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OPTIMIZATION OF BIOGAS PRODUCTION THROUGH ALGAL BIOMASS - Main researchers: Sara Isabel Elvira-Pérez - Raúl Muñoz Torre - PhD student: Marta Alzate Andrade - Microalgae ability to attach CO2, nutrients (N, P) and storing solar energy in their cells through photosyntesis makes them an interesting alternative of green energy (biofuel and biogas) and sewage treatment technologies. In comparison to conventional plants, microalgae have higher growth rates and can be grown in non-arable land. For this reason, microalgae grown for biogas production cannot compete with crops for human nutrition. The use of microalgae in sewage treatment results in bigger amounts of biomass that need to be removed. Likewise, biodiesel production through microalgae would generate huge amounts of algae waste. An alternative to this biomass’ waste is anaerobic digestion,which transform this wastes in CH4, which can, in turn, transform into different kinds of energy (heat, electricity, etc.) - www.envtech.uva.es/pdf/P-Algae_Digestion.pdf ALGAL-BACTERIAN PROCESSES FOR AGRICULTURAL SEWAGE TREATMENT - Main researchers: Raúl Muñoz Torre y Mónica Coca - PhD student: Esther Posadas Olmos - The high energy requirements and the operational complexity of sludge conventional systems of activated sludge for agricultural sewage treatment have made its implementation in rural areas harder. Similarly, the implementation of anaerobic digestion, even though it combines organic matter removal with biogas production, is usually restricted by an insufficient nutrient removal, the need for a complex process control (charge and temperature) and the unfavorable C/N relation of agricultural sewage. Besides, none of the already mentioned treatment methods present a significant potential of nutrient recovery, which means a serious limitation in the search of the world’s sustainable development. The high energetic costs and the scarcity of natural resources make it necessary to develop sustainable processes for pollution control with a low-power consumption and a potential for resources recovery. For this reason, the development of methods for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly sewage treatments is essential to create a sustainable activity in agricultural processes. http://envtech.uva.es/pdf/P-Algal_Bacterial_Agroindustrial.pdf STRATEGIES OF PETROL ACCUMULATION IN MICROALGAE GROWN IN SEWAGE. - Main researchers: Raúl Muñoz Torre and Pedro García Encina - PhD student Cynthia Alcántara Pollo - The current scenario of depletion of energetic fossil energetic resources, the increasing of petrol prices and global warming as a result of the accumulation of greenhouse effect gases; all these things are causing an investigation on the production of fuel from renewable biomass. Conventional biodiesel is a type of fuel mainly produced from vegetal oils, which despite their smaller CO2 footprint (compared to fossil fuels), can also produce a negative environmental impact. On the one hand, pesticidals and fertilizers overexploit the grounds. On the other hand, competition for farmland could cause a global food crisis if they are expected to meet the world's real demand for fuel. - http://envtech.uva.es/pdf/P-Microalgal-biodiesel.pdf ALGAL-BACTERIAN SYSTEMS FOR SIMULTANEOUS BIOGAS H2S AND CO2 REMOVAL - Main researchers: Raúl Muñoz Torre - Postdoctoral researcher: Alma Toledo. VALORIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL EFFLUENTS THROUGH THE USE OF MICROALGAE IN ORDER TO OBTAIN BIO-PRODUCTS - Main researchers: Raúl Muñoz Torre and Silvia Bolado Rodríguez - PhD student: Dimas García - The purpose of this project is to obtain bioproducts from microalgae biomass through recyling sewage nutrients of agricultural processing to improve the economical and environmental sustainability of the process. The project integrates the production and valorization of microalgae under the concept of biorefinery, and determines its economic viability through Life Cycle Analysis (in Spanish, ACV.) In this project, two different strategies regarding biomass use are considered: Firstly, the direct use of biomass as food in aquaculture, or the production of biofertilizers or biogas. Secondly, the processing of biomass in order to obtain different products of industrial interest. Since microalgae biomass consists mostly of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, the products to be obtained are the following: 1) Proteins that will be used for animal nutrition by mixing it with fodder, 2) Alcohols obtained through the pre-treatment and fermentation of algae biomass, 3) oils from lipid fraction that can be used in animal food, 4) biogas obtained through anaerobic digestion of algae residual biomass. In order to close the cycle of biomass production, the CO2 generated by anaerobic digestion of residual microalgae will be recycled to the stage of production of algae biomass, so that the production system will act as a CO2 sink, reducing the emission of greenhouse effect gases. Therefore, this holistic approach will allow bio-products to be obtained from the recycling of nutrients from agricultural sewage while contributing to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

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