Bioconversion & Biogas Systems
Scope of Services AREA 3:
Biogas technology
- Chemical characterization of different substrates for biogas processes (dry matter, organic dry matter, COD/chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, NH4 nitrogen, etc.)
- Determination of biomethane yields using batch tests
- Feasibility studies for biogas projects
- Optimization of the digestion process in continuous biogas experiments
- Bioavailability of trace elements
- Digestion of challenging substrates (slaughterhouse waste, lignocellulosic residues)
- Measurement and reduction of methane emissions from biogas plants
Recycling of industrial and agricultural residues
- Evaluation of the composition and amount of residues
- Biotechnological valorization of residues (to energy carriers, bioplastics, basic chemicals, biofertilizers, etc.)
- Pretreatment and digestion of residues
- Scale-up of innovative processes to pilot scale to provide reliable data for process evaluation
- Monitoring and optimization of industrial plants
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Process integration and energy management in companies
Microalgae biotechnology
- Screening of microalgae and cyanobacteria strains
- Testing and comparison of different cultivation systems (tubular, flat panel, flat bed, stirred tank photobioreactor)
- Optimization of the cultivation process (process water recycling and processing)
- Process scale-up from lab scale to pilot scale
- Heterotrophic cultivation
- Processing of residues for the cultivation of microalgae and cyanobacteria
- Downstream processing (harvesting, biomass processing, extraction of valuable substances, etc.)
- Supply of algal biomass
- Further development of algae biorefinery processes
Gas fermentation
- Biomethanation and biological upgrading of biogas to biomethane
- Biological conversion of hydrogen and carbon dioxide to acetic acid
- Process optimization at lab and pilot scale (0.5 m³ automated trickle bed reactor) Wastewater engineering and biofertilizer production
- Closing of nutrient cycles
- Treatment of industrial wastewater
- Process engineering for processing residue/wastewater to biofertilizers (sieving, centrifugation, use of flocculants, membranes, etc.)
- Further development of nutrient recovery processes (ammonia, phosphate, sulfur, microelements)