RE-DIRECT – Regional development and integration of unused biomass wastes as resources for circular products and economic transformation
Wilcox Brooke, A., Severn Wye Energy Agency, UK
(free)
The European project RE-DIRECT will make use of the proven technology named “Integrated
Generation of Solid Fuel and Biogas from Biomass (IFBB)” to convert 20.000t of unused biomass in a
circular economy approach into energy, activated carbon and biochar.
The project will see the development of the world’s first industrial scale IFBB plant at Baden Baden
waste water treatment and recycling centre in Germany and an on farm pilot plant in North Wales.
Activated carbon from Baden Baden will be used to treat the municipalities’ waste water and the
biochar produced at the North Wales plant will be used to trial a range of potential products. Trials
include biochar as an additive to anaerobic digestion, to improve efficiency and produce higher
quality biogas, biochar as a slurry tank additive to reduce odour, improve nutrient uptake and
reduce run off and biochar as an animal feed additive.
An initial trial was conducted in collaboration with Aberystwyth University under the Beacon project.
The small scale A.D trial aims were to assess the impact of Biochar addition on Methane (CH4) and
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) outputs. Biochar’s produced from Re-Direct feedstocks; Communal Green Cut,
Japanese Knotweed and Willow woodchip were added to an industry standard inoculum with
cellulose included to stimulate production.
CH4 and CO2 were monitored over a 33 day period and produced the following results:
- Increase in CH4 potential levels and CO2 when cellulose is added to Inoculum and char.
- Bio char does not reduce CO2 when CH4 is increased in presence of added cellulose.
- Slightly but non-significantly higher levels of CH4 when char is present without cellulose,
compared to inoculum only.
- Low CH4 of CO2 levels in absence of cellulose
Further collaboration with Aberystwyth University is planned in order to characterise the bio char’s
pH and porosity, gain an understanding of the impact and relationship bio-char has within the
microbial community of the AD reactor and explore the Impact of bio char, on CH4 and CO2 levels in
different soil types in small scale reactors.
If you’re interested in working with the project or to be kept up to date with the project’s latest
news including details of events, seminars and publications please contact us on the email address
provided.
