The PROMOFER project consortium after the first year of intense research activities met in Dublin on the 17th of June at the premises of the University College Dublin (UCD) to discuss upon the progress achieved within the different Work Packages. The second cycle of collecting agri-industrial waste is being organised, analysis of collected (agri and food) wastes has already been carried out, whilst Enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass is presenting encouraging results. Isolation and characterization of microorganisms is almost complete, and partners are working towards the improvement of PHBV and 2,3-BDO productivity. The first results and conclusions on obtaining VFAs are out and scaling and process design of the PHBV and 2,3-BDO fermentation production processes are under development.
Finally, analysing and supporting the social acceptance of circular bio-based products has been launched, whilst the project is being disseminated amongst stakeholders with the goal to achieve engagement and knowledge sharing.
The ambition of PROMOFER project is linked (i) to the use of specific biobased wastes from different industries, generated in significant amounts in Europe and showing specific overcomes to be valorised into high-added value products and (ii) to improve fermentative processes to produce bioplastics (PHBV and PU), whose yield are often inefficient to compete with chemical synthesis processes. On the one hand, agro-industrial wastes (low value starches, whey permeate, industrial wastewater) will be used to produce PHBV a biodegradable and biobased bioplastic. On the other hand, lignocellulosic biomass (rice straw, wheat straw and prune waste) will be used to produce 2,3-BDO a chain extender in thermoplastic polyurethanes.
PROMOFER project will establish different strategies for the improvement of the different bottlenecks present at industrial level in the production processes of two highly valuable compounds for the biobased market such as PHBV and 2,3-BDO. PROMOFER will contribute to significant knowledge advancements of the state-of-the-art in biobased waste treatments, improvements of strain capacities, uses of biocatalysts, process designs and downstream processes.
PROMOFER is coordinated by Aimplas and the Consortium counts 13 partners from 7 European Countries. The project will run for 48 months, until June 2028.
