Biomass and CO2 capture, strategic allies

The Spanish Technological Platform for CO2 (PTECO2) and the Spanish Technological Platform for Biomass (BIOPLAT) held the technical seminar 'CO2 Fixation in Bioenergy Technologies' at the IMDEA Energy Institute in Móstoles (Madrid). The event was opened by the director of IMDEA Energy, David Serrano, who welcomed all attendees and reviewed the CO2 and biomass-related projects the Institute is currently working on. Following this, Bárbara Fernández-Revuelta, Deputy Director of Public-Private Collaboration at the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Competitiveness and Competitiveness (MINECO), presented information on the recently closed 2016 Challenges-Collaboration Call for R&D projects. She also explained other R&D opportunities offered by the Ministry, such as the Horizon SME program and the call for proposals for Technological Platforms.

The president of PTECO2, F. Javier Alonso, analyzed the current situation of the CO2 sector, emphasizing the role that carbon capture, transport, storage, and utilization (CCAT) technologies should play in the fight against climate change. He stressed the importance of reducing emissions in sectors where, even when applying Best Available Techniques (BAT), necessary chemical reactions still occur as part of the process. The opening ceremony concluded with a speech by the vice president of BIOPLAT, Isabel Cañellas, who highlighted Spain's significant biomass resources. She noted that the energy valorization of these resources can substantially contribute to CO2 emission reductions, both by replacing traditional fuels with biomass fuels and by preventing emissions from certain types of biomass. This, in turn, helps mitigate climate change, which poses a real threat to society as a whole today. She also underscored the importance of organizing activities among technology platforms.

Among the highlights of the day, Mercedes Ballesteros, head of the CIEMAT-IMDEA Joint Unit for Biotechnological Process Energy, analyzed the energy valorization of biomass for biofuel production. In all sectors except transportation, CO2 emissions have been reduced. Currently, the transportation sector relies on fossil fuels for 98% of its energy needs, and according to the latest estimates, only biofuels will be the solution to reducing CO2 emissions in the short term.

For his part, Federico G. Witt Sousa, Production Director of ALGAENERGY, presented the results of the LIFE+CO2Algaefix project, which they coordinated. The project's main objective was the fixation and capture of CO2 from power plants through the cultivation of microalgae. Thanks to the design of bioreactors, they have optimized the efficiency of CO2 capture for its transformation into biomass and energy. These resources could be of interest and use to sectors such as aquaculture, cosmetics, health, human and animal food, and as an agricultural fertilizer

Next, David Serrano, director of IMDEA Energy, explained the progress of the eurproject CASCATBEL, coordinated by the Institute and focused on the development and scaling up to pilot plant level of the production process for advanced biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. The production process is based on the cascade combination of three catalytic transformations (catalytic pyrolysis, intermediate deoxygenation, and hydrodeoxygenation) with the aim of obtaining a liquid biofuel with characteristics similar to traditional fuels derived from petroleum refining operations.

To conclude the series of presentations, José Luis García Fierro, a research professor at the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (ICP-CSIC), outlined the possibilities offered by CO2 as a renewable carbon source in the chemical and energy industries. García Fierro emphasized that we are at the beginning of realizing the potential for CO2 conversion and that it is our responsibility to capture, store, and utilize it.

Finally, part of the day was dedicated to discussing the opportunities offered by CO2 capture in bioenergy technologies in a round table discussion with all the speakers. The discussion concluded with the need to advance the learning curve for energy technologies not only focused on CO2 capture and storage, but also on its valorization. Furthermore, the role of liquid biofuels, obtained from biomass, as a short- to medium-term solution for reducing CO2 emissions in the transportation sector was highlighted.