Biobased materials and energy for the bioeconomy
The aim of this research programme is to develop both efficient technology and processes for the provision of biogenic materials and energy sources from agriculture for a sustainable, bio-based economy.
Fibre plants and short-rotation coppices (SRC) can be mechanically processed into innovative products and energy sources. Plants containing sugar and starch as well as their residues provide lactic acid, biochar and biogas by means of thermal and biotechnological material conversion processes. It is important to better understand and control the specific metabolic performance of the microorganisms involved.
Together with industrial partners we are developing biorefinery and cascade concepts, based on the comprehensive use, in order to add value of biogenic raw materials and residues.
Material use of biomass
Natural resources from agriculture and forestry as well as residual and waste materials from other utilization paths have been used for the production of materials and consumer goods for a long time before the industrial revolution. Fossil raw materials then largely displaced these, but their scarcity, increase in price and the impairment of natural living conditions associated with their use require an intensive and targeted search for alternatives. If fossil carbon sources are no longer available in the future, the corresponding basic materials must be obtained from biomass.
In addition, the requirements of today's industrial processing and the expectations of consumers require a high degree of effectiveness, raw material and product quality as well as cost efficiency. This places high demands on the development of agricultural supply processes and the subsequent technologies and processes for the preparation and initial processing of plant biomass.
Within the framework of interdisciplinary projects, we work intensively on appropriate solutions. In our research we closely cooperate with small and medium-sized enterprises in particular with the aim of creating alternative employment and income in rural areas and creating added value in branches relatetd to agriculture.
The biotechnological material conversion as well as the carbonization of renewable raw materials and technologies for the processing of natural fibres are important fields of activity of the ATB.
Bioenergy
In addition to tapping previously unused residual and waste materials from agriculture, the food industry and private households, annual and perennial plants play a very important role as renewable raw materials in the production of bioenergy in Germany. Although alternative energy generation options such as photovoltaics, solar thermal and wind power have a higher efficiency per unit area, the use of biomass is superior due to its cascading utilization possibilities.
For this reason, we have been successfully developing concepts that affect the entire process chain for many years. This begins with the cultivation of annual and perennial energy crops and extends to their harvesting, storage and conversion into biogas, biochar and other solid fuels, as well as the comprehensive evaluation of these processes. The main areas of research within the scope of this process evaluation are emissions from short rotation plantations, the calculation of greenhouse gas abatement costs and the networking of value chains.
To the team of the research program 'Material and energetic use of biomass'
Forschungsprojekte
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Recent developments render the biobased sector a key player in European Economy providing a great impetus towards Circular Business Models of resource efficiency. Developments in biobased nanomaterials are coupled with b…
Start:
End:
01.01.2021
31.12.2024
Funding authority:
Europäische Union (EU)
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The BeonNAT project aims to increase knowledge about the extraction of various organic products from wood species, trees and shrubs that are currently underutilized. The project evaluates the key aspects in the value cha…
Start:
End:
01.07.2020
30.06.2025
Funding authority:
Europäische Union (EU)
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Bio-economy as a topic of the science years 2020/2021, as part of the sustainability strategy of the state of Brandenburg and the global sustainability goals is the focus of the cooperation project "BioKiK" of IGZ and AT…
Start:
End:
01.07.2020
31.12.2021
Funding authority:
Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur des Landes Brandenburg
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The 3-year CAFIPLA project will radically alter the biomass pre-treatment approach for bio-economy applications. Current biomass use comes at a high cost, either in terms of land use (sugar/starch crops) or energy and ch…
Start:
End:
01.06.2020
30.05.2023
Funding authority:
Europäische Union (EU)
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The aim of the joint project is to evaluate the carbon sink function with a focus on deeper soil layers (> 30 cm) as a function of the rotation length of former short rotation plantations and - after their uprooting - t…
Start:
End:
15.02.2020
14.02.2023
Funding authority:
Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL)
Alle Projekte aus dem Forschungsprogramm Stoffliche und energetische Nutzung von Biomasse
Publikationen aus dem Programm
- Mai-Moulin, T.; Hoefnagels, R.; Grundmann, P.; Junginger, M. (2021): Effective sustainability criteria for bioenergy: Towards the implementation of the european renewable directive II. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews. (March 2021): p. 110645. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110645 1.0
- Lühr, C.; Pecenka, R.; Lenz, H.; Hoffmann, T. (2021): Cold air ventilation for cooling and drying of poplar wood chips from short rotation coppice in outdoor storage piles in Germany. Biomass & Bioenergy. (March 2021): p. 105976. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2021.105976 1.0
- Alexandri, M.; López Gómez, J.; Olszewska-Widdrat, A.; Venus, J. (2020): Valorising Agro-industrial Wastes within the Circular Bioeconomy Concept: the Case of Defatted Rice Bran with Emphasis on Bioconversion Strategies. Fermentation. (2): p. 42. Online: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/6/2/42 1.0
- Zohrabi, S.; Aghbashlo, M.; Seiiedlou, S.; Scaar, H.; Mellmann, J. (2020): Energy saving in a convective dryer by using novel real-time exergy-based control schemes adjusting exhaust air recirculation. Journal of Cleaner Production. (1 June 2020): p. 120394. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120394 1.0
- Montalvo, S.; Huilinir, C.; Borja, R.; Sanchez, E.; Herrmann, C. (2020): Application of zeolites for biological treatment processes of solid wastes and wastewaters - A review. Bioresource Technology. (April): p. 0. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122808 1.0
- Schroedter, L.; Schneider, R.; Remus, L.; Venus, J. (2020): L-(+)-Lactic Acid from Reed: Comparing Various Resources for the Nutrient Provision of B. coagulans. Resources. (7): p. 89. Online: https://doi.org/10.3390/resources9070089 1.0
- López Gómez, J.; Perez-Rivero, C.; Venus, J. (2020): Valorisation of solid biowastes: The lactic acid alternative. Process Biochemistry. (Dec): p. 222-235. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2020.08.029 1.0
- Cubas-Cano, E.; López Gómez, J.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, C.; Ballesteros, I.; Tomas-Pejo, E. (2020): Towards sequential bioethanol and L-lactic acid co-generation: Improving xylose conversion to L-lactic acid in presence of lignocellulosic ethanol with an evolved Bacillus coagulans,. Renewable Energy. (June 2020): p. 759-765. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.02.066 1.0
- Mora-Villalobos,, J.; Montero-Zamora, J.; Barboza, N.; Rojas-Garbanzo, C.; Usaga, J.; Redondo-Solano, M.; Schroedter, L.; Olszewska-Widdrat, A.; López Gómez, J. (2020): Multi-Product Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentations: A Review. Fermentation. (1): p. 23. Online: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fermentation6010023 1.0
- Pecenka, R.; Lenz, H.; Hering, T. (2020): Options for Optimizing the Drying Process and Reducing Dry Matter Losses in Whole-Tree Storage of Poplar from Short-Rotation Coppices in Germany. Forests. (4): p. 374. Online: https://doi.org/10.3390/f11040374 1.0
Alle Publikationen aus dem Forschungsprogramm Stoffliche und energetische Nutzung von Biomasse