The new OPEC: a green future for orange waste
Food wastes could provide valuable low-carbon chemicals and energy for countries around the world including the UK, says a scientist from the University of York at the British Science Festival today.
Every year, millions of tonnes of waste result from the production of orange juice, coffee, cereals and many other foods. Most of it goes to landfill or to low-value applications, according to Professor James Clark from the Department of Chemistry at York. He described a new process which uses microwave heating to activate cellulose in the waste and drive off several useful chemicals. These include bio-ethanol, which can be used as a substitute for diesel fuel, d-limonene used in various household chemicals, and a spongy form of cellulose which could be used as an absorber in filters. The energy value is twice that obtained by burning the waste, and the fuel produced has about ten times as much energy value as is needed to generate it. Household waste and paper could also be used as feedstocks, and they can be mixed together for processing. Unlike many other processes, this one operates at low temperatures of no more than 200ºC.
The research is being carried out as a partnership between the universities of York, Sao Paulo and Cordoba. The next stage is to build a small pilot plant in York taking 10 kilograms per hour of input material, which may be coffee grounds from the White Rose shopping centre in Leeds. Full scale plants would be located on sites where waste is concentrated, including places where crops are grown, processed or shipped.
Clark says that the project is called the Orange Peel Exploitation Company (OPEC), and has a particular focus on the juicing industry. Brazil produces 8 million tonnes of waste from 16 million tonnes of oranges at a single location, which would provide an ideal site for a processing plant. Professor Clark identified China, Vietnam and Europe as other important areas with large or rapidly growing food production industries where the technology might be used. As well as reducing landfill and providing added value, the process could reduce dependence on oil, which is currently used to make many of the chemicals it might generate.
Every year, millions of tonnes of waste result from the production of orange juice, coffee, cereals and many other foods. Most of it goes to landfill or to low-value applications, according to Professor James Clark from the Department of Chemistry at York. He described a new process which uses microwave heating to activate cellulose in the waste and drive off several useful chemicals. These include bio-ethanol, which can be used as a substitute for diesel fuel, d-limonene used in various household chemicals, and a spongy form of cellulose which could be used as an absorber in filters. The energy value is twice that obtained by burning the waste, and the fuel produced has about ten times as much energy value as is needed to generate it. Household waste and paper could also be used as feedstocks, and they can be mixed together for processing. Unlike many other processes, this one operates at low temperatures of no more than 200ºC.
The research is being carried out as a partnership between the universities of York, Sao Paulo and Cordoba. The next stage is to build a small pilot plant in York taking 10 kilograms per hour of input material, which may be coffee grounds from the White Rose shopping centre in Leeds. Full scale plants would be located on sites where waste is concentrated, including places where crops are grown, processed or shipped.
Clark says that the project is called the Orange Peel Exploitation Company (OPEC), and has a particular focus on the juicing industry. Brazil produces 8 million tonnes of waste from 16 million tonnes of oranges at a single location, which would provide an ideal site for a processing plant. Professor Clark identified China, Vietnam and Europe as other important areas with large or rapidly growing food production industries where the technology might be used. As well as reducing landfill and providing added value, the process could reduce dependence on oil, which is currently used to make many of the chemicals it might generate.
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