Technology Transfer Department

Application sectors

Problem to solve

The proposed biotechnological process can be utilized to convert gaseous carbon emissions sources (i.e sewage and waste treatment plants) into biomethane, in line with the core principles of the circular economy. As a renewable energy source, biomethane can be employed across various sectors, including transportation, thereby supporting efforts to achieve decarbonization targets. Moreover, the use of green hydrogen as a feedstock to sustain the biological reaction enhances the technology's potential to provide increased flexibility to the national electricity grid during periods of imbalance between energy production and consumption.

Description

The proposed technology relies on microbial consortia developed from mixed inocula sourced from anaerobic digestion plants. This approach offers significant operational flexibility concerning the variation of operating conditions (e.g, inlet gas composition and gas flow rate) and ensures resilience during plant shutdowns. Mixed microbial consortia also minimize the need for chemical additives to correct biological imbalances, lowering operational costs. A distinctive feature of the technology is the implementation of static or/dynamic gas-to-liquid mass transfer systems, contributing to cost reduction and high scalability.

Research group involved