Smart, integrated biorefineries

Foto: Gutjahr/ATB
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Smart, integrated biorefineries

A boost for the circular economy

Value creation without fossil raw materials? Reshaping our economic system to be based upon renewable, i.e. biological resources is the core to establish a sustainable, bio-based circular economy. That requires us to extend beyond primary production and to use our biological resources in an optimal manner. Smart, integrated biorefineries will be one of the key technologies for achieving that goal.

What biorefineries are currently achieving

Modern biorefineries utilise a variety of different conversion processes. Farmers are harvesting biogas from the feces/manure of their dairy cattle via anaerobic fermentation, charcoal burners carbonise wood to biocharcoal and chemical companies are gaining lactic acid via fermenting leftover food which in return isn't just useful to the food economy itself but can also be used in order to produce bio plastics. All those processes have been well researched already and some are used on an industrial scale.

Laboratory technician working on the biochar-reactor
The reactor allows for bio- and hydrochar to be created. (Photo: Gutjahr/ATB)

What smart, integrated biorefineries are able to achieve

We've developed the concept of smart, integrated biorefineries at ATB. Those biorefineries differ from more regular biorefineries due to them combining several processes. Our team of researchers has been able to discover that by combining several processes, strong synergies are being created. Those processes are not just accompanying each other but also optimise each other so that the biological starting material is fully utilised in the end. 

Intelligent biorefineries are contributing directly to the protection of critical planetary boundaries, especially the protection of the climate, via maximising bio-based production, binding and storing carbon and minimising greenhouse gases. Thus, it's striving to completely avoid the further accumulation of unused waste and to achieve complete energy autonomy by converting all waste products into valuable products in their own right.

Read the concept paper

From conceptuality to reality

Thousands of different combinations of resources, process-parameters and conversion possibilities are imaginable when it comes to achieving an integrated and smart concept. Researching those possibilities solely via practical experimentation would be extremely costly – both in financial ways as well as time – and not realistically achievable within the limited timeframe remaining when it comes to fighting climate change. That's why we're using artificial intelligence, mechanical learning and digital twin-technologies in order to discover new and hidden synergies. These tools allow the development of biorefineries that can be fine-tuned to work with different types of biomass, significantly reduce production costs, minimise the strain on climate and nature in general and improve the circular economy.

The challenges and our approach to solution

The different conversion processes can be influenced via the activation of several parameters. Additionally, we want to use a large variety of both regional as well as seasonal biomass resources (up to 90). The different processes can further be combined with one another, which leads to an enormous amount of potential scenarios. Research merely driven forward via practical experimentation would require too high financial resources and too much time; thus we're using AI-controlled simulations to identify efficient approaches. As one of the preparation measures we're optimising the subsystems. By combining international industrial knowledge and research results of/about sensory, AI, digital twins and modeling technology, we allow for the development of adaptable and scalable intelligent bioreffineries. Those can work through a huge variety of scenarios in order for a sustainable bioeconomy within the planetary boundaries to be realised.  

The opportunities

Agricultural and gardening wastes, byproducts of the food industry, biowastes from bins and textile wastes — every biological residual product has the ability to serve as the starting material for valuable materials within the process of conversion. They are an inevitable result of differing production and manufacturing processes and offer the potential of completing circular and recyclable processes. Due to them being able to be constructed and configured according to the local possibilities and prerequisites, they are strengthening the regional economic value creation and offer greater independence from exports of external raw materials and resources.

In the box below you will find combinations of procedures with which we have already demonstrated enormous positive effects.

Overview of the conversion processes

Thermochemical Conversion

Pyrolysis

… converts dry biomass and residual materials under temperatures of 300 – 900 °C and under oxygen exclusion into warmth, chemicals, or biochar. Biochar can serve as an auxiliary material to improve soil quality and bind carbon within the soils for up to over 100 years (high recalcitrance index).

Hydrothermal humification/fulvication

… converts moist biogenic residues at below 250 °C under alkaline conditions into nutrient-rich liquids containing humic substances. Fulvation works at higher alkalinity than humification. Humic substances are used as fertilisers in soils and hydroponics.

Hydrothermal carbonization

… converts wet biomass like food waste, manure, or algae under temperatures of 180 – 250°C and under pressure into hydrochar and nutrient-rich fluid. Hydrochar is a charcoal-like solid material that can be used as an energy carrier, auxiliary materials for soils, and carbon storage.

Biotechnological conversion

Fermentation

… converts sugar from biogenic raw and residual material via microorganisms 
and under controlled environment into biochemicals and ethanol. Both lactic 
acid and succinic acid are platform chemicals and thus can be used or processed further for a variety of differing uses.

Anaerobic fermentation

… converts sugar from biogenic raw and residual materials via microorganisms and under oxygen exclusion into nutrient rich fermentation residues and biogas. Fermentation residues serve as fertilizers. Biogas contains methane which serves as a energy source.

Biological conversions

Insects

… such as the black soldier fly or the cricket, turn biogenic raw- and residual materials into proteins, chitin and oils. Insects thus are useful for human as well as animal diets, as fertilizers and as general biomaterials.

Jellyfish

… for example, from a jellyfish bloom in coastal waters turn biomass into collagen, bioactive peptides and protein hydrolyzate. Thus, they are sources of raw materials for cosmetic products, medicines, food and fertilizer products.

Algae

… such as micro- and macroalgae turn carbon dioxide and light into lipids, proteins and bioactive combinations. They thus deliver raw materials for biofuel, biochemicals and bind carbon.

Fermentation – Artifical humification

Anaerobic fermentation produces biogas, which can be used as an energy source. However, valuable organic compounds remain in the fermentation residue. Instead of using digestate/fermentation residues as fertilizer, as is usually done, we can convert it into artificial humic substances through hydrothermal humification. If humic substances are applied to agricultural soils instead of digestate/fermentation residues, they stabilise bacterial diversity and improve soil health. At the same time, humification of fermentation residues produces soluble organic compounds in the process liquid. If we feed these back into the anaerobic process during biogas production, we can double the methane yield.

Fermentation – Pyrolysis – Algae cultivation

The addition of biochar during fermentation breaks down process-inhibiting lignins. This significantly increases ethanol and lactic acid yield in the production of biochemicals. In addition, bio-heat and electricity generated during pyrolysis can be used for fermentation, which reduces dependence on external energy sources. The carbon dioxide emissions generated during pyrolysis can be captured and used for the cultivation of algae, which in turn serve as an alternative source of protein.

Fermentation – Pyrolysis

Another promising approach is the combination of anaerobic fermentation with pyrolysis, i.e. carbonization. The biochar acts as a catalyst and increases the efficiency of biogas production. At the same time, the biochar is enriched with nutrients. If the biochar is applied to the field, it can improve the soil and – depending on the process conditions – store carbon for more than a century.

Selected infrastructures on the topic

Pilot plant biobased chemicals
Biochar laboratory
Biogas lab
Leibniz-InnoHof

Selected publications on the topic

Search for more publications on this topic ...

Publications

Selected research projects on the topic

Expert on this topic

Dr.-Ing. Marzban, Nader

Scientist

Department: System Process Engineering

Email: NMarzban@spam.atb-potsdam.de

to the profile

Expert on the topic

Dr. rer.agr. Hoffmann, Thomas

Head of the department System Process Engineering

Department: System Process Engineering

Email: THoffmann@spam.atb-potsdam.de

to the profile

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