Sustainable protein production from biomass

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Hyperthermics has installed a pilot plant that is operating at Lindum AS in Drammen. This plant operates at 10000 tonnes of commercial waste biomass as a pretreatment step for the biogas and biomethane plant. Experience from the pilot phase show that there are variations in the biomass specification and quality which sometimes also are outside the operational limits of the Hyperthermics plant. The operational conditions of the pilot plant is defined by the Lindum operation with a mix of long term biomass contracts and spot supplies. There is a need to define the operational limits according to a biorefinery definition, in practice this implies that the biomass must be within defined operational limits. This may be achieved by securing stable flow of a mix of incoming biomass or modifying the incoming biomass by additives in order to secure good operation and maximum value of the outcoming products and energy carriers. Hyperthermics has developed an extensive knowledge and operational data on a wide range of biomass from model biomass to commercial biomasses such as straw, algae, wood, food, vegetables, manure etc. However, the efficient fermentation and thus production of products is dependent on good bacterial growth at highest cell numbers. Thus, optimal nutrient (biomass) supply for all relevant cellular processes of the bacteria is key for stable industrial fermentation processes. Various waste streams are either low in some relevant nutrient or maybe even lacking nutrients (e.g. straw or wood is rich in Carbon sources but low in Nitrogen). Some waste streams (e.g. fermented food waste) might be of low pH and need to be adjusted to neutral pH by other low-cost waste material the bacteria can utilise for hydrogen and protein production. This project is performed in order to document and achieve stable industrial fermentation for a selected range of relevant biomasses and an overall aim to produce and extract high grade sustainable protein