"THERMO-DIGESTATE" - Improving biogas plant sustainability through energy recovery from anaerobic digestion residues
In anaerobic digestion (AD) biogas plants an average of 60% of the fed dry biomass is exhausted as digestate, which either has to be disposed as waste or needs after-treatment to distribute it usually over long distances as soil enhancer. Both solutions involve high logistic costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
THERMODIGESTATE project aims to develop an innovative system based on fluidized bed gasification for the energy utilization of organic residues produced by AD plants, which will enable to convert the solid fraction of the digested residue into fuel gas (syngas), reducing the plant’s operating costs and increasing its performance. The development of the system is based on 10 years of research conducted at the Laboratory of Applied Thermodynamics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH).
To achieve the goals of the project, Bio-based Energy Technologies P.C. (BIO2CHP), an AUTH spin-off company, which has an exclusive licensing agreement for the use of SMARt-CHP's intellectual property rights and consists of a team of engineers with over 20 years of experience in research and development partnered with IKNOWHOW S.A (IKH), a company with proven experience in the field of automation, machine learning and software development, and KNOWLEDGE & INNOVATION CONSULTANTS LTD (KiNNO), a company with extensive experience in commercial design and use of innovative technologies. In addition, BIOGAS-LAGADA S.A (BLAG) participates in the consortium as a potential user and beneficiary of the specific technology to support the identification and evaluation of the technical characteristics of the unit under development, as well as to carry out the pilot operation of the system and is supported by QLAB IKE (QLAB), a well-known scientific and technical advisor of agri-food and bioenergy companies.
KiNNO is responsible for:
- Supporting the business planning of the innovative plant for the energy utilization of digested residues.
- Conducting extensive research which will determine the commercial characteristics of the plant.
- Contributing to the copyright protection plan.
- Leading dissemination planning.
Partnership: Bio-based Energy Technologies P.C. (BIO2CHP), IKNOWHOW S.A (IKH), KNOWLEDGE & INNOVATION CONSULTANTS LTD (KiNNO), BIOGAS-LAGADA S.A (BLAG), QLAB IKE (QLAB)
