(NET-Fuels) Carbon-Negative Sustainable Biofuels by Combination of Thermochemical and Bio-Electrochemical Processes

Total Budget: EUR 4,797,489
EC Budget: EUR 4,501,739
Duration: 2022-2026
Lead partner: ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA

NET-Fuels aims at validating a scalable and flexible system to produce carbon-negative biofuels with maximum biomass utilization efficiency from a wide range of low-quality and low-cost feedstocks, such as the secondary biomass resources enlisted in Part A of Annex IX of the REDII (Renewable Energy Directive). The NET-Fuels solution is an integrated prototype with auxiliary systems combining key-technologies for carbon-negative biofuel production. NET-Fuels will deliver:

a) a thermochemical process with post-reforming to produce a hydrogen-rich syngas, a biooil with superior physical and chemical properties than traditional fast pyrolysis oil and a high-quality biochar;

b)a hydrogen separation step to generate a green hydrogen stream;

c)an oxy-fuel combustion (or oxy-combustion) of the tail gas after H2 separation to produce a CO2-rich exhaust;

d)a bio-electro-chemical system for methane production from CO2;

e)an application to soil of the biochar to achieve certified negative greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions (carbon sink).

Consortium:

• ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA, IT
• FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV, DE
• ACONDICIONAMIENTO TARRASENSE ASSOCIACION, ES
• POLITECHNIKA SLASKA, PL
• Ithaka Institut gGmbH, DE
• REACH Innovation Consultancy, AT
• WRG EUROPE LTD, UK 

BioLaMer - Proof of principle fly larvae biorefinery for biopolymer plastic production

Total Budget: EUR 2 971 050
EC Budget: EUR 2 956 825
Duration: 2023-2026
Lead partner: THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN - IRELAND

Management of food waste (FW) and petroleum plastics pollution are two significant global challenges. Developing biopolymers and added-value bioplastic products from low-grade FW is, thus, a key enabler to tackle both issues. Despite extensive R&D efforts to valorise waste streams including FW to bioplastics, the widespread market penetration of bioplastics is hindered due to their high production cost.

BioLaMer aims to demonstrate a novel proof of principle fly larvae biorefinery by establishing food eating black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) as a high impact feedstock for cost-effective production of two biopolymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and chitosan. The advantages of the larvae route are that it: i) is renewable and inexpensive; ii) provides less complexity as the larvae has invariable chemical composition; iii) can be used to mitigate the FW problem; iv) can reduce raw material inputs, thus minimizing energy utilization; v) doesn’t disturb the biodiversity; and vi) can avoid/reduce pre-treatment costs associated with the waste-streams to produce the platform chemicals for biopolymer production.

The innovative BioLaMer biorefinery will improve the bioreactor process efficiency and cut down the PHA production cost significantly compared to existing technologies. BioLaMer will combine its conceptual innovations, complementary interdisciplinary expertise and bioreactor process expertise to develop cost-effective PHA and chitosan production technologies, supported by life cycle thinking/analysis and hybrid models developed using machine learning platform. Further, the significant environmental, economic, and societal impacts (that supports the EU Circular Economy, Green Deal, Food Waste, and Plastic strategies/initiatives) of BioLaMer will be demonstrated through the involvement of SSH, communication and circularity demonstration partners.

 CONSORTIUM:

Prof. Maria Reis & Prof. Rui Oliveira - NOVA ID FCT, Lisbon, Portugal),

Miss. Neda Tozija (TRANSFOLAB BCN, Barcelona, Spain),

Prof. Serena Righi (ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITA' DI BOLOGNA – UNIBO, Italy),

Dr. Jorge Santos (AquaInSilico LDA, Lisbon, Portugal)

Prof. Ana Rita Farias (COFAC, Lusofona University).