The Pulp&Fuel concept is to develop a simple and robust fuel synthesis process taking advantage of the synergy between super critical water gasification (wet gasification) and fixed bed gasification (dry gasification).

For the Pulp&Fuel project, we have chosen to study the integration of the full process on a pulp mill. The developed process will take advantage of low to negative value wet and dry resources on a paper mill to add value to the overall process. The yield of biofuels will be significantly increased to 28 % compared to a classic approach that would only yield 18 %. The Pulp&Fuel final objective is to produce biofuels below 1 €/L without having a negative impact on the existing operations of the pulp mill. To achieve these goals a team of 10 partners, leaders in their field, from 4 EU-member states, will join efforts. The Pulp&Fuel project addresses the topic “liquid diesel- and gasoline-like biofuels from biogenic residues and wastes through either chemical, biochemical and thermochemical pathways, or a combination of them” of the LCSC3-RES-21-2018 call.

Within RISE, we have worked with gasification in various applications for more than two decades. Previous experience includes, long programs on black liquor gasification and projects aimed at fuel production from biomass gasification.

More recently, gasification technology has gained interest as a promising technology for chemical recycling of plastic waste, where the product gas can be used for downstream synthesis into new plastic raw material.

At RISE we have several pilot plants on a pilot scale to study in detail the gasification of various fuels under different operating conditions. We have the opportunity to gasify fuels in all its forms;

• solids (powder, pellets),
• liquids
• gas.

The pilot plants are equipped with sampling equipment to thoroughly understand the process and answer specific questions. We offer opportunities to test and develop gasification processes for different fuels based on the customer's needs. We do this through experiments on an industrially relevant scale in one of our pilot plants.

Organic agriculture has a vision of achieving ecological, social and economic sustainability. To achieve the vision, organic agriculture is guided by a number of principles. One is to economize on finite resources and reduce the environmental impact through more efficient cycles of plant nutrients. The lack of organically certified fertilizers has been significant and threatens the plant nutrient supply at organic crop farms without access to manure. At the same time, organic agriculture faces the challenge of achieving higher and more stable production levels and increased productivity.

Building the intensification on increased introduction of plant nutrients via conventional manure and society's organic residues has their risks in terms of added value with organic production and consumer confidence in organic food. Instead, we want to investigate the potential for intensification in organic production. Farm-based biogas production is often emphasized as a resource-efficient method of producing bioenergy on and getting a fertilizer, the digestate, with nitrogen in a form that can be utilized efficiently. It is also emphasized as a method to better distribute plant nutrients between animal and crop farms. However, there is little knowledge about farm-based biogas production and whether plant nutrient utilization becomes higher. In reality, the management of the digestate is crucial, which has consequences for the environment as well as for the farm's economy and productivity.

Therefore, we want to identify and analyze this on 4 different organic farms with biogas production and use of digestate. However, there is no knowledge of the added value that is important for the agricultural company and how these are valued by the farmer. It is difficult to obtain a high nitrogen utilization rate in crop cultivation when using solid manure or green manure from grass crops, which reduces the harvesting level. In theory, nitrogen utilization in these organic materials could increase with digestion, which gives a liquid digestate with a high proportion of plant-available nitrogen. A liquid fertilizer can also be dosed and spread with precision technology in crop production. However, the digestate has pH 8, which increases the risk of ammonia losses during handling, compared with manure and grass crop. We do not know how the residue is handled in practice and what the consequences are for the environment. In this project, we therefore want to explore various possibilities in organic production to increase energy efficiency, utilization of plant nutrients and improve the farm economy by farm-based biogas production in order to achieve sustainable agriculture.

In today's use of solid manure in agriculture, its potential is only partly used. Digestion of solid manure means that it can generate considerably more goods. The overall aim and goal of the projects within this area is to, in large scale biogas plants, identify and test technology and system solutions for substrate mixtures with mostly solid manure, also including its digestate handling and use. It is also included to demonstrate that these digestion processes can be operated efficiently.

The work within this area has been divided into two projects:

1. Digestion tests in the RISE test bed “mobile pilot plant for biogas research” of nitrogen rich chicken manure as the main substrate. The digestate was partly processed via separation with a decanter centrifuge followed by concentration via evaporation. This project has been final reported.
   * Project title: Super digestate fertilizer for organic crop production
   * Financer: Vinnova
   * Final report: Digestion of poultry manure with digestate processing in pilot scale tests (RISE Report 2018:39)
    
2. Together with partners in the biogas industry develop source separation in the stable, test robust pre-treatment that enable efficient digestion, and develop efficient use of the fertilizer products. The partners represent the biogas industry, biogas and agricultural R&D as well as decision makers with focus on the reduction of eutrophication from agriculture. This project is ongoing.
   * Project title: Joint solid manure cooperation, transforming a problematic product into a useful resource by digestion
   * Financer: Vinnova (program Challenge-Driven Innovation, stage 1)

Purpose and goal

• identify material streams, collection and dismantling options within glass fiber composite (GFRP) industries
• optimize solvolys / HTL for recycling of different qualities of End-of-Life GFRP from various industrial sectors

• identify and stimulate circular material usage across industrial sectors (industrial symbiosis)

   

Challenge

GFRP waste is a growing global environmental problem. Some of the problems are that ...

