Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CO-HTL4BIO-OIL (Catalytic co-hydrothermal liquefaction of binary and ternary mixtures of rye straw, shellfish and beef tallow for sustainable production of high-grade biocrude-oil to drop-in transport fuel)
Période du rapport: 2020-12-01 au 2022-11-30
The transport sector has risen as one of the largest consumers of fossil fuels, accounting for 40% of the final energy consumption of which 80% relates to road transport. Subsequently, this results in an annual release of 7 billion tons of greenhouse gases (GHG), pre-eminently carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), contributing to potentially catastrophic changes in climate, environment, biodiversity, and public health. To achieve a cleaner and healthier environment, there is a strong focus on the development of sustainable low-carbon, high-yield, and cost-competitive liquid bio-crude oil as an alternative to conventional fossil crude oil. To meet these challenges, the EU has established new strategic policies supporting the replacement of the linear economic models of today with circular and regenerative ones. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is an advanced and highly competitive thermo-chemical route considered for producing liquid transportation fuels from non-edible, low-value, and readily available biomass sources
CO-HTL4BIO-OIL project is addressing a number of key contributions, providing pioneering insights into looking for more value management methods of carbonated food waste streams locally sourced in Europe that have the added potential of producing competitive fuel for petroleum oil and reducing the environmental cost associated with their disposal. Co-hydrothermal liquefaction (CO-HTL) of rye straw, shellfish, and beef tallow over HTL of individual feedstock is an emerging study because it reduces the logistic costs for feedstock collection and transportation whilst at the same time improving slurry feedstock processability for continuous process, increases the bio-oil yield and quality by tailoring the biochemical composition of raw materials mixtures. Scaling of the catalytic CO-HTL process for continuous operations and employing novel predictive quantitative models based on biomass composition and HTL process variables serve as a great perspective for biorefinery integration. These outputs not only will aid energy planners, policy-makers, engineers, and researchers in the field in exploring the future of the transport sector in a holistic manner.
For this purpose, the listed specific objectives were pursued to explore the potential of rarely studied food waste as a co-organic matter to make high-quality bio-crude oil into transportation fuel that meets current fuel property standards:
Objective 1: To conduct a full biochemistry characterization and determine the heteroatom contents; especially nitrogen, and phosphorus; contained in the selected food wastes prior to co-liquefaction.
Objective 2: To develop statistical models combining biomass composition and HTL conditions which help to deeply gain insights into the co-liquefaction mechanism, and predict the yield and quality of HTL multiphase products.
Objective 3: To upgrade the high-quality HTL bio-crude oil into drop-in fuels from animal wastes (crab waste and beef tallow) and perform techno-economic assessments.
Objective 4: To recover nutrients and organics recovery from post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater.
CO-HTL4BIO-OIL project is addressing a number of key contributions, providing pioneering insights into looking for more value management methods of carbonated food waste streams locally sourced in Europe that have the added potential of producing competitive fuel for petroleum oil and reducing the environmental cost associated with their disposal. Co-hydrothermal liquefaction (CO-HTL) of rye straw, shellfish, and beef tallow over HTL of individual feedstock is an emerging study because it reduces the logistic costs for feedstock collection and transportation whilst at the same time improving slurry feedstock processability for continuous process, increases the bio-oil yield and quality by tailoring the biochemical composition of raw materials mixtures. Scaling of the catalytic CO-HTL process for continuous operations and employing novel predictive quantitative models based on biomass composition and HTL process variables serve as a great perspective for biorefinery integration. These outputs not only will aid energy planners, policy-makers, engineers, and researchers in the field in exploring the future of the transport sector in a holistic manner.
For this purpose, the listed specific objectives were pursued to explore the potential of rarely studied food waste as a co-organic matter to make high-quality bio-crude oil into transportation fuel that meets current fuel property standards:
Objective 1: To conduct a full biochemistry characterization and determine the heteroatom contents; especially nitrogen, and phosphorus; contained in the selected food wastes prior to co-liquefaction.
Objective 2: To develop statistical models combining biomass composition and HTL conditions which help to deeply gain insights into the co-liquefaction mechanism, and predict the yield and quality of HTL multiphase products.
Objective 3: To upgrade the high-quality HTL bio-crude oil into drop-in fuels from animal wastes (crab waste and beef tallow) and perform techno-economic assessments.
Objective 4: To recover nutrients and organics recovery from post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater.
The main results achieved from the beginning of the CO-HTL4BIO-OIL project till the reporting period:
WP 1: Rye straw, crab waste, shrimp shell, and beef tallow are by-products obtained from European food industries.
WP 2: Catalytic co-hydrothermal liquefaction (CO-HTL) of binary and ternary mixtures of rye straw, shellfish, and beef tallow using calcium-based heterogeneous catalyst: Combined models of biomacromolecules during sub-, and supercritical conditions for prediction of multiphase HTL products yield and properties.
WP3: Catalytic upgrading and techno-economic analysis of producing transportation drop-in fuels from crab waste and beef tallow.
WP 4: Purification of the aqueous phase derived from the hydrothermal liquefaction process
WP 5: Career development and transfer of knowledge via participation in nine training including six courses and three webinars.
WP 6: Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation
* Accepted paper: Bio-crude oils production from wheat stem under subcritical water conditions and batch adsorption of post-hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase onto activated hydrochars. Chemical Engineering Journal.
* Visual poster presentation: Recovery of nutrients and organics from post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater via adsorption by activated hydrochar. European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE 2023), Bologna, Italy.
