The Chemical Complications of Bio-Oil Blending

STAB3 aims to change this by developing a new, non-invasive assessment platform capable of evaluating blend stability over time without disturbing the sample - and applicable to bio-oil–fossil fuel and bio-oil–bio-oil combinations alike. Beyond assessment, the project also seeks to formulate dispersants and co-solvents capable of improving miscibility in blends that would otherwise be unstable.

A subtler challenge is the inherent variability of bio-oils: because they are derived from diverse feedstocks such as wood, agricultural residues or sewage sludge their composition can vary with season, source, and processing conditions, creating a level of unpredictability far greater than that of conventional fuels. It is a reminder that working with biological materials demands a different kind of scientific patience.

The work is necessarily collaborative. Alongside DTU Offshore colleagues, Waqas works with DFDS, which supplies the marine fuels used in testing - giving the project access to the kind of real fuel samples that laboratory procurement rarely can.

Scaling the Use of Biofuels

Looking further ahead, the trajectory is clear. The shipping industry currently incorporates around 10% bio-oil into its fuel mix - a figure set to rise as regulation and supply develop. Waqas puts that horizon at 20 to 30 years before vessels can operate on bio-oil alone. In the meantime, the work of understanding blend stability is not an academic curiosity but a practical necessity for every ship that leaves port.