• large streams from wind turbine blades and boats approach their End-of-Life service.
• lightweight material (composites) increases in other industries (e.g. vehicles, buildings) which contributing to reduced weight while maintaining strength.

Since GFRP is currently deposited or incinerated, it contributes to the greenhouse effect and to the environmental impact of microplastics and chemicals.

Solution

Through the development of a new innovative recycling process of the GFRP, one can both reduce the environmental impact and at the same time contribute to a more resource efficient society with new recycled material flows (i.e. glass fiber and chemical building blocks). A circular material use would benefit industries with large composite flows, such as wind power, boat, construction, vehicle and recycling industries, but also open opportunities for new entrepreneurs.

Effect

Through the development of an environmentally friendly recycling technique of fiberglass / thermosetting plastic, composite waste that is currently deposited or incinerated, the project contributes to new streams of recycled material, reduced raw material use and less environmentally hazardous emissions and waste.

Mål med Annex 52

Annex 52 syftade till att undersöka och skapa ett bibliotek med prestandamätningar, över längre tid och av hög kvalitet, av geoenergisystem för kommersiella och institutionella byggnader samt flerfamiljshus. Alla typer av värmekällor (berg, jord, grundvatten, ytvatten) ingick i arbetet. Tidigare mätningar undersöktes, men tyngdpunkten i arbetet var nyare och pågående mätningar. Annex 52 syftade också till att förfina och utvidga tidigare framtagen mätmetod för att bättre passa geoenergisystem för kommersiella och institutionella byggnader samt flerfamiljshus med den systemkomplexiteten som det innebär. Syftet var också att tillhandahålla en uppsättning jämförbara geoenergisystem runt i världen.

Analysmetoder som hjälper till att diagnostisera dålig prestanda och möjligheter till förbättringar av systemprestanda undersöktes. Flera fallstudier med prestationsmätningar av geoenergisystemets runt om i världen ingick och dessa fallstudier fungerar som referenser för framtida jämförelser.

Uppgifter/Tasks inom Annex 52

Task 1. Långtidsmätningar - nya och redan utförda

• En annoterad bibliografi som täcker redan utförda prestandamätningar av geoenergisystem. Som en del av detta arbete gjordes en sammanfattning av jämförbara projekt.
• En rapport om fallstudier av prestandamätning av geoenergisystem författades. Eftersom de ingående projekten var olika färdiga när annexet startades, förväntades de mer kompletta projekten ge användbara lärdomar och föreslagna förbättringar för de mer nystartade projekten.

Uppgift 2. Guide för instrumentering och mätning av GSHP-system

• Konsensus om nödvändig instrumentering och övervakning (parametrar, frekvens, instrumentkvalitet etc.).
• En rapport om instrumentation och mätning av prestanda hos geoenergisystem.

Uppgift 3. Guide för analys och rapportering av prestanda för geoenergisystem.

• Konsensus om nyckelparametrar och analysmetoder för övervakning av prestanda hos geoenergisystem.
• En rapport om analys- och utvärderingsrapportering av geoenergisystems prestanda över längre tid.

Aim and goal

The aim of the project was to increase the use of available residues from cereal production, thus contributing to an increased proportion of domestic raw materials for the Swedish biobased industry. The aim was to develop improved knowledge of chemical composition and methane potential of cereal residual. To practically evaluate harvesting techniques under Swedish conditions and to improve the handling and storage of residues from harvesting and handling. In addition, we wanted increased knowledge of delivery security of straw linked to risks due to harvesting conditions and regional differences in delivery safety.

Challenge

The cereal residues are a great potential, but there is limited knowledge of how variations between species and varieties affect the processing. By utilizing besides straw also chaff, yield increase but there may be a problem during storage due to high moisture content that can cause dust and hygiene problems. Grain harvest and the subsequent establishment of  the next crop is a very intense and difficult period to plan, with occasional difficult weather conditions. Therefore, it is important to investigate the straw supply potential in the most important cultivation areas of Sweden.

Solution

Through improvements in the supply chain that affect cost-effectiveness, the project's goal was to increase the use of available residues from cereal production

Effect

As a result, the project contributes to an increased proportion of domestic raw materials to the Swedish biobased industry.