Page 156 - CW E-Magazine (27-8-2024)

News from Abroad

DEMONSTRATION PLANT
Fraunhofer IGB produces hydrogen from industrial

wastewater, residue

The Fraunhofer Institute for Inter-
facial Engineering and Biotechnology
(IGB) has launched a demonstration
plant in Germany that uses industrial
wastewater and residual materials to
produce green hydrogen and organic
raw materials through two coupled
biotechnological processes.

The demonstration biorefinery was
launched at the site of Evonik Indus-
tries in Rheinfelden, Baden-Wuerttem-
berg earlier in August and operations
have started under real conditions.
refinery concept, it will be possible to “Drawing from practical experi-
The biorefinery was designed and efficiently and emission-free use indus- ence, we can then assess whether an
built by the Fraunhofer IGB in Stutt- trial solid and liquid waste streams – industrial-scale plant would also be
gart. It consists of two coupled process previously requiring costly disposal as economically viable. It is crucial that
modules for the biotechnological pro- waste and wastewater – as raw mate- we have planned for a high degree
duction of hydrogen: fermentative dark rials to produce hydrogen, a future of automation to enhance the plant’s
photosynthesis by purple bacteria; and energy source, along with other value- yield,” said Ms. Schliessmann. The
a two-stage process with microalgae. added bio-based products,” said Ms. demonstration plant was built as part of
Ursula Schliessmann, Deputy Director the SmartBioH 2 -BW project, which
“By intelligently integrating these of Fraunhofer IGB and coordinator is funded by Baden-Wuerttemberg’s
two processes into a combined bio- of the project. energy ministry.
WASTE VALORISATION
Finland’s VTT to run pilot plant converting CO
2
to chemical raw materials

VTT Technical Research Centre of such as polypropylene and polyethy- The Forest CUMP project is im-
Finland, LUT University, and compa- lene. The promising results will now be plemented in close cooperation with
nies have opened a pilot plant in Espoo, put into practice at the pilot plant built business partners as part of Business
Finland, to process captured carbon di- in sea containers in the Bioruukki pilot Finland’s Veturi ecosystem, which
oxide (CO ) into compounds that can centre in Espoo, Finland. supports sustainable development. The
2
replace fossil raw materials in plastic project started in August 2022 and will
products and chemicals. “Finland produces around 30 mil- run until the end of 2024. The project
lion tonnes of bio-based CO per year. involves the leading companies like
2
VTT and LUT University have, If captured and converted into products, Borealis, Neste and ABB, as well as
under the ‘Forest CUMP’ research pro- Finland could become a major producer Metsä Spring, Kemira, Vantaa Energy,
ject, investigated how bio-based CO and exporter of polymers and transport Stora Enso, Kleener Power Solutions,
2
from, for example, the forest industry fuels made from CO and hydrogen,” Carbonreuse Finland, Fortum and Essity.
2
and waste incineration can be captured said Mr. Juha Lehtonen, Research Pro- In addition to VTT, LUT University
and converted into high-value products fessor at VTT. is a research partner.

156 Chemical Weekly August 27, 2024

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