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Resource efficient bio-chemical production and waste treatment

Project description

Advanced technology for bio-crude production

There are several different ways to treat wastewater, detect and recycle valuable materials instead of disposing of them. However, existing technologies of wastewater treatment and management do not address significant environmental challenges such as nutrient circularity and climate change. The EU-funded REBOOT project proposes an advanced technology that recovers precious materials from wastewater, treats them and generates carbon-neutral combustibles. The hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology employs high temperature and pressure to produce bio-crude that is a product with properties similar to those of petroleum. Bio-crude can be used in a variety of advanced applications such as bio-bitumen or renewable aviation fuel. The technology will be tested on pilot continuous reactors aiming to offer a new waste management concept.

Objective

The REBOOT project will create a disruptive wet waste valorisation technology where valuable resources are re-used rather than disposed of while tackling two urgent environmental challenges: nutrient circularity and climate change. Wastewater treatment sludge and manure treatment technologies are currently not satisfactory and there is no solution to efficiently re-use the resources it contains: phosphorous and carbon.
The aim of REBOOT is to completely recover phosphorous from wastes while generating carbon neutral transportation fuels and a carbon sink in the form of carbon materials. The project will employ a frontier technology called hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) which uses high temperature and pressure to produce a liquid product similar to petroleum termed bio-crude. This will be used for a range of innovative applications such as renewable aviation fuel, functionalized carbon materials and bio-bitumen.
The possibility of complete phosphorous recovery in HTL is a completely new concept, previously thought impossible as only continuous HTL reactors can theoretically achieve this. The complex hydrothermal chemistry of salts can only be exploited on such advanced reactors that are currently beyond state-of-the-art. The specific objectives of REBOOT are: (1) mechanistic understanding of salt behaviour in multi-phase hydrothermal systems with the aim of full recovery. (2) Develop tailored strategies for in-situ jet fuel synthesis. (3) Establish microbial electrolysis cells for in-situ hydrogen production and nutrient recovery.
REBOOT will be carried out on pilot continuous reactors, where the challenging physical conditions can be explored, exploited and new engineering solutions developed. If REBOOT is successful it will enable society to tackle existing waste problems while recovering nutrients and producing renewable materials, replacing fossil derived ones; representing a revolutionary solution to wet waste management in the emerging circular bio-economy.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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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.

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2019-STG

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Host institution

AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 1 494 622,00
Address
NORDRE RINGGADE 1
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark

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Region
Danmark Midtjylland Østjylland
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 1 494 622,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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