Project description
Anaerobic digestion with biochar for agricultural waste management
The EU produces around 92.8 million tonnes of agricultural waste each year, creating a need for waste management solutions. Anaerobic digestion (AD) can convert organic waste into biogas, but it often suffers from incomplete degradation and insufficient pathogen deactivation. Adding ethanol has been shown to boost methanogenesis, while conductive materials, such as biochar, enhance efficiency. Combining these approaches can increase biogas yields and reduce pathogens. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ENABLE project will explore the microbial, metabolic, and genetic mechanisms behind these improvements. Using meta-omics, kinetic modelling, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle assessment, the project aims to optimise system design and assess environmental, economic, and social impacts. Its findings will enhance energy recovery and promote public health..
Objective
Agricultural wastes, including manure, slurries, and crop residues, present significant environmental challenges in waste management. Improper disposal of these wastes can lead to greenhouse gas emissions, contamination of air, soil, and water, and public health risks, such as the spread of zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. With 92.8 million tonnes of agricultural waste produced annually in the EU, innovative treatment solutions are crucial for sustainable management and for achieving the goals of One Health Action. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a promising technology that converts organic waste into biogas and helps mitigate environmental risks and present opportunities for renewable energy. However, conventional mesophilic AD systems face challenges, including incomplete degradation, volatile fatty acid accumulation, and inadequate pathogen deactivation.
This project, ENABLE, aims to revolutionize the AD process. My previous studies show that ethanol promotes syntrophic methanogenesis, and conductive materials (e.g. biochar) enhance electron transfer, both accelerating AD processes. By integrating ethanol pathway with conductive materials addition, the system seeks to improve both biogas yield and pathogen deactivation. The project will explore the microbial, metabolic, and genetic mechanisms underlying these improvements. The project will employ advanced tools including meta-omics, kinetic modelling, techno-economic analysis (TEA), and life cycle assessment (LCA) to optimize the system design and assess its environmental, economic, and social impacts. This approach offers a novel solution for agricultural waste management by reducing costs, enhancing energy recovery, and promoting public health, aligning with global sustainability goals. Collaborating with leading experts and institutions in academia and industry, this fellowship will not only advance research but also contribute to my professional development as a future leader in AD biotechnology.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology bioremediation bioreactors
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health epidemiology zoonosis
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance antibiotic resistance
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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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
GU2 7XH Guildford
United Kingdom
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.