DEEP PURPLE has successfully extracted valuable resources like cellulose, ectoine and PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) from domestic wastewater and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) to produce:
• Biofertilizers
• Mulching films
• Bags for organic waste collection
• Ectoine- based cosmetics
• Capsules for cosmetics packaging
• Self-healing construction material
DEEP PURPLE‘s innovation relies in a multiplatform approach centered in the use of Purple Phototrophic Bacteria (PPB), and validated in three demo sites in Spain:
- Demo site 1, wastewater treatment plant Linares (Jaén, Spain): this site hosts the world‘s first and largest PPB-based photobiorefinery, fully powered by solar energy and run by Aqualia. It features ANPHORA® technology, a disruptive system based on the the use of PPB in anaerobic photobioreactors for simultaneous wastewater treatment and production of PPB biomass for biofertilizers.
-Demo site 2, biomethanation plant Las Dehesas (Madrid, Spain): operated by FCC MA, this site is the first biorefinery dedicated to converting biogas into ectoine worldwide. It features a bioreactor for biogas bioconversion into ectoine and a thermal hydrolysis unit for the conversion of the OFMSW into PHA.
- Demo site 3, wastewater treatment plant Rincón de Caya (Badajoz, Spain): run by Aqualia, this site hosts the second photobiorefinery based on PPB, aiming at the production of nutrient-enriched PPB biomass.
DEEP PURPLE has allowed for the production of a wide range of bio-based products:
-Facial cream based on ectoine from biogas, with similar stability and packaging compatibility than the benchmark one.
- Mulching films and bags for OFMSW collection made of biopolyesters from 1,4 bio-BDO and PHA, with similar mechanical properties than the reference.
- Capsule packaging for cosmetic applications made of biopolyesters from 1,4 bio-BDO, PHA and cellulose nanofibers (CNF), with similar mechanical properties than the reference.
- Self-repairing composites (PHA and cellulose-based), which show increased strength regain compared to those without PHA and cellulose.
- Biofertilizers made of PPB biomass pellets. National and European requirements are reached for N, P, K, C: N+P+K > 7 % for fertilizer, N+P+K<7 % and organic matter >30% for amendment, metal traces content below thresholds, microbial strains below threshold. The enrichment of the biofertilizers with N and P through PPB biomass improves the mineral availability for the crops and the micro-organisms present in the soil. PPB biomass can partially replace other sources of N fertilization with equal yield performance.
Regarding the exploitation and dissemination of DEEP PURPLE results:
-11 scientific papers published, and 2 more are under review
-2 standardization documents published on CENCENELEC (the European standardisation body):
CWA 17897-1:2022 Extraction, production and purification of added value products from urban wastes. Part 1 Production and purification of ectoine obtained from biogas
CWA 17897-2: 2023 Extraction, production and purification of added value products from urban wastes. Part 2: Extraction and purification of PHA biopolymers
-3 patents filed
“Anaerobic photobioreactor and method for biomass cultivation” + trademark Anphora®
“Extraction of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from biomass derived from bacterial fermentation”.
“Process of decontamination of recovered cellulosic waste stream for its subsequent transformation into fermentable sugars”.
