The URBIOFIN activities are organized into eight work packages, whose key activities are summarized below.
WP1: Preliminary actions for the urban biorefinery design
This includes the evaluation of the compositional variability of the feedstock for the design of adaptable and versatile biorefinery models, the identification of end-market requirements and the preliminary design of a suitable large-scale, economically competitive model of conversion technologies of the organic fraction of MSW into final or intermediate products.
WP2: Conversion of the OFMSW to bioethanol as building block for the production of bioethylene
This requires the redesign of the PERSEO Bioethanol plant improving operational units in order to increase the bioethanol yield, adapt and implement a bioethylene demonstration unit to use the bioethanol produced as chemical building block.
WP3: Conversion of OFMSW to VFAs for the production of PHA
This includes the production at demo-scales of VFA to MCFA, PHA and biogas as chemical-building block to be used for further bioplastic production during the project, as well as optimising the PHA extraction.
WP4: Biogas bioconversion to biomethane and added value products
The goal is to optimise the microalgae-bacterial process and biopolymers production by validating the anoxic biofiltration as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly technology able to completely remove H2S from biogas, and evaluating the final polishing step in the biogas upgrading process for the removal of volatile methyl siloxanes.
WP5: Final applications and industrial validation of the biobased products developed
Based on the results from WP2-4, final products from the bio-based chemicals, polymers and additives obtained in URBIOFIN biorefinery will be produced and validated to satisfy their expected functions.
WP6: Integration of the urban biorefinery. Economic, environmental and regulatory assessments
This includes the modelling and validation of the whole Urbiofin process and development of its optimisation for a further upscaling. Essential parts are the proof of the technical and economic feasibility of the technology proposed for products and processes in comparison to the current markets, the environmental impact assessment, the identification and analysation of the regulatory aspects related to the new products along with the Health&Safety issues.
WP7: Communication, dissemination and exploitation activities
This WP is installed to ensure the development and realisation of dissemination, communication and exploitation measures within the project. This includes the identification and definition of new business models for the right industrial exploitation of the project’s results.
WP8: Project management
This is meant to efficiently coordinate and monitor the URBIOFIN project.
Biobased products and final applications
The URBIOFIN concept consist of 3 modules. The biobased products and final applications of the 3 modules are shown below.
