Challenge & Objectives
Building on successful projects and relevant assets from partners and an interdisciplinary approach, BioSPRINT applies process intensification in the context of biorefining operations, so as to improve the efficiency of the purification and conversion of sugars from the hemicelluloses fraction of lignocellulosic biomass and to enable their transformation into new bio-based resins for substituting fossil based polymers in a range of applications. The ultimate objective is to lead to a reduction in operation costs, feedstock and energy resources, greenhouse gas emissions and higher yields, while increasing operation safety, by concentrating on technologies which can intensify processing methods and create an integrated biorefinery concept. Of particular interest in BioSPRINT is the valorisation of hemicelluloses streams derived from hard wood and straw, from processes employed in the production of paper pulp or biofuels. Such streams are readily available from the pilot or production processes of the project’s research and industrial partners (Fraunhofer and UPM).
A case study using a stream from Clariant will also be carried out. With regards to processing technologies, BioSPRINT will focus on 4 activity areas:
Upstream purification;
Catalytic conversion;
Downstream purification and
Polymerisation
The project will develop and validate an intensified and integrated purification strategy leveraging innovative anti-solvent precipitation and membrane separation methods, novel intensified and integrated catalytic processes for dehydration of C5 and C6 hemicelluloses sugars into monomers, extractive-reaction methods to isolate the reaction products from the reaction medium in situ, heterogeneous catalysts and an intensified polymerisation process for furan-based derivatives. Cross-cutting activities will cover process simulation and optimisation, an integrated Lifecycle sustainability assessment, standardisation, dissemination and exploitation activities.
In BioSPRINT, EBOS will provide ICT development related to the application of Machine Learning to optimal catalyst development and the use of advanced data analytics and visualisation techniques for effective and efficient monitoring of complex systems. EBOS will also contribute in the techno-economic assessment of the project’s innovation with modelling techniques and tools, leveraging advanced data analytics and data visualisation techniques which can support decision-making, for example related to investment.
eBOS will also be responsible for:
organising and supervising quality and peer reviews for all deliverables;
implementing the quality management plan;
performing project risk assessment and continuous monitoring;
producing risk and quality review reports.
eBOS will also lead the task dedicated to streamlining Socio-economic science and humanities topics at various stages of the project.
Moreover, eBOS will:
undertake the development of the project’s identity and website design;
design and create the project’s communication materials;
contribute to the development and implementation of the online Training, Education & Capacity Building programme.
Consortium
DECHEMA GESELLSCHAFT FUER CHEMISCHE TECHNIK UND BIOTECHNOLOGIE E.V.
AEP POLYMERS SRL
DYNAMIC & SECURITY COMPUTATIONS SL
EBOS TECHNOLOGIES LTD
FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
IFEU - INSTITUT FUR ENERGIE UND UMWELTFORSCHUNG HEIDELBERG GMBH
IRIS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA
KEMIJSKI INSTITUT (National Institute of Chemistry)
MATURUS OPTIMI BV
OULUN YLIOPISTO
PREFERE RESINS
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
UPM GMBH
This project has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 887226.
