Project description
Revalorising agroforestry waste and obtaining innovative materials
Europe is home to several world-leading chemical companies. However, biochemicals production from biomass and by-products is limited to a few compounds. Additionally, one of the most abundant resources available is lignocellulosic waste. The EU-funded REHAP project aims to revalorise agricultural waste (such as wheat straw) and forestry waste (such as bark) by recovering and processing primary components like sugars, lignin and tannins, as well as secondary components like sugar acids, carboxylic acids, aromatics and resins. The project's objective is to obtain innovative materials, with a specific focus on Green Building as a potential business case. REHAP aims to significantly reduce the use of fossil resources by up to 100 % and achieve a reduction in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of over 30 %.
Objective
Europe's position in the production of biochemicals from biomass and by-products is limited to a few compounds, while their demand is among the largest in the world. However, Europe has a lot of world leader chemical companies. On the other hand, lignocellulosic waste constitutes one of the most abundant resources without competing with food chain.
REHAP’s 16 partners aim at revalorizing agricultural (wheat straw) and forestry (bark) waste through its recovery, and primary (sugars, lignin, tannins) and secondary (sugar acids, carboxylic acids, aromatics and resins) processing to turn them into novel materials, and considering Green Building as business case. The project will provide reductions in utilization of fossil resources of 80-100%, and energy utilization and CO2 emissions above 30%.
Specifically, building blocks (1,4 and 2,3-Butanediol, estherpolyols), materials (PUs, phenolic resins, modified hydrolysis lignin) and products (wooden boards, insulation foams, cement, adhesive) will be obtained:
• Isolation of tannins and carbohydrates from forestry waste to turn them into bio-phenolic resins for wooden panels and isocyanate-free polyurethanes (PU) for insulating foams, respectively.
• Isolation of lignin and carbohydrates from agricultural waste to turn them into bio-phenolic resins for wooden panels and biosuperplasticizers for cement, and estherpolyol PU for adhesives, respectively.
• Fire retardant lignin and sugar-based additives will be also developed.
Developed processing technologies (chemo/thermo/enzymatic and fermentation) will be optimized at pilot scale (TRL6-7) for further exploitation and replication of results. All products will be integrated in a prototype to demonstrate industrial applicability into the Green Construction sector.
Throughout the project, Life Cycle and Cost Assessment, market analysis, business plan, waste management strategy and measures for future standardization will be implemented using a systemic perspective approach.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste management
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbioplastics
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesforestry
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybioprocessing technologiesfermentation
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringarchitecture engineeringsustainable architecturesustainable building
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
20009 DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIAN (GIPUZKOA)
Spain
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Participants (19)
02150 Espoo
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86159 Augsburg
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15890 Santiago De Compostela
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16129 Genova
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
16128 Genova
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31029 Vittorio Veneto Tv
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
36650 Caldas De Reis Pontevedra
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36650 CALDAS DE REIS, PONTEVEDRA
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66954 Pirmasens
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BS2 8JH Bristol
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
38070 Saint Quentin Fallavier
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9042 Desteldonk Gent
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
28100 Novara
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
28100 Novara No
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08040 Barcelona
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Participation ended
15057 Tortona
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48160 Derio
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47151 Boecillo
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NP25 3PA Monmouth
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.