Circe‘s 2-step process provides plausible pathways, see this poster they presented at European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE).
๐๐๐ซ๐’๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฑp๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ:
A cascade valorisation approach combining Microwave-assisted Hydrothermal Carbonisation (MW-HTC) and gasification is viable for treating moist wood-industry residues for obtaining a H2 and CO2 rich syngas.
For context, one core activity in the W2W project related to “Energy, Gas and Ashes Valorisation Technologies” for contaminated wood-industry waste is to use Microwave-assisted Hydrothermal Carbonisation (MW-HTC).
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ :
While HTC is a commonly used procedure for treatment of sewage sludge for hydrochar production, little to no evidence exists on its implementation in other waste management processes, like paper and pulp industry residues or wood-derived sludges, at a commercial scale.
Moreover, until now, implementation of HTC systems combined with microwaves have been done only in lab-scale tests, not at a pilot scale. Because their upscaling requires complex designing and simulation know-how that needs to be nurtured.
In our project, the ambition is to use a microwave heating method combined with HTC to unlock new pathways with significantly high potential for energy efficiency and renewable energy-to-electrification strategies. We will scale the process from laboratory to pilot, while also studying the effect of microwave heating and comparing it to conventional heating methods.
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ?
Well… to efficiently convert residues into resources materials for material use ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
This valorisation approach is also being applied by our consortium partner CIRCE to valorise wood industry residues (sludges-like waste) into Hโ- and COโ-rich syngas for further biochemical upgrading into detergents, via a subsequent gasification of the obtained hydrochar and other types of wood industrial waste.
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐๐ญo๐ซ๐ฌ?
That is KIVERDI!
Together with Kiverdi, Inc., Circe are working on Wood2Wood “๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐”: ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ก๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐.
Once implemented, W2W Use Case 3 will aim to…
โซ Increase use of secondary raw materials ๐๐ฒ ๐๐%
โฌ Reduce waste ๐๐ฒ ๐๐%
โฌ Reduce GHG emissions ๐๐ฒ ๐๐%
โซ Increase the value of by-products ๐๐ฒ ๐๐%
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ?
โก๏ธ The Use Case 3 outcomes might be beneficial for manufacturers who make new products out of secondary raw materials. New products can be potentially developed using new sources of feedstock, allowing them to diversify product portfolios and develop more sustainable products.
โก๏ธFor process industries, this could be a unique opportunity to increase uptake of secondary resources, which can increase resource efficiency and reduce process-related emissions.
Last year, during our plenary meeting in Thessaloniki, we caught up with Giuseppe Landolfo to unpack the objective of Use Case 3 in 30 seconds!ย