The work performed focused on the following activities:
The work is going on according to the Gantt except for the Task 2.4 “Clostridia mutations to increase their butanol tolerance”. Where ABENGOA was the partner responsible. During the first year of the project, ABENGOA communicated that it could not carry out the activity anymore. According to the PO, the Consortium was integrated with a new partner INSAT that successfully started the activity at M12. Therefore, the task progress is suffering a delay. The project is according to the Gantt:
- The pre-treatment investigation was successfully completed except for the enzymatic hydrolysis that - according to the proposed Gantt – is still in progress.
- A library of ligno-cellulolytic enzymes was developed and a panel of mixtures tested on the four different types of untreated AFWs. A designer cellulosomal complex was also developed which was found to be even more efficient than the free enzyme mixture.
- A novel fermentation system - based on the concept of simulating moving bed applied to packed bed biofilm reactors, PBBRs - was proposed and characterized. The adsorption/desorption system was selected as a potential ABE recovery system to be integrated in line with the PBBRs.
- The catalytic conversion of ethanol to butanol is in progress. Pure ethanol was converted to butanol at successfully yield and selectivity. The conversion of the ethanol in ethanol-water solutions is successfully in progress. The interesting results will be proved in the test unit to be realized during the second period of the project.
- The high value by-products from AFWs regarded proteins, lipids, antioxidants and vitamins were successfully extracted by means of innovative extraction techniques. The analysis of the characterization of extracted compounds proved that high-added value is expected for the compounds. The energy valorisation of residues from the several steps of the butanol production process is in progress.
- The process model developed so far have supported the data interpretation of the experimental tests, the selection of optimal operating conditions of the proposed units, and the selection of the most promising technologies for the proposed process. The update of the model is in progress. The updated model will allow to simulate the proposed process and to assess the performances as a function of the tuning variables.
- The project has been supported – and it is still now – by a careful analysis of technical, environment and legal risks, associated with project execution.
- The activities devoted to the assessment of the process finger print - Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing, Social Life Cycle Assessment – have just regarded the development of templates to collect relevant data for the tasks.
