BioDigi - Organic side streams to sustainable products using digital tools

The project supports achieving the Finnish aims for carbon neutrality by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of land use and creating new carbon sinks and storages by promoting the utilization of sorted biowaste flows from communities and plant production. Carbon sinks are verified using measurements and a digital model that will be developed during the project. A successful utilization of carbon products in agriculture demands for significant decrease in production costs, and thus the aim of the project is to reduce the price of the products to one third of the current level. To reach this aim, the research focuses on discovering the properties and characteristics of different waste biomass flows, such as sorted biowaste from landfill sites and sidestreams of vegetable production, their pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization, and effects of these on the quality of the product. The energy-efficiency of the production will be verified with a help of a digital twin, which can be also used to forecast the connections of raw-material and the processing to the product quality. The developed products are evaluated in cultivation experiments and the effects of biochar on plant diseases will be discovered. The prevailing mechanisms are explained via comprehensive characterization of the materials. Part of the products will be processed further to activated carbons, which efficiency will be evaluated in the removal of pesticides/herbicides from water. To reach a comprehensive view, the sustainability of the products and processes will be evaluated using novel multicriteria method. The price of the carbon products is evaluated using detailed estimation of the costs and discovering the possible business models. The project is realized in multidisciplinary collaboration between three research institutes, and companies. In addition to agriculture and companies the results can be benefitted by the decision makers at different levels. Success of the project and possibility to reach innovations are strengthen by active interaction and communication.

Partners: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), University of Vaasa, Kiertokaari Oy, Ab Stormossen Oy, Österbottens Svenska Producentförbund r.f. (ÖSP)