Background In the context of climate change and the insecurity of global energy supplies, EU Member States have committed themselves to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20%, increasing the share of renewables in the EU's energy mix to 20%, and improving energy efficiency by 20%, all by 2020. However, many renewable energy technologies need further development to bring down costs before they become commercially viable. The production of some potential long-term alternatives to fossil fuels, such as biofuels, have also been criticised for their poor overall environmental performance. Problems with biofuels stem from land-use changes to monoculture, which negatively affects biodiversity, and assessments that suggest they generate more GHG emissions over their life-cycle than they avoid. Some sectors also present specific challenges in terms of switching to renewable energy sources. The EU transport sector stands out in particular, being the only major sector where emissions are still rising. About 20% of the EU's total GHG emissions are attributable to road transport. Improving the availability of renewable fuel for the transport sector is a crucial stepping stone to achieving Europe’s energy and climate change goals. St1 has already been active in researching various “waste-to-fuel” options. Objectives The ‘Etanolix 2.0 for LIFE+’ project aims to demonstrate and promote the conversion of industrial food waste into ethanol for use as a renewable fuel in the transport sector. It thus hopes to provide a sustainable solution for the management of industrial food waste, while also contribute to reducing the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels, thereby helping to reduce GHG emissions. The project specifically hopes to demonstrate the first operational processing plant – at about 80% scale under real-life conditions - for the sustainable production of ethanol from organic waste, integrated with the production process of an oil refinery. This integration expects to take advantage of energy synergies between the two processes through the proximity principle - bioethanol production will harness heat from the refining processes and cooling from the refinery water supply facilities. This will improve the energy efficiency of the overall process and help ensure the economic feasibility of the technology. The bioethanol produced in the pilot plant will be used as a bio-component, to be blended with fuels for use in vehicles. This will contribute to the development of the biofuels sector, increasing its economic and technical feasibility as an alternative to fossil fuels. Furthermore, the project will work to valorise residue from the ethanol production process. The sludge by-product, made of non-fermentable solids and water, will be used as silage for animal feed, providing yet another economic and environmental benefit. Expected results: Demonstration of the first complete system for the production of bioethanol using industrial residues, integrated within an oil refinery; Processing of 15 000-21 000 t/year of food waste; 98-100% conversion efficiency when recycling and re-using industrial food waste; Production of 5000 m3/year of ethanol (European standard EN 15376) for use in transport fuel; 90% CO2 reduction from biofuel use compared to fossil fuels; Improved energy efficiency by harnessing 67 60 MWh/year from excess steam and 9 530 MWh/year from excess cooling water from the oil refinery; Production of 25 000 t/year of silage for animal feed.