Purified Biogas and Circular Economy: Generation of Green Methanol and Formate from Biomass

• Grant number: 24/17921-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Tânia Forster Carneiro
• Grantee: Leonardo de Freitas Marinho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/14938-4 - Waste2energy: integration of supercritical technologies and anaerobic digestion through an automated system for the production of biofuel precursors, AP.JP2

Abstract

Anaerobic digestion (AD) consists of a set of complex metabolic processes that promote the conversion of organic matter (solid industrial waste and wastewater) into biogas. Raw biogas is a mixture of various gases generated (H2, CH4, CO2, H2S, and siloxanes), and some are considered impurities (H2S and siloxanes) and can impact the formation of products of interest to damage equipment. Therefore, biogas purification systems are essential for the insertion of technologies based on this resource into the market. The general objective will be to study the purification and storage of biogas from AD, using biomass from the food industry, using a system of automated anaerobic reactors containing cells with chemical adsorbents, biosorbents (biochar), separation membranes, and a washing system with water or aqueous solution for the production of bio H2, bio CH4, biogenic CO2. The purified gases will also be used to produce green methanol and formate using a thermocatalysis reactor at different temperatures and pressures. All the processes used to purify and obtain green methanol and formate will be evaluated from a technical-economic point of view and sustainability analyses (EcoScale and Path2Green analyses). In this way, it is hoped that this project will contribute to the development and integration of technologies that can reduce of greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable waste management.