The Institute of Agro-Food Research and Technology (IRTA) and the company Mafrica have been awarded the INNOVATION Award at the 1st Bioenergy Night, an event organized by the Bioenergy Cluster of Catalonia (CBC) . The award recognizes the research project of the two entities focused on the production of biogas from pig slaughterhouse waste.
The meat sector generates large quantities of by-products and waste not intended for human consumption, particularly in the pig sector. In response to this problem, IRTA and Mafrica have collaborated together with an Industrial Doctorate project to develop a valorization strategy that consists of the creation of a plant that optimizes the generation of biogas with these wastes.
Belén Fernandez, researcher in the Sustainability in Biosystems program and project manager, especially thanked Anna Otero and her team members for the work done during the 2023 Bioenergy Awards ceremony. The research project was carried out in collaboration with Mafrica and is focused on Environmental Engineering, Bioprocesses and Life Cycle Analysis.
The project seeks not only the valorization of waste, but also its management. The production of biogas as a result of this project would replace a fossil fuel, thus contributing to the decarbonization of the economy. One of the specific objectives is the implementation of biogas production in the company, with a special emphasis on energy self-sufficiency and/or energy efficiency.
In addition, the project is oriented towards the search for new by-products that can be recovered from waste. According to researcher Belén Fernandez, the optimization and/or integration of new technologies together with those currently used in the company will be one of the key aspects of this research.
This project represents an example of how collaboration between research institutions and industry can lead to practical innovations that benefit both companies and society in general. The Innovation Award at the 1st Bioenergy Night highlights the importance of these joint efforts in creating sustainable solutions to real problems. The IRTA and Mafrica project is an important step in this direction and can serve as an example for other sectors of the agri-food industry to follow. In fact, the work of IRTA and Mafrica contributes to the global goal of sustainability and the decarbonization of the economy, an effort that is recognized with this innovation award.
You can consult information about the award on the IRTA website.
