From manure to
green asphalt
From manure to
green asphalt
HTU® stands for Hydro Thermal Upgrading – a globally unique, innovative technology. In just 15 minutes, the HTU® process converts wet organic waste streams, such as manure, roadside grass, and sewage sludge, into biocrude – a biological, oily product with an energy density comparable to fossil oil.
This biocrude can be directly applied as biobitumen in asphalt, or upgraded via existing technology to biomethanol, SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) – sustainable aviation fuel, and hydrogen.
HTU® Industries: The solution for nitrogen and climate.
The HTU® technology was developed in the 1980s and 1990s in the Shell laboratory in Amsterdam as a response to the oil crisis of the 1970s. The founders Ir. Jaap Naber and Dr. Ir. Frans Goudriaan († 2025) based their work on a chemical process for which two German scientists received the Nobel Prize in 1931.
From 1997 to 2008, extensive tests were carried out at TNO in Apeldoorn in a pilot plant, which was officially put into use by the Minister of Economic Affairs at the time. During this period, numerous tests were carried out with various wet organic residual flows of biomass.
In recent years, HTU® technology has been further refined by Jaap Naber and Frans Goudriaan. HTU® Industries Holding BV has also recently applied for several new patents on these technological innovations, marking a new phase in the development of HTU®.
With the passing of Frans Goudriaan in 2025, we lose a pioneer, but his work remains the basis for our innovations.
How do we make biocrude?
For the production of biocrude, we use the innovative Hydro Thermal Upgrading (HTU®) technology. Wet organic residual flows, such as manure, roadside grass and sewage sludge, with a modified moisture content of approximately 80%, go directly into the process. No drying is required, which saves a huge amount of energy.
In an oxygen-free environment, the biomass is pressurized to approximately 175 bar and heated to approximately 330°C. There is no combustion process, but a thermochemical conversion in which water functions as a reactant, among other things.
Under these process conditions, organic substances are broken down and the following valuable products are obtained:
- Biocrude: an oily, renewable biofuel
- Gas: mainly (biogenic) CO₂
- Mineral stream as a biological fertilizer substitute, such as ReNure
- Clean water
From biocrude to biobitumen, biofuel or hydrogen
After separation of the products, biocrude can be directly converted into biobitumen, or upgraded by means of existing technology to biomethanol for marine fuel, SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) – sustainable aviation fuel, or hydrogen.
Advantages HTU® technology
- Converts wet organic waste streams, such as manure, roadside grass and sewage sludge, into biocrude, liquid CO₂, minerals (Renure) and clean water in 15 minutes.
- The HTU®-technology is an almost completely circular process without harmful emissions or waste.
- There is 100% fossil CO₂ savings.
- CO₂ released from the wet organic residual flows is fully captured. This results in an additional emission reduction, resulting in a double climate gain.
- Virtually no ammonia and methane emissions.
- There is no impact on the food chain, no deforestation is required by exclusively using waste streams.
- Due to the extensive test program in the pilot plant at TNO in Apeldoorn, the revolutionary HTU® technology is currently qualified as TRL6 – TRL7.
Our HTU® technology makes a significant contribution to achieving climate goals and structurally reducing the current nitrogen problem. Every year, more manure is produced in the Netherlands than can be responsibly spread on farmland. This manure surplus can be fully processed by approximately twenty HTU® installations, each with a processing capacity of around 150 kilotons. By processing this surplus in a sustainable manner, nitrogen emissions from agriculture can be drastically reduced, bringing a structural solution to the nitrogen problem within reach.
HTU® Industries BV is actively preparing for the realization of a demonstration plant based on HTU® technology for the conversion of manure into biobitumen.
