EUBIA is coordinating a consortium of 8 partners working on the FP7 NEWAPP project
As part of the ‘NEWAPP’ project, eight partners from four different EU countries will work together for the next 30 months to focus on the application of HTC processes.
NEWAPP said that it considers HTC a cost- and resource-efficient as well as environmentally sound way to reduce waste and substitute primary fuels at the same time.
In an HTC process, biomass is exposed to moderate temperatures and pressures in the presence of water and thereby converted into two main products: a coal-like product (HTC carbon) and a water phase rich in plant nutrients.
According to the project group, around 120 to 140 million tonnes of biomass waste, i.e. wet agricultural residues, wet municipal waste such as foliage, grass or food waste, are produced every year in the EU.
Of this, 67 % of the materials are incinerated or landfilled, with only small amounts composted, digested anaerobically or used as animal fodder.
Over the next 30 months, NEWAPP will start by treating five wet biomass waste streams at Spanish company Ingelia’s HTC plant in Valencia, and then focus on developing a new technical utilisation pathway for turning biowaste into high value products.
The group will be explore what different products can be obtained from the selected waste streams after the HTC process, develop quality and safety standards and techniques for HTC products.
Possible applications of the HTC products are said to include fuel, activated carbons for water treatment, soil remediation or carbon sequestration schemes.
“The wet biomass waste streams are abundantly available but intelligent processes to handle them hardly exist,” noted scientific consultant at the Brussels-based European Biomass Industry Association (EUBIA).
“These materials are a valuable resource which can be transformed into products with benefits for waste management, different industries and renewable energies. It is our aim to divert them from landfill and use them in a resource-efficient way,” Salimbeni added.
The project is part of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union. The budget consist of approximately 2.58 million euro with an EU-contribution of approximately 1.76 million euro.
Among the participants are research facilities and industry experts from associations and companies, including EUBIA, which coordinates the consortium of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC, Spain), the Association of cities and regions for recycling and sustainable resource management (ACR+, Belgium), the Federal Association of Secondary Raw Materials and Waste Management (bvse, Germany), the Technical University of Denmark, Ingelia S.L (Spain), Terra Preta (TP, Germany) and ttz Bremerhaven (Germany).
The kick-off meeting took place on 14-15 January in Valencia, Spain. Below more photos of the event (click to enlarge).
