News

19-09-2017

Waste2Aromatics takes production of furanics to the next level

Within Biorizon's Waste2Aromatics project a consortium of TNO, waste management companies and value chain partners are realizing a blue print for a pilot plant for the conversion of biogenic waste into furanic building blocks. At this moment Waste2Aromatics is ready to take the production of furanics to the next level.

In preparation of testing the conversion technologies at larger scale, TNO’s 10 kg/h biphasic reactor setup was commissioned and tested in-house and the logistics for external steam conversion tests at 40 kg/h are arranged. Both technologies will be tested at the given scales in the coming months.

Two pilot blueprints

Furanics can be converted into bio-aromatics. The current project phase started in September 2016 and at the end of the project, December 2017, the consortium will deliver two pilot blueprints: one for a plant that converts source separated organics (SSO) with a co-feed (e.g. diaper fill or sewage sieve fraction) using steam technology and another for a plant converting manure using biphasic reactor technology. Both technologies were developed by TNO.

To deliver the information required for the blueprints, the focus in the current project has been on defining the product recovery processes and testing the technologies at larger scale. The most suitable product recovery routes were determined using TNO’s MATCH approach in which different options were systematically evaluated with TNO’s network of in-house and external separation specialists. Currently, the product recovery routes (downstream processing) are being verified at lab scale.

The results that will be obtained from the large-scale conversion tests and the product recovery tests will be evaluated in techno-economical and life cycle assessments. These will provide insight into the economic and environmental performance of the envisioned processes and allow to, if required, adapt their designs.

At the conclusion of Waste2Aromatics, which will coincide with Biorizion's Annual Event (30 November 2017), the waste management companies will make an investment decision on the first biphasic rector or steam pilot plant within the Netherlands that converts biogenic waste into furanic building blocks.

Waste2Aromatics project partners

Waste2Aromatics partners are AEB, Twence, Orgaworld, Waternet, Knowaste, STOWA, Vereniging Afvalbedrijven, Port of Amsterdam, SABIC, Biobased Delta and Zeton. The project is coordinated by TNO and partially financed by TKI Chemie.

More information

For more information, please contact Monique Wekking via monique.wekking@tno.nl or +31 (0)6 46 84 73 58 to discuss how your company could benefit from participating in Shared Research Center Biorizon.  

Photo: TNO’s 10 kg/h-scale biphasic reactor has produced its first batches of bio-based furanics.