The town of Móstoles It already houses a new pilot plant of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) intended to demonstrate, under real conditions, how it is possible convert biomass and waste from of the agri-food industry in raw materials of high interest to the industryThis facility is designed as a testing ground for biorefinery technologies that aim to close the waste loop.
This experimental building, managed by the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (ICP-CSIC)It has been designed to validate on a small scale an innovative process that transforms agricultural and food by-products into high purity cellulose, lignin and furfuralThe initiative fits perfectly into the European strategy of circular economy and energy transitionby opting to take advantage of resources that would otherwise end up underutilized.
A pilot plant in Móstoles to valorize agri-food waste
The new plant has been installed in the EDIBON International, SA premises in Móstoles, and occupies an area of about Sqm 110Although its size is relatively small, its function is key: it serves as intermediate platform between the laboratory and industry all with to verify the technical feasibility of advanced biorefinery processes.
The main objective is to fully utilize agri-food waste and biomass which today pose a management problem for many companies. Instead of discarding them or repurposing them for low-value uses, these materials undergo a chemical treatment that allows them to be transformed into something else. products with applications in multiple industrial sectorsfrom energy to advanced materials.
Thanks to this technology, waste is transformed into high purity cellulose, a component naturally present in plants and trees, highly demanded in the paper industry, textiles and in the production of biofuels and sugarsThis fraction can serve as a basis for subsequent bioprocesses or as raw material in already established supply chains.
Another product stream is the high purity lignin, a plant polymer that until recently was considered a byproduct of little value and is now positioning itself as a key ingredient in resins, insulating materials, or even as a possible substitute for graphite in batteriesIts chemical quality in this pilot plant allows for the exploration of solutions with greater technological content.
The third compound obtained is the low-cost furfural, an organic molecule that is used as solvent and as a base for the manufacture of plastics, resins and various chemical productsObtaining it from agro-industrial waste opens the door to more sustainable production routes in the European chemical industry.
A process based on green solvents and a lower environmental impact
The core of the technology demonstrated in Móstoles is the use of gamma-valerolactone (GVL), solvent considered "green" due to its lower environmental impact compared to other conventional compounds. This liquid acts as a reaction medium, facilitating the separation and transformation of biomass components into the different fractions of interest.
One of the great advantages of the process is that the GVL can recover almost completely after chemical reactions and reused in new cycles. This recycling capacity significantly reduces both the consumption of chemical products such as the waste generated, one of the critical points in the biomass transformation industry.
According to the research team of ICP-CSICThis technology allows us to propose a a real and sustainable alternative for the valorization of agro-industrial waste, as it combines competitive performance with a lower environmental footprint. This approach fits with the current demands of the European Union on sustainability and resource efficiency.
Furthermore, the system has been designed to be technically and economically viable whether scale to larger facilitiesThe possibility of integrating solvent recovery, optimizing energy consumption, and maximizing biomass utilization helps make the process attractive to the private sector.
From the perspective of companies, especially those that generate large volumes of organic waste, having these types of solutions could mean a change in the management of their wastemoving from considering them a cost to seeing them as an additional source of income through new products.
Treatment capacity and industrial potential of the facility
In this pilot phase, the Móstoles plant is sized to process up to two tons of biomass and agri-food waste annuallyAlthough it may seem like a modest figure, it is enough to validate process performance, adjust operating parameters, and study its scalability at pre-industrial and industrial levels.
With this treatment capacity, it is estimated that the facility can produce between 500 and 1.000 kilograms of cellulose, which may be used for further conversion trials in fermentable sugars, biofuels or other derivatives of interest.
In parallel, the plant will generate on the order of 200 to 500 kilograms of high-purity lignin, sufficient to carry out formulation tests of resins, adhesives, insulating materials and components for energy storage systemsThese quantities allow R&D teams to evaluate properties and behaviors in different applications.
The third product line will reach between 100 and 300 kilograms of furfural per year. This volume is suitable for studies of quality, stability and compatibility in chemical industry production chains, as well as to explore new synthesis routes that take advantage of its molecular structure.
All of this makes the plant a technology demonstration tool with which the CSIC can bring its developments closer to the productive sector, facilitating the transfer to companies in the agro-industrial sector interested in advanced biorefinery solutions.
Integration into the BIORREFINA project and the energy transition strategy
The new plant is part of the BIOREFINE project, an initiative promoted by the CSIC and funded by European funds from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience PlanThis program aims to modernize the economy and accelerate the adoption of technologies that contribute to a more sustainable production model.
Within the CSIC, BIORREFINA is integrated into the PTI-TRANSENER Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform, which brings together research teams from different areas in order to Generate applied knowledge and collaborate with industry in the field of energy transitionThe Móstoles plant is one of the tangible elements of this coordinated effort.
The project is aligned with the European objectives for circular economy, decarbonization and efficient use of resourceswhich promote waste reduction and the gradual replacement of fossil raw materials with renewable sources. The valorization of agri-food waste fits into this logic. reduce emissions associated with its traditional management and by creating products with a smaller carbon footprint.
Beyond the purely scientific sphere, the pilot plant represents for Móstoles and its surroundings a opportunity to attract innovation-related activity, strengthening the local economic fabric and opening the door to future collaborations with companies in the agri-food, chemical and energy sectors.
The commissioning of this CSIC facility in Móstoles shows how the Public research can materialize in concrete infrastructures that allow testing biorefinery solutions with the potential to spread throughout Spain and Europe, moving towards a model in which organic waste becomes another piece of the industrial value chain.
