VALORCOMP project continues growing and launches brochure

On November 14, 2018, a new meeting of the VALORCOMP consortium was held to present the progress made within the framework of the project. The partners were kindly invited to attend the meeting at Resíduos do Nordeste facilities in Mirandela (Portugal). As usual, representatives of all partners attended the meeting: Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB, Project manager), CIDAUT Foundation, University of Valladolid (UVa), Resíduos do Nordeste (RN) and Nertatec.

The main objective of the meeting was to share the progress of the work in each of the aspects of use of the compost consider in VALORCOMP project. Thus, within the thermochemical use, the participants of CIDAUT presented their results highlighting the proper compost compaction and the start of the second action of this activity, the pilot scale tests. The IPB presented its results in the context of the use of compost as a material, highlighting the applicability of this material as a catalyst in oxidation processes for wastewater treatment and the possibility of using it as a raw material to be incorporated in ceramics instead of in cements.

For its part, the UVA has obtained a product that meets specifications as a fertilizer in the study of possible agronomic use. The process includes an extraction of organic matter with potassium hydroxide. Germination trials have been conducted using the fertilizer with positive results.

In the course of the meeting, the problem of bio-stabilized residue (composted waste from non-selective collection) was discussed at length. It was focused on the difficulty of using this waste derived from the future regulation of waste reduction to landfill, as well as increasing the percentage of waste prepared for recycling into the treatment plants. Selective collection was analyzed as a solution for obtaining a compost (and not bio-stabilized residue) from the organic fraction, questioning the feasibility of executing it, the cost it would entail for the citizen and if this could guarantee the quality of the compost.

In communication and dissemination activity, it was agreed to undertake a series of actions to strengthen the content of the project’s website and create a private area to encourage communication between project partners. On the other hand, the brochure design was approved to disseminate the project.

Finally, all the partners were summoned to a next meeting in March 2019 in Valladolid.

This project is co-financed by the programme of cooperation INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 and will run until September 2019. Project VALORCOMP aims to contribute cooperatively to solve cross-border problems in the valorisation of waste generated in the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

Valorcomp consortium meets in Braganza for results review

This time, the headquarters of the follow-up meeting of Valorcomp project was the Polytechnic Institute of Braganza, institution that hosted the meeting on June 12. Representatives of all the partners attended the meeting with the presence of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB, Principal Beneficiary), CIDAUT Foundation, University of Valladolid (UVa), Resíduos do Nordeste and Nertatec.

The main objective was the technical review of the progress in those ongoing activities, as well as communication and project coordination activities.

The review started with CIDAUT´s presentation of the densified compost results. The different tests carried out and satisfactory final results were shown. The use of a mould specially designed for the densification process of refining and rejection of stabilized biowaste samples was highlighted. IPB continued with the progress in the synthesis of adsorbent materials and the need to modify the experimental installation to achieve a better performance. Subsequently, IPB presented the advances in obtaining catalyst materials and the clear problem of excessive loss of material. IPB was also in charge of exposing the results in obtaining ecological bricks, the problems associated with the odor of compost in the bricks and the results of fire resistance tests. Finally, the UVa showed the results of extraction of nutrients for the agronomic use of the compost by means of extraction techniques using water, KOH and HNO3 and evaluating the organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus recovered. Within this task, IPB concluded with the presentation of the work done in the use of leached water and the need to reduce heterogeneity, alkalinity and certain metals such as Cr and Cd.

Once the technical review of the tasks was completed, a review of the most relevant issues of project coordination and the launch of the COOPERA 2020 coordination platform was made. The last part of the meeting was about dissemination activities of the results. It is important to note the presence of VALORCOMP in the 4th International Congress on Water, Waste and Energy Management (EWWM) to be held in Madrid from 18-20 July 2018 and the 15th European Workshop on Lignocellulosics and Pulp (EWLP 2018) which will take place in Aveiro from June 26 to 29, 2018.

To conclude, all the partners were summoned to an upcoming meeting in September at the facilities of Resíduos do Nordeste, and on behalf of IPB, a visit was made to their laboratories and facilities, which allowed the Spanish partners to learn more about their capabilities.

This project is co-financed by the programme of cooperation INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 and will run until September 2019. Project VALORCOMP aims to contribute cooperatively to solve cross-border problems in the valorisation of waste generated in the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

Tags: VALORCOMP, compost, residues, POCTEP

The VALORCOMP project continues and presents its web and logo

On 31ST January 2018, the second VALORCOMP project meeting took place at the CIDAUT Foundation facilities in Boecillo (Valladolid). The meeting was attended by the whole consortium with representatives of all project activities.

