BIOREFINERY OF FERTILISER PRODUCTS FOR SELF-CONSUMPTION ON FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMS
Biorefineries are facilities capable of transforming biomass into bioenergy and/or bioproducts in a sustainable way.
The aim of the bioREFINA project is to process in situ the vegetable waste generated in fruit and vegetable farms, such as crop residues,
size or quality losses or other organic residues, in three high quality fertiliser bioproducts.
In this way, a fruit and vegetable farm would go from buying fertilisers from third parties to producing its own biofertilisers made from its own plant waste or from its immediate environment under a circular economy model.
The aim of the bioREFINA project is to process in situ the vegetable waste generated in fruit and vegetable farms, such as crop residues,
size or quality losses or other organic residues, in three high quality fertiliser bioproducts.
In this way, a fruit and vegetable farm would go from buying fertilisers from third parties to producing its own biofertilisers made from its own plant waste or from its immediate environment under a circular economy model.
Biorefinery processes start with thermophilic anaerobic digestion to stabilise organic matter and reduce the risk of microbiological contamination.
The biogas produced will be used as a renewable heat source to provide energy self-sufficiency for the downstream processes of transforming the digestate into three fertiliser products:
The solid fraction of the digestate will be transformed by composting with other co-substrates into a functional organic amendment to improve soil quality and crop health, while the water and nutrients (mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) in the liquid digestate will be used as liquid fertiliser in fertigation systems. A fraction of the liquid digestate will be used to grow microalgae and subsequently a microalgae-based biofertiliser rich in amino acids and plant hormones.
The biogas produced will be used as a renewable heat source to provide energy self-sufficiency for the downstream processes of transforming the digestate into three fertiliser products:
The solid fraction of the digestate will be transformed by composting with other co-substrates into a functional organic amendment to improve soil quality and crop health, while the water and nutrients (mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) in the liquid digestate will be used as liquid fertiliser in fertigation systems. A fraction of the liquid digestate will be used to grow microalgae and subsequently a microalgae-based biofertiliser rich in amino acids and plant hormones.
The fertilisers obtained through the bioREFINA system will stand out for their high hygienic quality and low carbon footprint, essential characteristics for fruit and vegetables sold in central and northern European markets, which are particularly demanding in this area.
The R&D project ‘BIOREFINERY FROM AGRICULTURAL AND LIVESTOCK RESIDUAL BIOMASS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SELF-CONSUMPTION BIOPRODUCTS IN HORTOFRUIT CROPS (bioREFINA)’, which started in October 2016 and will be completed in December 2018, will be developed by a business consortium led by the Murcian company AZUD, expert in water technology and industrial filtration solutions, will be developed by a business consortium led by the Murcian company AZUD, expert in water technology and industrial filtration solutions, together with the Andalusian companies BIORIZON BIOTECH, specialists in microalgae and the horticultural company MIGUEL GARCÍA SÁNCHEZ E HIJOS, as well as the Galician company JB INGENIEROS, specialised in anaerobic digestion and biogas.
AINIA Technology Centre, with experience in the development of biorefineries, will carry out the technical coordination of the project. Technological support will also be provided to the consortium by the ‘Biotechnology of Marine Microalgae’ research group of the UNIVERSITY OF ALMERIA and the Experimental Station ‘Las Palmerillas’ of the CAJAMAR Foundation. The team is completed with the management tasks that will be carried out by the Almeria-based R&D consultancy CLEVER I+C, specialised in Biotechnology and Agri-Food.
The success of the bioREFINA R&D project in having been chosen as one of the projects financed under the demanding FEDER-INNTERCONECTA Programme, lies in its total alignment with the new agricultural sustainability policies based on bioeconomy models, through the implementation of a circular economy process at agro-industrial farm level which, among other aspects, will contribute to a reduction in the use of mineral fertilisers, improved energy management, improved fruit and vegetable productivity, as well as the implementation of its own management and recovery system, among other aspects, will contribute to reducing the use of mineral fertilisers, improving the energy management of farms, improving fruit and vegetable productivity, as well as implementing its own waste management and recovery system.
This project is framed within the FEDER INNTERCONECTA 2016 call, subsidised by the CDTI, supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and co-financed with European Union Structural Funds within the Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014-2022.
The R&D project ‘BIOREFINERY FROM AGRICULTURAL AND LIVESTOCK RESIDUAL BIOMASS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SELF-CONSUMPTION BIOPRODUCTS IN HORTOFRUIT CROPS (bioREFINA)’, which started in October 2016 and will be completed in December 2018, will be developed by a business consortium led by the Murcian company AZUD, expert in water technology and industrial filtration solutions, will be developed by a business consortium led by the Murcian company AZUD, expert in water technology and industrial filtration solutions, together with the Andalusian companies BIORIZON BIOTECH, specialists in microalgae and the horticultural company MIGUEL GARCÍA SÁNCHEZ E HIJOS, as well as the Galician company JB INGENIEROS, specialised in anaerobic digestion and biogas.
AINIA Technology Centre, with experience in the development of biorefineries, will carry out the technical coordination of the project. Technological support will also be provided to the consortium by the ‘Biotechnology of Marine Microalgae’ research group of the UNIVERSITY OF ALMERIA and the Experimental Station ‘Las Palmerillas’ of the CAJAMAR Foundation. The team is completed with the management tasks that will be carried out by the Almeria-based R&D consultancy CLEVER I+C, specialised in Biotechnology and Agri-Food.
The success of the bioREFINA R&D project in having been chosen as one of the projects financed under the demanding FEDER-INNTERCONECTA Programme, lies in its total alignment with the new agricultural sustainability policies based on bioeconomy models, through the implementation of a circular economy process at agro-industrial farm level which, among other aspects, will contribute to a reduction in the use of mineral fertilisers, improved energy management, improved fruit and vegetable productivity, as well as the implementation of its own management and recovery system, among other aspects, will contribute to reducing the use of mineral fertilisers, improving the energy management of farms, improving fruit and vegetable productivity, as well as implementing its own waste management and recovery system.
This project is framed within the FEDER INNTERCONECTA 2016 call, subsidised by the CDTI, supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and co-financed with European Union Structural Funds within the Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014-2022.
