Award details

Newton Bhabha Industrial Waste: Bio-integrated Valorisation of India's Municipal Solid Waste to Renewable Feedstocks

Reference	BB/S011986/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Andrew Blacker
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Richard Bourne, Dr Valerie Dupont, Dr Anthony Green, Dr Glyn Hemsworth, Dr Andrew Ross, Dr Costas Velis
Institution	University of Leeds
Department	Sch of Chemistry
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	607,998
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	16/08/2018
End date	31/03/2022
Duration	44 months

Abstract

unavailable

Summary

The project will develop the IB required to test the vision of an integrated, profitable, non-food sugar producing commercial plant design which can adapt to different sources/compositions of Indian MSW segregated biowaste. The team will: assess viable MSbioW; develop new pretreatment technology; high activity, tolerant and cost effective oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes specific for high ligno-cellulosic waste; a more productive process; the use of non-chemical waste for biochar and AD; ensure plant control and integration; economic viability and representative sugar test samples by building a pilot plant at ICT. The key to a viable, sustainable operation in India is maximising the economic production of non-food sugar that is increasingly demanded in sustainable biodegradable high-value products. The project brings together for the first time strong capabilities at main partners LEEDS and ICT, along with specific and crucial industry input. The socio- technoeconomic outcomes will develop society, wealth and environmental improvement in India with potential impacts upon DAC countries and the UK. Based on detailed market research existing MSW processes struggle for profitability because they are based solely on energy generation. The project will develop a flexible MSbioW process to maximise non-food sugar production used in increasingly demanded sustainable, biodegradable products. The team are drawn from recognised experts at LEEDS and ICT who have not had the opportunity to work together before, but through this project could provide a powerful force in this area. Industry and academic partners in the UK and India have been brought into the project to fill specific gaps in expertise. The project builds on and uses expertise at partner FIBERIGHT, and their collaborative work with LEEDS on sugar production from MSbioW in the US and UK. Studies have shown high-levels of indigestible ligno- (hemi)cellulosic material in Indian waste (paper, textiles, agriculture) whose breakdown is required to ensure economic sugar, rather than use for energy. A key aspect is the development of more active oxidative cellulose/cellobiose/lignin/polyesterase digesting enzymes that can contribute to, and improve the existing commercial mixed enzyme product, that will be used as a starting point. The ability to use MSW different sources will be managed by a plant design adaptive at several points in the process: analysis of the variability of source MSbioW; adjustment of new hydrothermal or microwave pre-treatment; tailoring the mix of oxidative, hydrolytic enzymes developed specifically for more efficient breakdown of recalcitrant Indian waste; developing the batch or continuous flow bioprocess to maximise sugar production; directing non-sugar waste streams to either hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) or anaerobic digestion (AD). A focus across each work package is to ensure viable economics of this non-food sugar production to compete with current use of food sugar in non-food markets. Studies will be directed towards the construction of a pilot plant in ICT Mumbai able to generate representative test samples, and data to build a model of the economics of full-scale plant operation to convince investors. A profitable process will encourage implementation leading to employment, changes in waste collection behaviour, environmental improvement and consequent societal benefits. The non-food sugar can be used in high value commercial products such as sustainable biodegradable binders in: building sector (MDF, Glass Wool); polymers (eg. FDCA-based, PLA, PHBV polyesters), pharmaceuticals ((R)-3-HB in statins, antivirals, anti-diabetes). The project furthers ODA aims by: creating wealth through 100-1000s jobs and 10s of new £100m MSW businesses; social impact by influencing changes in practice for MSbioW segregation and collection affecting positively low-paid waste workers; reducing environmental municipal waste burden.

Impact Summary

The project is designed from the outset to be interdisciplinary and have considerable impact in addressing the development needs for the 62Mtpa of MSW from Indian cities which is currently largely mismanaged. It proposes research innovation in both techno- socio- economic dimensions which will promote a step change in collection, separation and processing of MSW in India. The development of new pathways for the production of chemical feedstocks such as non-food sugars from waste will develop new supply chains and revenue streams which will provide the economic incentive to improve collection and separation of MSW. This in turn will result in a cleaner environment, improved health, employment opportunities and development of new sustainable routes for the production of biomaterials such as biodegradable bioplastics and sustainable building materials. Environmental impacts are associated with changing current practice. MSW would normally be landfilled resulting in large GHG emissions during decomposition; the separation and subsequent extraction of cellulosic material for conversion to desired chemicals would reduce GHG emissions; sequester CO2; develop opportunities for treatment of other waste streams (e.g. recovery and conversion of plastic wastes, recovery of metals). Exploitable outputs (i) An integrated and economically viable process and plant design for converting MSW to chemicals/energy in India; Design right protection of integrated plant with novel aspects patented. (ii)License of designs for MSW to chemical+energy plants in India and elsewhere; Route to market for the license of the plant design and process involves the industry collaborators: FIBERIGHT who have prior expertise in commercialising plants in the US; AMT who have expertise in producing and installing commercial microwave plants; DEFIANT Renewables who have expertise to make and install plants. (iii) Service to take segregated bio-waste; Indian partners will exploit connections with local waste suppliers to establish the viability of changing business practice to support reconfiguration of local MSW to segregate directly bio-waste to exploit value for chemicals and energy. (iv) Samples of sugar and organic acid solutions for testing in varied market applications with UK, Indian and other companies; Biocoal and methane commercial test samples; Route to market for sugar is to provide test samples to suppliers in different markets assisted by partners AMIT. (v) Commercial services to test different wastes in Indian pilot plant; Different wastes can be tested under contract using Indian partner knowledge of local waste organisations. (vi) India bio-waste specific, high performance enzyme/microbe product; Improved enzyme mixes can be used by new plants built on this project's design and, with evidence of performance, sold to global MSW bio-waste plants. (vii) License of IP on new ligno-cellulosic enzymes and processes; New enzymes and formulated mixes will be patent protected and provides either a new business opportunity or can be licensed to existing enzyme suppliers such as Novozymes, Biogen or Krebs. (viii) New applications for industrial microwave and hydrothermal carbonisation technology leading ultimately to sale of equipment The route to market for successful application of the microwave reactor is through partner AMT, whilst DEFIANT Renewables will exploit the opportunity for HCT plant sales. Despite the research being fully customized to the Indian socioeconomic conditions, the underlying science and engineering are potentially widely transferable to other DAC countries with similar or higher level of technological development, because they all face similar challenges and opportunities regarding managing their solid waste and recovering high value secondary resources from them (i.e. over 80 Countries and Territories of lower- or upper-middle income featured on the DAC list).

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Bioenergy, Industrial Biotechnology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Newton Fund Open Call (NF) [2015]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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