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The meeting started with a brief technical review of the activities that are being carried out in the framework of thermochemical, material and agronomic use of compost within the project. Each partner exposed the results obtained and the next actions. In a common way, the problem associated with the presence of glass and inert material was pointed out and it will be important in future activities. On behalf of the main industrial partner of the project, Resíduos do Nordeste, emphasis was placed on the concept of Biorefinery to which the waste treatment centers will migrate, as well as the concept of Circular Economy that underlies the entire VALORCOMP project.

Another the relevant point of the meeting was the presentation of the project logo, which has already been accepted by the consortium. The designed logo tries to encompass the three fields of action of exploitation of VALORCOMP project represented by the three circles, deepening in the idea of Circular Economy.

valorcomp_2At the same time, it was made the presentation of the project’s website which is already operational: http://www.valorcomp.ipb.pt. This website will be the showcase of dissemination where the results of the project will be published, as well as all the relevant information, news and events generated. As more content is generated, the information will be expanded, as well as expanding the dissemination channels.

Finally, the calendar of the next meetings was set, which will be held at the facilities of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança and Resíduos do Nordeste in April and July 2018 respectively.

This project is co-financed by the programme of cooperation INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 and will run until September 2019. Project VALORCOMP aims to contribute cooperatively to solve cross-border problems in the valorisation of waste generated in the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

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Tags: VALORCOMP, compost, residues, POCTEP

Valorcomp first review meeting takes place

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The first review meeting of VALORCOMP project took place the 20th of October 2017 and was held in School of Industrial Engineering (EII) at the University of Valladolid. All the members of the consortium were represented as the first review of the progress of the tasks was made. The meeting was attended by Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (Principal Beneficiary), Fundación CIDAUT, Universidad de Valladolid, Resíduos do Nordeste and Nertatec.

The meeting started with a general evaluation of the project and introducing the agenda of the meeting by the project coordinator. Regarding the major operational activities, it was started by CIDAUT making an exhibition about the results of compost characterization from the point of view of thermochemical valorisation in activity 1. A comparison of results was made between the samples collected in the previous meeting and the visit to the Mechanical and Biological Treatment Unit (UTMB) in July 2017. It was pointed out the relevant amount of glass present in the different samples, a main problem and object of an in-depth study. The results of activity 1 were complemented by IPB with the work done in relation to the study of the adsorption process using activated carbon as adsorbent from treated compost. It was revealed that one of the objectives was to establish a ranking of activated carbon from biomass considering CO2 separation.

IPB subsequently focused its exposition on the results obtained in activity 2 on the analysis of the material valorisation of the compost. The presentations focused on two aspects: the advances on the use of treated compost as adsorbent of different chemical compounds and a first approach for the use of compost in ecological bricks.

Activity 3 was commented by the UVA and by IPB jointly. The UVA showed the results of characterization of the samples collected in July. This characterization was made from an agronomic point of view making clear that the presence of glass and improper represents a relevant problem. IPB, on the other hand, showed its advances in the use of leached waters with a first characterization.

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Finally, a review was made of the transversal activities such as management and dissemination activities. Topics such as the project logo, as well as the launch of the website and attendance at events were established as priorities.

After the technical review of tasks, next meeting was planned to be held in CIDAUT facilities on February 2018.

This project is co-financed by the programme of cooperation INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 and will run until September 2019. Project VALORCOMP aims to contribute cooperatively to solve cross-border problems in the valorisation of waste generated in the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

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Project Valorcomp started his journey

The kick-off meeting of project VALORCOMP took place on the 25th of July 2017. This project is co-financed by the programme of cooperation INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 and will run until September 2019.

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Project VALORCOMP aims to contribute cooperatively to solve cross-border problems in the valorisation of waste generated in the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

With this goal in mind, the project will make it possible to find innovative technological solutions to the valorisation of compost and other residues from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. These solutions will be based on three vectors: thermochemical valorisation, application in the production of materials and production of agronomic compounds.

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The kick-off meeting of VALORCOMP was held in the Auditorium of the Parque Ambiental do Nordeste Transmontano (Resíduos do Nordeste) and counted with the presence of all partners: Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (Principal Beneficiary), Fundación CIDAUT, Universidad de Valladolid, Resíduos do Nordeste and Nertatec.

During the meeting, each responsible partner of activity made a review of the tasks of the four major operational activities. The thermochemical valorisation will be responsibility of the Fundación CIDAUT, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança will be responsible for the exploitation in the production of materials, while the agronomic valorisation will be a task led by Universidad de Valladolid. Finally, will be performed a study of adaptation of waste treatment centres to the technologies assessed in the previous activities and presented a guide of good practices, task mainly held by Nertatec.

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After the technical review of tasks, a visit was done to the installations of the Mechanical and Biological Treatment Unit (UTMB), where all the partners had the opportunity to check the operation of the process and the reality of the wastes object in the project.

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