FLEXIBI
Small-scale flexi-feed biorefineries : experimental evaluation and development of a decision support tool devoted to agricultural and industrial urban and peri-urban wastes
Project description
Using integrated experimental and modeling approaches, FLEXIBI will study the use of agriculture, landscaping, agro-food industries and post-consumption plant biomass waste from periurban areas as feedstocks for Small-scale Flexi-feed Biorefineries (SFB). FLEXIBI targets the evaluation of biomass wastes and their mixtures for biobased materials production and local energy generation via different biorefinery processes. The use of biomass from different feedstock or in mixture will allow the use local and all-year available feedstocks to limit transportation and logistics issues while promoting local production of high value molecules or energy. Three contrasted experiment zones, Nantes, Hamburg, Leuven have been selected for real case studies. Experimental data from biorefinery assays and expert knowledge collection will feed quantitative process modelling and knowledge engineering approaches to set-up decision support tools and value-creation oriented schemes for under-valorized biomass. These will be used to provide support for SFB design for specific regional/local level configurations. Expected results include new knowledge and a decision-making support tool enabling the:
- Evaluation of the technological, economic and environmental suitability of different types and mixtures of plant biomass to be processed by different biorefinery processes
- Valorisation of currently underexploited waste
- Development of innovative bio-based materials from local waste resources.
- A decision tool for SFB implementation from feedstock to application products that will support the design of the most efficient pathways or networks to establish SFB adapted to local features.
Partners
- Universität Hamburg (UHH) (Germany)
- Technical University of Hamburg (TUHH) (Germany)
- French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRAE) (France)
- École Supérieur du Bois (ESB) (France)
- University of Helsinki (UHE) (Finland)
- University of Leuven (KU Leuven) (Belgium)
Duration
2018 - 2021
Funding
UHH receives funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under grant agreement 031B0610A and the Project Management Jülich (PtJ).
Further information can be found on the project's website.