Research project Waste2Value LevelUp! is part of an international competence center for excellent technologies that explores the transition to a sustainable and climate-friendly bioeconomy. Residual streams from agriculture, forestry, and society are converted through thermochemical gasification to replace fossil chemicals and fuels while recycling elements. The TEC-lab research group contributes expertise in the recycling of elements, in situ diagnostics, and in-depth knowledge in thermochemical processes.
We use a unique pilot plant in Vienna, Austria, to carry out thermochemical gasification of residual streams. In the hot, oxygen-deficient environment, hydrogen and carbon atoms can be efficiently separated from ash-forming elements and form building blocks for creating new, fossil-free chemicals or fuels. It is a complex process that needs new measurement methods to achieve the best possible yield. The possibility of recycling the elements that remain in the ash – for example phosphorus or various metals – is another key issue to contribute to a sustainable and climate-friendly bioeconomy.
Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).
Dr Matthias Kuba, matthias.kuba@best-research.eu, Projektkoordinator, BEST – Bioenergy and Sustainable Research Technologies, Österrike.
Waste2Value LevelUp! is a sub-project in a COMET competence center that carries out applied fundamental research - it's about solving practical problems so that excellent research can benefit society. We use a unique pilot plant in Vienna, Austria, to carry out thermochemical gasification of residual streams in a dual fluidized bed.
Gasification in this plant uses high temperature and steam to convert residual streams from various sectors through thermochemical conversion into hydrogen and carbon monoxide into a syngas. The formed syngas is effectively separated from ash-forming elements and form building blocks for creating new, fossil-free chemicals or fuels, for example by recombination through Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
The transformation of different residual streams is explored and includes, for example, different nut shells, sewage sludge, and lignocellulosic biomass. How the variation in composition and properties of the residual streams affects the syngas quality and the gasification process is investigated with the support of experimental design. In order to be able to follow all interesting components in the syngas where a high content of hydrogen gas is the goal, new measurement methods also need to be developed to enable industrial use of the technology.
There are many material issues that are intimately connected with this - partly to improve the syngas, but also regarding the sustainability of the plant. This means that studies on surfaces that are exposed to bedding material and coatings need to be studied. There is also a potential to recover elements that remain in the ash – for example phosphorus or various metals – which is another key issue for contributing to a sustainable and climate-friendly bioeconomy.
Thermochemical Energy Conversion Laboratory (TEC-Lab) (umu.se)
