Cooperation Benefits

T he project aims at the integration of recent novel findings of the participating research groups, as well as, at the synthesis of their scientific knowledge and technical experience for the development of an innovative commercial biomass processing plant for the energy efficient and environmentally friendly exploitation of a large variety of nationally available agricultural residues in China and Greece. The outcomes of the project will allow the successful utilization of an otherwise useless or low quality energy source for the production of useful soil improvers, bio-products (bio-char, bio-oil, biogas), hydrogen rich gases (syngas) and thermal or/and electrical energy. The overall project concept intends to the rational utilization of a domestically abundant renewable resource while combating environmental pollution and climate change. Environmental benefits will be established by intensifying the penetration of biomass resources on the respective national energy markets, by opening routes for the long-term carbon sequestration into agricultural lands (biochar utilization in fields), by producing clean useful products such as hydrogen (a step towards "hydrogen economy") and by limiting the currently existing environmentally irrational practices of combustion of the agricultural residues in the fields.

The project brings together very strong academic teams from the two countries with established scientific background on their respective fields that will have the opportunity to exchange knowhow and best practices. Importantly, the commercial/industrial partners have long experience of environmental engineering projects, and anaerobic digestion / biogas utilization is at the core of their activities. Thus, all partners stand to gain enormous benefits from the successful development of this project and the exchange of scientific knowhow and the development of new knowledge / processes (and potentially products) that it entails.