More efficient circular economy: Acids from biowaste for metal recovery – fertilizers as a by-product of the process
The project will develop a method which produces organic acids from biowaste using an anaerobic fermentation process. These acids can be used to extract rare earth metals from electronic waste using a hydrometallurgical process.
Additionally, the process produces biogas and utilizes the digestate residue as a fertilizer or soil amendment. The residue can also be combined with power plant ash, producing a secondary raw material applicable for fertilizer use.
“The concept is unique and produces energy, organic acids, fertilizer and rare earth metals efficiently from local waste and side streams,” says Siiri Perämäki, Senior Researcher at the Department of Chemistry, Ģֱ.
The development project opens up new business opportunities in Central Finland and increases local self-sufficiency for various raw materials.
“We are seeking the possible end-users of the recycled raw materials as well as commercializers of the process. When the raw materials are manufactured in Finland from local side streams, dependence on global production chains decreases. This increases the industry's ability to operate in crisis situations, saves natural resources and reduces the carbon footprint, ”says Perämäki.
Biowaste is converted into acids that are important to industry - the by-product hydrogen is utilized as methane
The project utilizes the anaerobic fermentation process, where organic acids can be produced from biowaste or other organic by-products. Biogas is also produced in the process.
Hydrogen is generated as a by-product in the various stages of the concept, and it is utilized by converting it into methane.
“Utilizing hydrogen as methane is useful, especially in Central Finland, because of the high demand for methane as a transport fuel. In the future, we can also think of other ways to utilize hydrogen", says Saija Rasi, Principal Scientist at the Natural Resources Institute Finland.
The Natural Resources Institute Finland has a versatile research environment, which enables the development of anaerobic process using several different reactor technologies with varying sizes.
Last year, the Department of Chemistry of the Ģֱ introduced a hydrometallurgical pilot plant for research of recovery processes in larger scale. This unique research platform will be further utilized in this project.
“The pilot plant can be used to process waste materials on a kilo scale, which gives a more realistic assessment of the functionality of the developed methods on an industrial scale compared to ordinary laboratory tests,” says Perämäki.
As a result of the project, a unique circular economy ecosystem concept will be formed in Central Finland, where the recycling of waste materials and energy production will become more efficient. This operating model produces alternative recycled raw materials for industry, substituting traditional raw materials mined from ores.
The Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Ģֱ will pilot the concept of this circular economy ecosystem at the end of the project.
The project to be launched is called “Circular economy ecosystem: raw materials from waste and side streams”. It received a total of almost € 400,000 in funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the state. Other financiers of the project are the City of Jyväskylä, Mustankorkea LTD, Helsinki Region Environmental Services, Saarijärven Kaukolämpö LTD and Kuopion Energia LTD.
Link to Metal recovery and research group at the Ģֱ.
For further information:
Senior Researcher Siiri Perämäki, Ģֱ, siiri.e.peramaki@jyu.fi,
+358408053495
Principal Scientist Saija Rasi, Natural Resources Institute Finland, saija.rasi@luke.fi, +358295326469
The Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Communications Specialist Tanja Heikkinen, tanja.s.heikkinen@jyu.fi, +358 50 472 1162
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