Project description
Converting CO2 emissions into organic acids
The conversion of industrial CO2 emissions is gaining significant interest as a strategy to alleviate the effects of climate change. Bio-based industries are primary candidates to turn emissions into feedstock. The EU-funded VIVALDI project proposes an integrated solution for the conversion of biogenic CO2 into added-value organic acids (succinic, itaconic, 3-hydroxypropionic and lactic) powered by ground-breaking advances in CO2 electrochemical conversion and bioprocess engineering. The solution will involve CO2 enrichment from industrial sources and its electrochemical reduction to formic acid (FA) and methanol (MeOH), as well as bioelectrochemical nutrient recovery from industrial wastewaters. Furthermore, organic acids will be bio-produced via a microbial platform based on engineered yeast strains, using MeOH/FA/CO2 and nutrients, followed by the industrial validation of the products.
Objective
The valorisation of industrial CO2 emissions is a cornerstone in EU strategies for climate change and circular economy. Bio-based Industries (BIs) are perfect candidates to apply this CO2 valorisation, since they could to turn their biorefineries’ emissions into feedstock and close the carbon loop. Nevertheless, there is still a strong need of reliable and cost-efficient CO2 conversion technologies to make it possible.
VIVALDI proposes an integrated solution allowing the conversion of biogenic CO2 into added-value organic acids, powered by ground-breaking advances in CO2 purification, electrochemical catalysis, microbiology, synthetic biology, and bioprocess engineering. The solution comprises 4 main steps:
1. CO2 purification/enrichment from industrial streams and electrochemical reduction to formic acid (FA) and methanol (MeOH) using electrochemical reactors and gas diffusion electrodes.
2. Nutrient recovery (NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+) from industrial wastewaters using bioelectrochemical systems.
3. Bioproduction of target organic acids using a microbial platform based on specific engineered yeast strains (P. Pastoris), using as feedstock MeOH/FA/CO2 from step 1 and nutrients from step 2.
4. Industrial validation of the bioproduced organic acids (i.e. efficient downstream processing and on-site industrial validation).
VIVALDI will use real gas emissions from 4 key BIs and will focus on the bioproduction of 4 industrially relevant organic acids with different applications and market penetration (LA,SA,IA,3-HP). These acids can re-enter the production process flowchart of biorefineries, thus enhancing the sustainability of their current products or even opening new business possibilities.
Moreover, VIVALDI’s feasibility will be confirmed also through an integral sustainability assessment (technical, environmental and socio-economic) to ensure that the proposed solution can be adopted and integrated in any biorefinery.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry organic acids
- natural sciences chemical sciences electrochemistry bioelectrochemistry
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences sustainability sciences
- engineering and technology environmental engineering carbon capture engineering
- social sciences economics and business economics sustainable economy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3.2.4.2. - Developing integrated biorefineries
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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.
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.
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.
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.
RIA - Research and Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-FNR-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
08193 Cerdanyola Del Valles
Spain
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.