BIOGEN aims to design biofuels generation systems for applications both in the transportation sector in order to reduce its dependency from fossil fuels such as oil and in the chemical industries. The most useful biofuels chains, in which biomass is converted to produce methane (gaseous or liquid), hydrogen, liquid biofuels like methanol, butanol and biodiesel, will be considered as suitable solutions. In particular the routes on which the IR & ED will be focused are: the biochemical route that is based on biofuels production by means of biochemical processes and thermochemical route that is based on biofuels production by means of thermochemical processes.

Thus, the general aim of the BIOGEN project is to satisfy, in the same time, more issues that combine efficiency and environmental protection without neglecting economical aspects and technological innovation.

In the project BIOGEN two prototypes will be developed:

• a bio-hydrogen generation system by using biogas from anaerobic digestion as feeding fuel
• a bio-methane production and liquefaction system by using biogas from anaerobic digestion as feeding fuel

The realization of these prototypes will contribute to promote and sustain the biofuels market that are considered to have a strategic role for a sustainable development.

The impact of BIOGEN on the biofuels supply chain of the Campania Region will allow to increase, in the near term scenario, the liquid bio-methane distribution for transportation (internal combustion engine, ICE) and, in the mid-long term scenario, to make feasible the hydrogen-based transport systems (Zero Emission Vehicles).

The complexity, the interdisciplinary and the breadth of the technical and scientific aspects will require the need of new employments devoted to project activity.

This aspect will imply advantages due to training of experts in the field of biofuel production that will find a collocation the companies of the project and in the industrial be placed in the companies participating in the project and in the industry sector of the Campania Region.