ESEIA Vice-President Teresa Ponce de Leão Featured in Portuguese Media on Aviation Decarbonisation
The newly funded ToFuel project, officially launched in January 2026, is already gaining media attention.
Vice-President of ESEIA and President of LNEG, Teresa Ponce de Leão, spoke in a recent interview with REVISTA SUSTENTÁVEL (Portugal) about the newly funded ToFuel project, which uses advanced technologies to transform tomato waste into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). By integrating biotechnological and thermochemical processes, the project creates a sustainable cycle, reusing the CO₂ generated for algae production.
The project also benefits from the contribution of Luis Duarte, researcher at LNEG’s Bioenergy and Biorefineries Unit.
ToFuel is a natural continuation of the path begun with the BioEnergyTrain and Phoenix projects, both funded under Horizon 2020 and led by ESEIA, of which LNEG is a founding member. These projects focused on advanced training and the creation of excellence networks in bioenergy and the bioeconomy. Today, these skills and networks are being applied to concrete solutions with industrial and societal impact.
ToFuel focuses on the development of biomass conversion technologies within biorefineries, which are essential for strengthening the bioeconomy and accelerating the energy transition. This approach is fully aligned with the new European Bioeconomy Strategy presented by the European Commission in November 2025, which aims to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and enhance economic circularity.
The project will generate key technical evidence for European policies such as ReFuelEU Aviation, part of the Fit for 55 package, demonstrating in concrete terms how agro-industrial residues can contribute to the decarbonisation of aviation.
ESEIA members in the ToFuel project include: ESEIA (AT), TU Graz (AT), UZagreb PBF (HR), LNEG (PT), TU Vienna (AT)
Source: Decarbonising Aviation: How New Projects Are “Changing the Game”
Author: Raquel Murgeira – 2 February 2026
All Rights Reserved // Lunghammer – TU Graz
Read the full interview (Portuguese):
Descarbonização da aviação: Como novos projetos estão a ‘mudar o jogo’
