The project aims to strengthen the infrastructure of the Laboratory of Environmental Fuels and Hydrocarbons (NICC) of the Institute for Chemical Processes and Energy Resources of the National Centre for Research and Technological Development (IDEP/EKETA) to address the needs of exploiting the organic and inorganic content of agricultural residues and by-products. The agricultural sector produces huge quantities of residual and secondary streams leading to waste production. These occur both during the cultivation and harvesting of fruits (fruits and vegetables) and during the processing of their nutrients. Over 200 megatons of food waste are produced in Europe on an annual basis, 40 % of which come from agricultural processing and production processes. The European Union has thus set incentives to encourage all European countries to modify practices in their agricultural industry, effectively requiring the development and implementation of more efficient processes both in terms of energy management and supply of raw materials. The economic importance of agricultural residues and associated secondary currents is related to their high content of valuable ingredients (proteins, vitamins, antioxidants, polysaccharides, etc.), with a high commercialisation potential, combined with sustainable energy production (e.g. bio-fuel production) and the production of other bio-products. In this light, agricultural residues, by-products and wastewater can be considered today as alternative renewable feeds and in this direction major efforts are being made to exploit their potential. This approach is in complete agreement with the modern principles of circular economy and industrial coexistence. The equipment that will be supplied by the NICY through this project will be used to strengthen its activities in the field of development of innovative and sustainable processes and technologies for the recovery of valuable bio-active components from residual biomass, with the aim of supplying high value for the chemical industry and then exploiting solid or liquid residue, through thermal chemical catalytic processes (hydrothermal carbonation and biomass production for solid or liquid water). The combined chain of agricultural residue processing processes will lead to: 1) The recovery of valuable fractions e.g. high nutrient proteins for use in food and feed additives, polyphenolic ingredients with antioxidant properties for use in food emulsions, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic products. 2) The recovery of nutrients (mainly N, K, P) for use as bio-fertilisers. 3) Hydrochar production (biocarbon: Biocoal) for use as soil enhancer or solid biofuel. 4) The production of bio-oil to be used as a liquid biofuel. (5) The additional recovery of water for irrigation purposes. To sum up, the procurement of this equipment aspires to strengthen the research activities of the NICY for the creation of a closed circuit, which will reduce the energy and water footprint of agricultural residues, in which solid and liquid agricultural residues will be recycled through the production of fertilisers and irrigation water, having already provided additional revenues to farmers and the processing facilities of agricultural products through the production of high value extracts, but also soil enhancers as well as solids/liquids.
