THE CLUSTER UNITES 10 LEADING HORIZON EUROPE PROJECTS TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED, ALGAE-BASED SUSTAINABLE FUELS
SUSTAFUELS AIMS TO MAXIMISE TECHNICAL INNOVATION, IMPACT, AND OUTREACH TOWARDS A GREENER AND MORE CIRCULAR TRANSPORT SYSTEM
October 28, 2025 – The European cluster of research and innovation projects, SUSTAFUELS, has been expanded with new initiatives to advance the development and large-scale deployment of sustainable transport fuels. The cluster brings together now ten pioneering Horizon Europe projects — ALFAFUELS, ALGAESOL, CAPTUS, COCPIT, FUELGAE, ICARUS, NIAGARA, SusAlgaeFuel, SUNFUSION and, SUSTEPS— all working towards a common vision: a decarbonised transport sector powered by renewable, bio-based fuels.
By connecting Europe’s most innovative research efforts in sustainable fuels, SUSTAFUELS aims not only to amplify the visibility and impact of individual projects but also to create the conditions for technical cooperation,” said the cluster coordinators. “The initiative will help Europe take a step towards achieving its climate neutrality goals.”
The SUSTAFUELS Cluster is designed to go beyond joint communication and dissemination activities. Its members will collaborate on technical topics, share best practices in life-cycle and techno-economic assessments, and align efforts to develop integrated, circular value chains, as well as organise sessions on common topics of interest and participate together in commercial fairs & exhibitions, optimising resources.
By pooling expertise and resources, the cluster will enhance the scalability, resource efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of advanced fuel technologies emerging from participating projects. These projects, many of which focus on CO₂ utilization, solar-driven conversion processes, and microalgae-based biorefineries, are supported by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme. Collectively, they represent a pan-European network of researchers, innovators, and industrial stakeholders committed to transforming how sustainable fuels are produced and adopted across aviation, maritime, and road transport sectors.
A SHARED COMMITMENT TO EUROPE’S GREEN DEAL
SUSTAFUELS embodies the European Green Deal’s ambition to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Through a fully circular and integrated approach to fuel production, the cluster contributes to reducing dependence on fossil resources and strengthening energy resilience, while drawing on the expertise and collaboration of partners from Europe and beyond, including North America, South America, and North Africa.
CONTACT
Pablo Morales Moya, Communications Manager, Sustainable Innovations.
ABOUT ALFAFUELS
The ALFAFUELS project seeks to develop innovative Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) technology to reduce aviation’s reliance on fossil fuels. By addressing key challenges like high production costs and sustainability issues, the project incorporates breakthroughs such as microbial fuel precursor production and solar-driven photochemistry.
More information: www.alfafuels.eu
ABOUT ALGAESOL
ALGAESOL aims to develop cost-effective, sustainable and renewable biofuels based on microalgae and direct solar fuel production and purification technologies in order to accelerate the replacement of fossil-based energy technologies. Solar energy, carbon dioxide and organic wastes will be converted through biologic, photoelectrochemical, electrochemical or bioelectrochemical processes into renewable methanol, methane and biooils, forming the basis for aviation and shipping fuels.
More information: www.algaesol.eu
ABOUT CAPTUS
The CAPTUS project focuses on the production of renewable energy carriers (RECs) from CO2 captured from industrial flue gases, addressing important bottlenecks such as impurities and conditioning steps as well as the optimal integration with renewable electricity surplus to prevent curtailments and ensure sustainable value chains. CAPTUS will provide an industrial roadmap to a net-zero carbon future through EII-integrated solutions from both captured carbon emissions and its efficient conversion into liquid RECs.
More information: www.captusproject.eu
ABOUT COCPIT
The COCPIT Project focuses on the cultivation of microalgae in intensified photobioreactors (PBRs) enclosed in a photovoltaic shell (STPV) that produces both biomass and solar energy, and the transformation of algal biomass into SAF is studied using two alternative pathways: the HEFA (hydrotreated esters and fatty acids) and HTL (hydrothermal liquefaction) pathways, both leading to the production of biofuels for aviation and maritime use that meet ASTM certification standards. The project will also deliver a decision-making tool based on Techno-economic and life cycle assessments to choose the between both developed pathways.
More information: www.cocpit-horizon.eu
