Category: New value chains and business models

 AgriMax project

 AgriMax project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Objective

Approximately one third of all food produced globally is wasted every year throughout the whole value chain-from farmers to consumers. To extract the significant amounts of valuable compounds contained in these wastes, AgriMax will combine affordable and flexible processing technologies (ultrasound assisted and solvent extraction, filtration, thermal and enzymatic treatments) for the valorization of side streams from the horticultural culture and food processing industry to be used in a cooperative approach by local stakeholders.
Through the selection of case-scenarios previously developed to a pilot scale by the participating RTOs and their industrial transfer in new applications as food additives, packaging and agricultural materials among others, the project will disclose the holistic potential of four new agro-value chains (residues and by products from the culture and processing of tomato, cereals, olives, potato). Any by-product generated along the production cycle will be valorized in a cascade manner to reach over 40% of high value use of the waste. This will lead to additional production of active ingredients in lower concentration, but also fibres, biogas and fertilizers from the left biomass (the latter with the aim of being used in closed loop in the culture of the crops used in the project to prevent soil impoverishing). An LCA and LCC will also study the best approach to minimize the environmental impact of the new value chains without jeopardizing the cost effectiveness of the operations. The pilot multi-feedstock bio-refinery processes will be validated in two demonstration sites in Spain and Italy. Societal, ethical, safety, techno-feasibility and regulatory aspects will be studied. Last but not least, a business model and platform for communication between the potential raw materials suppliers will be set up to maximize the use of the cooperative treatment plants throughout the year.

Funding source: H2020 – Bio-based Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBI-JTI)

Contacts: Albert Torres: albert.torres@iris.cat

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 AgriChemWhey project

 AgriChemWhey project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Objective

Whey Permeate (WP) and De-lactosed Whey Permeate (DLP) are major side-streams of dairy processing and represent a key challenge for the dairy industry due to a lack of reliability in current disposal routes and represent a sustainability bottleneck for the expansion of milk production in Europe in the “post-milk-quota era”. AgriChemWhey will build a first-of-a-kind, industrial-scale biorefinery with integrated symbiotic industrial and agricultural value chains that will valorise over 25,000 tonnes (100% dry matter) per annum of excess WP and DLP to several added value products for growing global markets including lactic acid, polylactic acid, minerals for human nutrition and bio-based fertilisers. This will be achieved through a coordinated investment process and development path to realise the Flagship plant, representing the first major industrial venture to convert residues from food processing, as second generation feedstocks, to value added bio-based products. The Flagship will prove the techno-economic viability of the innovative WP/DLP-to-lactic acid biorefinery technology and will establish a new value chain for industrial symbiosis with other local actors for the production of high value sustainable food and feed (including high quality mushrooms) products from other side streams, as an enhanced circular bioeconomy approach to agriculture and agri-food waste. This offers society and industry the opportunity for greater resource efficiency – less food waste, more products from the same starting material (milk), and integration of food and non-food material production. AgriChemWhey will also develop a blueprint of an economic sustainability concept and replication plans for other regions across Europe, thus maximising both short and long term impacts, contributing towards the development of the European bioeconomy to promote rural growth, competitiveness and job creation, and aligning with European sustainability targets.

Contacts:

Rodrigo Arandi-Klee EU Project manager rodrigo.arandi@greenwin.be

Marian Murphy, Project Management marianmurphy4286@gmail.com

Fergal Lawless,  Technical Management flawless@glanbia.ie

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 AlpBioEco project

 AlpBioEco project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

AlpBioEco is an EU project co-financed through the Interreg Alpine Space Programm and by the “Federal Transnational Cooperation Programme“ of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community. The 13 project partners from 5 Alpine countries work together for an innovative sustainable development in the Alpine space. We focus on the potential of bioeconomy in the value chains of herbal foods and essences. In four working packages, we investigate current value chains for apples, walnuts and herbs, develop new products as well as new business models which will be tested in pilot studies. AlpBioEco contributes to the framework of conditions for innovation, resulting in eco-innovative business ideas and concepts for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Alpine region.
The European Union bioeconomy strategy addresses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into vital products. Expanding bioeconomy, particularly in rural areas, represents a major development potential. In the Alpine regions, this potential can however only be harnessed if the actors and municipalities cooperate closely and pursue shared objectives. The overall objective of AlpBioEco is to foster the sustainability of the local economy in the Alpine Space by the valorisation of innovative bioeconomical potentials. In our project we focus on bio-based food and botanical extract

Contacts: Anna Bäuerle: baeuerle@sigmaringen.de

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