CARTIF Projects
PROBIO
Integrated valorisation of waste plastics and bioplastics for the sustainable production of renewable gases and bioproducts: an advanced approach to bioeconomy and biodegradability
Description
The general objective of the PROBIO project is to work on broadening the spectrum of substrates that can be treated in fermentation processes for the production of renewable gases (biohydrogen and biomethane) and biocompounds of interest (volatile fatty acids).
It is well known how much plastic waste cannot be recycled and ends up, in many cases, in landfill or in direct thermal recovery, thus losing all or most of its potential. On the other hand, in recent years, the growing production of bioplastics has led to an increase in the amount of waste which, although biodegradable, takes time to disappear from the environments where they are applied.
Objectives
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- To evaluate the feasibility of using plastics and bioplastics as substrates in dark fermentation processes to generate biohydrogen in the gas phase and volatile fatty acids in the liquid phase.
- Develop a pre-treatment stage (thermal + enzymatic) to favour the biodegradability of the reactor input streams.
Generate a biogas stream enriched in biohydrogen. - Develop an operating methodology to maximise the presence of certain fatty acids of interest in the digested fraction.
- Make recommendations for the use of the remaining digested fraction (after fatty acid separation) based on its biodegradability.
Expected Results
- The proposed action will provide CARTIF with a very unique research and analytical capacity.
- Reduce the amount of plastics and bioplastics that end up in landfills by using them as a co-substrate in biotechnological processes for biogas and biohydrogen generation.
- Generate a biogas stream with 50% biohydrogen in its composition and a digested fraction with a fatty acid composition of interest.
R&D Line
- Design and development of biological processes for organic waste treatment: anaerobic (co-)digestion with/without pre-treatment, microalgae, dark fermentation and bio-electrochemical processes.
Subvención de Apoyo a la inversión para la mejora de las capacidades científicas y tecnológicas de los Centros Tecnológicos de la Comunidad de Castilla y León (2023)
File: 2023 CCTT 05
Total Budget: 119,800€
CARTIF Grant: 59,900€
Duración: 02/10/2023 – 31/05/2024
Co-financed with ERDF funds contributing to the Policy Objective “OP1: A more competitive and smarter Europe, promoting innovative and intelligent economic transformation and regional connectivity to information and communication technologies”.
Responsible
Dolores Hidalgo
Division of Agrifood and Processes
Networking
Other projects:
BIORECOS
The BIORECOS Project aims to design and build a demonstration plant of a modular nature that allows, through pyrolysis, the production of charcoal and / or active coal, as well as the generation of electrical energy.
ENHANCE HEALTH
The ENHANCE HEALTH project focuses on environmental and health concerns related to air pollution produced by industries and waste incinerators in urban areas.