured a panel discussion and interactive co-creation session, designed to gather diverse perspectives and integrate them into the ongoing ICARUS work on best-practices and concepts for SAF upscaling. The panel consisted of senior representatives from both industry, academia and the European Commission.

Results from the Co-creation workshop will be available soon at the ICARUS website.

Commercial exploitation of European technologies for uptake on global markets is considered throughout the ICARUS project to maximize the impact and market penetration of research results. Potentially valuable intellectual property (IP) is captured, evaluated and protected by appropriate means. These actions are described in the “Plan for dissemination and exploitation including communication activities” that is updated throughout the project.

A specific Exploitation Outlook Summary (EOS) Report will highlight opportunities and provide guidelines to exploit for the exploitation of project results beyond the project duration. 

The following five ICARUS Key Exploitable Results (KERs) have been identified.

KER 1: New knowledge on mixed cropping systems - Practical agronomic guidelines
Description: This KER offers new knowledge on how growing two crops together (intercropping) – such as sorghum with a legume – can improve lignocellulosic feedstock yield per unit of land area, reduce the need of fertilizers, and make farming systems more resilient. The results come from field trials and provide practical advice for farmers interested in sustainable feedstock crop production.
Key end users: Biomass-producing farmers

KER 2: Nitrogen removal technology for improving the quality of biocrude oils
Description: The developed nitrogen (N) removal technology based on microalgae pre-treatment is a process solution integrated into biocrude upgrading. Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of feedstocks, physical and chemical pretreatments methods are essential to reduce nitrogen content and improve feedstock quality prior hydrotreatment (e.g., hydrodeoxygenation, HDO).
Key end users: Customers/end-users: Catalyst and enzyme companies, chemical industry, aviation sector

KER 3: Optimized yeast for the direct conversion of cellulose and C5 and C6 sugars into isobutanol
Description: This KER is an industrial yeast strain that produces isobutanol instead of ethanol and secretes all major cellulolytic enzymes. It will allow to drastically reduce the requirement for commercial cellulase enzyme cocktails in the saccharification process of the lignocellulosic biomass.
Key end users: Chemical companies using isobutanol as solvent or chemical reagent, biofuel companies selling isobutanol

KER 4: Novel syngas-to-SAF production process (SOSAF)
Description: This KER addresses an innovative technology for SAF production from syngas, which has improved carbon selectivity (over 50 %C) compared to current syngas-to-SAF benchmark technologies. The technology involves three catalytic conversions using novel and conventional catalysts. It involves in a first step the production of olefins from syngas directly, followed by oligomerization and hydrogenation to SAF.
Key end users: General fuel producers or dedicated SAF producers

KER 5: Impact indicators for sustainability assessments of SAF production routes
Description: This KER consists of the application of sustainability assessment methods to evaluate different early-stage sustainable aviation fuel production routes. It provides a set of environmental, economic, and social impact indicators, together with supporting data and analysis. The result enables technology developers to assess and improve their processes and supports policymakers with evidence to guide decisions on the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels.
Key end users: Fuel producers, technology providers, research organisations, policymakers
 

The EU-funded project ICARUS – International Cooperation for Sustainable Aviation Biofuels – is dedicated to advancing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production by addressing critical technology limitations for three pivotal SAF production routes: biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction to SAF, isobutanol from lignocellulosic biomass to SAF, and synthetic Fischer-Tropsch fuels from biomass gasification to SAF. These three value chains have been strategically chosen due to their proximity to market and their indispensable role in achieving European and international SAF deployment targets.

ICARUS builds on a strong international consortium of 20 reputed partners including 5 partners from three Mission Innovation Countries (MIC) Canada, India and Brazil, and two partners from USA joining R&I activities as members of the External Executive Advisory Board (EEAB).