Within the European project INCOVER, an experimental plant uses low-energy photobioreactors to cultivate micro-algae and transform wastewater into bioproducts.
This article describes this new experimental plant and the start-up stage, starting from the new design of three semi-closed horizontal photobioreactors with low energy requirements, for microalgae cultivation (30 m3 total), using agricultural runoff and urban wastewater as feedstock.
The inflow nutrients concentration is adjusted to select cyanobacteria, microalgae able to accumulate polyhydroxybutyrates, which can be used for bioplastics production. Part of the harvested biomass is used as substrate for anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) with secondary sludge to obtain biogas.
NAFIGATE’s Hydal Biotechnology uses waste cooking oil to produce a fully biodegradable and biocompatible PHA biopolymer named Hydal (Polyhydroxyalcanoates). This is the first biopolymer of its kind being produced on an industrial scale at an affordable price.
MaterialDistrict is a match-making platform in the field of innovative materials, connecting material manufacturers and distributors with creative professionals and providing designers with information about materials.
The categories of materials are:
Plastics
Other naturals
Wood
Metals
Glass
Coatings
Ceramics
Concretes
Natural stones
There are listings for each material, with tags such as "biobased" or "recycling", making it very easy to find a circular material. Manufacturers and suppliers can promote and sell their goods, and creative professionals can look for the material that is right for their project.
Green Group Holding specialises in waste management in the broadest meaning of the term. Active across Europe, its headquarters are in Romania and its primary facilities are in Central East and South East Europe and the Baltic countries. It collects waste and recycles it into secondary raw materials.
Ecopneus is a non-profit consortium company created by the major tyre manufacturers in Italy in order to track, collect and process end-of-life tyres (ELT) so that they can meet their Extended Producer Responsibility obligations. It is also engaged in promoting applications for recycled rubber and raising awareness about recycling.
Ecoplasteam has created a new plastic material - EcoAllene™ - integrally recycled, this material contains two of the three layers - paper, polyethylene and aluminium - of "tetrapak" packaging.
