Valorisation of wet biomass for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals

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Biomass waste is increasing daily in various forms, creating severe problems for managing and disposing it. These waste materials are diverse and complex resources, a significant portion of which are very wet and might contain over 70% moisture by weight, this presents a unique set of challenges in its handling and processing, currently less than half the amount of wet biomass waste has been treated for its value recovery, whilst existing treatment practices are remaining an extremely low recovery rate. Hydrothermal gasification can convert wet feedstock using near-critical or supercritical water, offering high (or complete) carbon conversions with a much short processing time. However, the heat required for the hydrothermal agent to reach a desirable gasification temperature may exceed the energy content of feedstock. This project develops a novel technology that utilises supercritical CO2 to promote hydrothermal gasification of wet biomass waste, as a cost-effective processing solution, for production of biofuels and recovery of nutrients. This project will perform feasibility studies to assess the energy recovery potential, quantify the role of sCO2 plays in hydrothermal gasification, and explore potential advanced synergies.