* Oral poster presentation: Hydrothermal liquefaction of food wastes for sustainable production of high-grade biocrude-oil to drop-in transport fuel. Conference on Clean Energy–ICCE 2022, Sarawak, MALAYSIA.
* Organization of a Learning session/school activity for 3 hours to 24 pupils Key Stage 3 from International Skipper Clement School, Aalborg, Denmark.
WP7: Project management via the informal and formal meetings with the supervisor, every 6-month meeting with the project coordinator to manage the financial part of the project, and a final report.
WP 1: Rye straw, crab waste, shrimp shell, and beef tallow are by-products obtained from European food industries.
WP 2: Catalytic co-hydrothermal liquefaction (CO-HTL) of binary and ternary mixtures of rye straw, shellfish, and beef tallow using calcium-based heterogeneous catalyst: Combined models of biomacromolecules during sub-, and supercritical conditions for prediction of multiphase HTL products yield and properties.
WP3: Catalytic upgrading and techno-economic analysis of producing transportation drop-in fuels from crab waste and beef tallow.
WP 4: Purification of the aqueous phase derived from the hydrothermal liquefaction process
WP 5: Career development and transfer of knowledge via participation in nine training including six courses and three webinars.
WP 6: Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation
* Accepted paper: Bio-crude oils production from wheat stem under subcritical water conditions and batch adsorption of post-hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase onto activated hydrochars. Chemical Engineering Journal.
* Visual poster presentation: Recovery of nutrients and organics from post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater via adsorption by activated hydrochar. European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE 2023), Bologna, Italy.
* Oral poster presentation: Hydrothermal liquefaction of food wastes for sustainable production of high-grade biocrude-oil to drop-in transport fuel. Conference on Clean Energy–ICCE 2022, Sarawak, MALAYSIA.
* Organization of a Learning session/school activity for 3 hours to 24 pupils Key Stage 3 from International Skipper Clement School, Aalborg, Denmark.
WP7: Project management via the informal and formal meetings with the supervisor, every 6-month meeting with the project coordinator to manage the financial part of the project, and a final report.
This project has impacted the knowledge-based economy and responded to societal challenges:
Technological Impact: This project addressed competitive thermochemical technologies for the conversion of organic wastes via adjusting their biochemical composition into ready-to-market advanced novel drop-in transport fuel showing similar performance to conventional fuels yet with a much lower carbon footprint.
Environmental Impact: This project is not only directed at solving technical challenges but also was the first exploration of a new waste management strategy and provided grounds beyond its aftermath and other involved subsequent research projects. This interdisciplinary project responded to the Renewable Energy Directive (RED, 2009/28/EC) targeting -20-20-20 by 2020: 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; 20% increase in energy efficiency; 20% of the energy consumption to be from renewable sources. Therefore, this project investigation may help feedstock suppliers to develop cost-effective solutions for the circular recycling of food wastes into valuable products and alert policymakers on decision-making regarding the depletion of fossil crude oil and establishing sustainable large-scale production of new drop-in biofuels.
Economic Impact: This project provided highly original research and successful analysis promoting the concept of resource-effective green transportation. Its pioneering insights gave an innovative and focal point in Europe for sustainable and profitable management of food processing wastes toward a circular economy.
Policy Impact: I, the MSCA Fellow, was committed to leading CO-HTL4BIO-OIL work packages within sustainability– and this commitment is anchored by actively supporting and following the EU missions and policy objectives, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. CO-HTL4BIO-OIL made contributions to Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), and Goal 13 (climate action).
Societal Impact: CO-HTL4BIO-OIL project coordinated the academia to potential users via:
* communication with Polar Seafood Company to provide a big quantity of crab waste to work on a higher scale
* interacting with 24 Key Stage 3 pupils from Skipper Clement Skolen, Aalborg, Denmark.
Technological Impact: This project addressed competitive thermochemical technologies for the conversion of organic wastes via adjusting their biochemical composition into ready-to-market advanced novel drop-in transport fuel showing similar performance to conventional fuels yet with a much lower carbon footprint.
Environmental Impact: This project is not only directed at solving technical challenges but also was the first exploration of a new waste management strategy and provided grounds beyond its aftermath and other involved subsequent research projects. This interdisciplinary project responded to the Renewable Energy Directive (RED, 2009/28/EC) targeting -20-20-20 by 2020: 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; 20% increase in energy efficiency; 20% of the energy consumption to be from renewable sources. Therefore, this project investigation may help feedstock suppliers to develop cost-effective solutions for the circular recycling of food wastes into valuable products and alert policymakers on decision-making regarding the depletion of fossil crude oil and establishing sustainable large-scale production of new drop-in biofuels.
Economic Impact: This project provided highly original research and successful analysis promoting the concept of resource-effective green transportation. Its pioneering insights gave an innovative and focal point in Europe for sustainable and profitable management of food processing wastes toward a circular economy.
Policy Impact: I, the MSCA Fellow, was committed to leading CO-HTL4BIO-OIL work packages within sustainability– and this commitment is anchored by actively supporting and following the EU missions and policy objectives, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. CO-HTL4BIO-OIL made contributions to Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), and Goal 13 (climate action).
Societal Impact: CO-HTL4BIO-OIL project coordinated the academia to potential users via:
* communication with Polar Seafood Company to provide a big quantity of crab waste to work on a higher scale
* interacting with 24 Key Stage 3 pupils from Skipper Clement Skolen, Aalborg, Denmark.