Project description
Biogas plants will soon be producing bio-sourced industrial chemicals
Numerous renewable and sustainable sources of energy, alternatives to fossil fuels, are currently at various stages of commercialisation and expansion to help us meet the global challenge of climate change while enhancing energy security. Biogas plants turn organic waste into biogas, primarily methane, through a process of anaerobic digestion. Although quite promising, the process is still rather costly and inefficient, inhibiting more widespread implementation. The EU-funded NEOSUCCESS project has found a way to utilise biogas plants and at the same time benefit the environment. A simple plug-and-play technology will enable the simultaneous production of biomethane and bio-succinic acid (BioSA). Succinic acid is the single most important multifunctional industrial chemical, and it currently relies on petroleum for its production. The new technology will enable the production of biomethane and BioSA with a simple retrofit in existing biogas plants.
Objective
Succinic Acid (SA) is the most important multifunctional platform chemical for the industry with immense applications
(bioplastics, polyurethanes, paints, etc.) but 95% of its production is petroleum-based. On a separate matter, biogas’ most
valuable compound is BioMethane (BioM), used as renewable energy; but obtained by costly upgrading technologies, not
fully widespread.
Currently, the SA and BioM production are separate industrial processes. We have developed NEOSUCCESS, the first
technology worldwide that recycles and uses residual waste streams to simultaneously produce these two high-value added
products: BioM (>95%) from biogas to be used as a biofuel; and BioSA (>80%), a second-generation non-fossil alternative to
SA. This is the first revolutionary biogas upgrading technology that binds CO2 into a valuable biochemical; highly reducing
production costs and environmental footprint.
The aim of NEOSUCCESS project is to make commercially available a unique technology based on a containerised plugand-
play technology conceived to be integrated in biogas plants’ operational workflow, finally making the investment on
biogas upgrading profitable as a result of its complementary BioSA exploitation.
Our Consortium is formed by two well-established engineering firms and two world-class universities situated at the forefront
of technical innovations. We have validated and patented a prototype from real sugar-rich waste side streams (41.5 L of
fermentation broth); and now, we are highly skilled to build and fine-tune the first NEOSUCCESS industrial unit (capacity of
12,000 Nm3 of BioM and 47,000 kg of BioSA).
Both Biogas Upgrading and BioSA markets have a double-digit growth, which strikes as a great opportunity for Europe to
take a leap forward. Thanks to this project, we will achieve a successful market launch by 2023 and install 40
NEOSUCCESS units in 11 countries by 2027, contributing to the European transition towards a sustainable Bio-based
Economy.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energy
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsbioeconomy
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbioplastics
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybioprocessing technologiesfermentation
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
46439 SOLLANA VALENCIA
Spain