PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Forests account for almost 40% of the Europe’s territory, with the figure being higher in Spain at almost 55% in Spain and around the same in Portugal. Mediterranean countries are especially prone to forest fires, a problem that is worsening as a result of climate change. Globally, forest fires are responsible for around 12.95 Gt of CO2 emissions every year. As a preventive measure, Mediterranean countries invest millions of euros cleaning the forests in order to diminish the amount of easily combustible biomass. Most of this forest waste, around 1.98 t/ha, is burned in the field as part of the cleaning process, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, mainly CO2 and NO2.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of LIGNOBIOLIFE was to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of developing an industrial plant to generate high added value bioproducts, such as biochar and wood vinegar, from forest waste. In this way, the project made a valuable contribution to rural economic development. The project approach was to apply sustainable forest management practices for biomass recollection, thus ensuring the conservation of biodiversity.
Specifically, the project demonstrated, on an industrial scale, the efficient production of biochar and bio-asphalt from lignocellulose residues using microwave pyrolysis. The aim was to show the valuable qualities of biochar and the potential of wood vinegar as a green alternative to chemical herbicides. The project also planned to demonstrate the environmental, structural and economic viability of the use of bio-asphalt. Finally, the viability of installing three bio-refineries (one in Spain and two in Portugal) was assessed and possible business plans were drawn up.
The project made a contribution to the EU Forest Strategy, the Biomass Action Plan, 2030 European Climate and Energy Framework, 2050 Low Carbon Economy Roadmap, the directives on sustainable use of pesticides, the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and the quality of fuels, as well as the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation for 2021-2030 and the Circular Economy European Strategy.
RESULTS
The project has demonstrated the environmental, technical and economic feasibility of transforming lignocellulosic forest and agricultural residues into bioproducts by making use of the pyrolysis technology. First, the availability of raw materials was studied and interested final users for the bio-products were identified. Then, the collected residues were pyrolyzed in a prototype that operated continuously for 8 months. The process generated three bioproducts: biochar, wood vinegar and bio-oil.
Small-scale and large-scale trials with biochar and wood vinegar were performed providing different types of results. Main conclusions show that biochar improves the productivity of the crops, and that wood vinegar constitutes an efficient herbicide. Guidelines for the application of biochar in agricultural soils and for the application of wood vinegar as herbicide and bio-stimulant have been drafted. Nevertheless, it should be noted that legal and economic barriers have been identified for the use and commercialisation of wood vinegar. Bio-oil was tested as a binder in the formulation of cold and hot asphalt mixtures. The results demonstrated that it increases adhesion properties, although it also softens the bitumen. Thus, it can improve proprieties to certain mixtures and for specific needs.
The project developed a business model for two types of biorefineries using waste from the olive oil sector in Spain, and another one based on forestry and olive waste, that can be adapted to both Spain and Portugal. The results obtained were promising, but the initial investment needed is high.
The project has been widely disseminated both in Spain and Portugal, raising high expectations among the industrial sectors interested in the technology as well as other bioproduct users. As a result, some of the project beneficiaries have been granted with other national and EU projects to continue working on the project results.
