Reinforcing International Collaboration: The UK’s Return to Horizon Europe and the LignoBTX Project
- Project lead
- Fatih Gulec
- Institute
- University of Nottingham
Summary
Following the UK’s re-entry into the EU’s Horizon Europe programme in January 2024, the University of Nottingham has re-established vital international research ties through participation in the LignoBTX project. This ambitious collaboration brings together over 15 leading industrial and academic partners from across Europe—including SOCAR (Türkiye), Tecnalia (Spain), Åbo Akademi University and VTT (Finland), Ranido (Czech Republic), and BioBTX (Netherlands)—to transform the petrochemical sector. The project focuses on converting lignocellulosic biomass into high-value platform chemicals such as benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX), using sustainable thermochemical processes and advanced catalyst systems.
LignoBTX aims to develop economically viable technologies targeting industrial-scale implementation (TRL 6–7), offering a sustainable alternative to fossil-derived chemicals. The anticipated outcomes include cost-effective bio-based chemical production, strengthened regional economies through local biomass use, and significant contributions to Europe’s circular bioeconomy and net-zero objectives.
As the sole UK representative, Dr Fatih Gulec from the University of Nottingham contributes expertise in chemical engineering and decarbonisation technologies, supporting the proposal development and technical planning stages. The initial funding provided by BBNet’s Collaborate and Innovate Grant Fund enabled the UK partners’ key engagement activities—such as attending consortium meetings and international travel—that were crucial for assembling this multidisciplinary team.
This collaboration underscores the UK’s renewed commitment to global sustainability and innovation through partnership and reinforces the importance of international cooperation in advancing clean energy and industrial decarbonisation technologies.
Aims
The LignoBTX project aims to develop economically viable and environmentally sustainable technologies for converting lignocellulosic biomass into high-value platform chemicals—benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX). By integrating advanced thermochemical conversion, optimised catalysts, and efficient processing, the project targets industrial deployment (TRL 6–7) to support decarbonisation in the petrochemical sector and promote a circular bioeconomy.
Outcomes
This collaborative effort has successfully established a multidisciplinary European consortium under Horizon Europe, including academic, industrial, and research partners from across Europe. The proposal outlines a comprehensive plan for developing sustainable BTX production technologies from lignocellulosic biomass, aiming to transition from lab-scale proof-of-concept to near-commercial readiness (TRL 6–7). The consortium’s extensive experience across biomass processing, catalysis, and techno-economic analysis strengthens its ability to deliver scalable, low-carbon solutions. Through this engagement, the project reinforces UK-EU research cooperation post-Brexit and highlights the UK’s contribution to addressing global challenges such as climate change, sustainable industry, and energy transition.
Impact
The collaboration re-strengthens the networks between UK and European partners and supports the development of sustainable chemical technologies, with long-term impacts on industrial decarbonisation, circular economy practices, and regional biomass utilisation, aligning with global climate and sustainability targets.
Lead academic: Dr Fatih Gulec, The University of Nottingham
Industrial partner: Dr Aysel Zahidova, SOCAR Türkiye R&D and Innovation Inc
