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DEMETER

Demonstrating more efficient enzyme production to increase biogas yields

Project details

Type of project
Innovation Action - Demonstration
Project focus
Biogas
Feedstock origin
Agri-food waste
Feedstock type
Food industry sidestreams
Project period
1 August 2016 - 31 January 2020
Status
Completed
CBE JU Contribution
€ 4 629 586
Call identifier
H2020-BBI-PPP-2015-02

Summary

A recently developed enzyme has the potential to increase biogas yield by 10% or more. However, the current fermentation process does not yield enough to make it cost effective for industrial deployment.

The DEMETER project wants to increase this yield by at least 20%, making it far more cost effective and more easily available for widespread use. The project will improve and scale-up fermentation to improve protein yields while retaining quality using a number of techniques.

It will improve downstream processing of the fermentation broth, reducing costs by at least 15% and demonstrate industrial and economic the feasibility of the entire project using a 15,000 litre pilot plant. It will also develop a model that can predictive how adding the enzyme will impact biogas yield.

  • To demonstrate a yield increase and cost reduction of the C1-LC4 enzyme production process as well as its positive effect on biogas production in Europe.
  • To improve and scale-up the C1-LC4-producing fermentation process to yield at least 20% more protein while retaining quality.
  • To improve downstream processing of the fermentation broth leading to a cost reduction of at least 15%.
  • To demonstrate the improved production process in a 15 000 L pilot plant
  • To demonstrate the industrial and economic feasibility to apply a cost-effective C1-LC4 enzyme product in biogas plants.
  • To develop a predictive model of the effect of enzyme addition on the biogas yield of a given fermentation process.
  • To analyse the impact of the developed processes and products on environment and economy.

  • Higher process yields of at least 20% compared to the state of the art
  • Cost reduction of at least 15% compared to conventional down-stream processing of the fermentation broth
  • Increasing the overall productivity leading to more economically feasible processes, to be proven at demonstration scale
  • Contributing to realising the objectives of Key Enabling Biotechnology under Horizon 2020 and dedicated EU policy

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • GENENCOR INTERNATIONAL BV OEGSTGEEST, Netherlands

Consortium

  • DBFZ DEUTSCHES BIOMASSEFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM GEMEINNUTZIGE GMBH Leipzig, Germany
  • PNO INNOVATION SL BARCELONA, Spain
  • MIAVIT GMBH Essen, Germany
  • BIO BASE EUROPE PILOT PLANT VZW Desteldonk Gent, Belgium
  • CIAOTECH Srl Roma, Italy
  • BIOMOER ENERGIE BV MOERSTRATEN, Netherlands
  • NORMEC OWS GENT, Belgium