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Content archived on 2024-06-18

Biological production of butanol from syngas

Objective

The global energy consumption has doubled over the last 30 years, sustained mainly by the use of fossil fuels. The potential depletion of these may leave our society at the edge of an energy crisis unless reliable alternative energy sources are developed. The current context has led to the investigation of alternatives, such as bio-fuels, a renewable energy source with carbon neutral contribution to global warming because they are generated from biomass or wastes. These can be converted to bio-fuels by different ways. One of the most common is the catalytic process Fischer-Tropsch (FT), which allows the conversion of carbon monoxide and hydrogen to liquid hydrocarbons. This process requires an initial stage of gasification to convert the wastes into a mix of CO2, CO and H2 called syngas. This gas contains also impurities (i.e. volatile sulfur compounds, tars, ammonia). The FT process is well established, but is complex and has high energetic requirements. Additionally, the process requires the use of catalysts, of high cost and elevated sensitivity to impurities. To protect them, syngas has to be pre-treated, although this is not always technically possible and economically feasible. Currently, alternatives to the FT process are being investigated. One of them is the production of ethanol and other bio-fuels using microorganisms as biocatalysts. The main advantage of these fermentative processes is the high specificity and yield. They are also conducted at temperatures slightly higher than room temperature, reducing the operational costs. Furthermore, the microorganisms have a high tolerance and adaptability to syngas contamination. The main aim of this project is to investigate the production of butanol from syngas. The study will characterise the process both kinetically and stoichiometrically and identify optimal operational conditions, as well as investigate the production of butanol in continuous mode under different bio-reactor configurations.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)

Coordinator

UNIVERSITAT DE GIRONA
EU contribution
€ 100 000,00
Address
PLACA SANT DOMENEC 3
17004 Girona
Spain

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Region
Este Cataluña Girona
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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