ToFuel | Latest Updates

The second quarter of 2026 marked an important step forward for the ToFuel Horizon Europe project as research activities gained momentum and the project’s communication and dissemination activities entered full implementation. As leaders of Work Package 7 – Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation, ESEIA and EEIP continued to coordinate the project’s visibility, supporting partners in communicating ToFuel’s objectives and early achievements across Europe.

A key milestone was the completion of the ToFuel Communication Toolkit, providing project partners with a comprehensive set of dissemination resources, including the project presentation, flyer, conference poster and press release, ensuring a consistent visual identity and coordinated communication throughout the project.

Research activities also progressed significantly within WP2 – Upstream – Seed pressing, Extrusion, hydrothermal liquefaction and Algae and WP3 – Midstream – Fermentation and Lipid Extraction, where researchers at UNIZAG-PBF advanced innovative approaches to valorising tomato processing residues. Early results demonstrated the successful production of high-quality tomato seed oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and promising progress in producing microbial lipids from tomato-derived feedstocks, supporting the project’s ambition to develop an integrated biorefinery for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and other high-value bio-based products.

The project also strengthened its international visibility through its presentation at EUBCE 2026 – the 34th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition in The Hague, where Florbela Carvalheiro (LNEG) presented ToFuel alongside other Horizon Europe projects during a dedicated Mission Innovation session on integrated biorefineries, opening new opportunities for future collaboration.

Another important communication milestone was the publication of ToFuel Newsletter #1, coordinated by ESEIA. The inaugural newsletter introduced the project’s progress, highlighted early research achievements and invited stakeholders to follow ToFuel’s journey towards transforming tomato residues into Sustainable Aviation Fuel and other valuable bio-based products.

Project Coordinator: Marlene Kienberger, TU Graz, AT
ESEIA Project Manager: Sila Celebi, AT