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Interim project update

Today, we met online for our 5th internal project meeting in order to discuss the current status and plan ahead for the last nine months of the project. In the following, a short update on the status of each work package is given:

• WP 1 – Project management: No extraordinary incidents, the project is largely running according to plan and there is a good, regular exchange between the partners.
• WP 2 – Intercropping investigations: Cultivation of peanuts as an intermediate crop in olive groves completed and evaluation underway. In addition to the economic analysis, a more in-depth analysis of the soil is to be carried out. Cultivation of chickpeas and lentils as catch crops started in winter. An extension of the project would be desirable in order to have another complete growing season in summer.
• WP 3 – Production of biochar from residual biomass and solid digestate: Biochar was produced from the digestates from WP 6. The quantities are not sufficient for extensive plant cultivation studies, but the potential of the biochar is to be derived from a detailed physico-chemical analysis.
• WP 4 – Wastewater treatment by constructed wetlands: All systems are set up. After completion of the tests without aeration, the performance with additional artificial aeration will now be investigated in both Greece (with olive oil wastewater) and Portugal (with cork boiling wastewater).
• WP 5 – Analysis of biomass, pretreatment tests at lab-scale, recovery/production of value-added by-products: Biomass analysis and optimization of pre-treatment are now completed. Analyses of liquid fractions obtained from pre-treatments are currently performed and fermentation experiments conducted.
• WP 6 – Anaerobic digestion of biomass in lab and pilot-scale: Pilot-scale anaerobic digestions successfully finished. Some subsequent analyses e.g. regarding organic acids are currently performed.
• WP 7 – Valorization of the digestate and lignin-enriched residue streams: Analysis of fertilizer potentials from digestates finished. Analysis of lignin structure from biomass and side-streams done. Especially native biomasses (especially olive tree pruning and mature reed) have a promising structure for depolymerization (i.e., high content of ether bonds), but also residues from alkaline pre-treatments. Lignin valorization pathways are currently under investigation. Review paper on lignin valorization submitted.
• WP 8 – Assessment, Dissemination and Communication: Assessment phase starts now. First techno-economic assessment of DES pre-treatments and subsequent biogas production currently conducted. Further assessments will follow and be prepared for publication.