VALUABLE demonstrated its platform process by valorising A. niger biomass waste to produce chitin, chitosan, and yeast oil. An enzymatic chitosan production route was successfully developed and scaled up, supported by novel enzyme technologies achieving 73% biomass mobilisation and 90% chitin purity. Fungal hydrolysates were valorised into yeast oil at lab and pilot scale, confirming the holistic approach. Pilot trials showed strong growth performance, with crude yeast oil production reaching 142 kg, by far exceeding the 80 kg milestone. Industrial end-user trials demonstrated encouraging results, including improved bend strength in plywood applications and successful use of yeast oil as a drop-in alternative to vegetable oils in resins and creams.
Experimental work was supported by assessments of environmental footprint, resource efficiency, and commercial viability for yeast oil and chitin/chitosan production. A key outcome was the demonstration of a waste-free process using low-value A. niger biomass, converting industrial by-products into high-value bio-based products. Economic feasibility was evaluated across different configurations, showing that on-site enzyme production reduces operating costs, while fully enzymatic routes require further optimisation. The most competitive setup combines enzyme production, chemical deacetylation, and water recycling, improving resource efficiency and reducing external inputs. Although profitability is sensitive to reference oil prices, the process remains viable at levels acceptable to end users, indicating strong potential for market adoption and scalability.
Trials with industrial partners showed that VALUABLE-derived chitosan and yeast oil can replace conventional raw materials, delivering comparable performance in several applications and strengthening the competitiveness of European bio-based industries. Social impact assessments showed strong stakeholder support, highlighting socioeconomic, environmental, and technological benefits. The process is expected to create medium-term employment, while long-term impacts will require careful management as conventional processes are replaced.
From an environmental perspective, enzyme-based chitosan production showed clear advantages over conventional sources, with lower impacts across most categories. Yeast oil performance was more mixed compared to palm oil, but enzyme-based configurations proved the most sustainable and final applications showed comparable performance, indicating strong potential with further optimisation. VALUABLE products target industries seeking bio-based alternatives to palm oil, cocoa butter, and conventional chitosan and chitin sources.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) assessments showed that optimized VALUABLE processes can reduce emissions compared to conventional routes, particularly for enzyme-based chitosan, while yeast oil showed improvement potential, with enzyme-based configurations performing best.
VALUABLE-derived chitosan and yeast oil were successfully applied in commercial products, demonstrating integration into existing value chains and strong potential for market adoption as sustainable alternatives to vegetable oils and conventional chitosan sources.
