A cheaper and more sustainable solution to produce bio-oils to replace petroleum-based products in electronic, construction and automotive applications is underway with new RMIT University research.
The technology, known as PYROCO, uses high temperatures without oxygen to convert treated sewage (biosolids) into a carbon-rich product called biochar, which can act as a catalyst to produce phenol-rich bio-oil.
PYROCO has been developed by RMIT in collaboration with South East Water, Intelligent Water Networks and other water authorities over several years and is now being applied to several circular economy applications.
The RMIT team’s latest research, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Petroleum, highlights that biochar can effectively replace the expensive catalysts, such as willow peppermint, a plant native to Australia, currently used to extract oil from biomass.
Researchers said the use of biochar could underpin a sustainable supply chain for bio-oils rich in phenol that are essential for making chemicals such as resins, lubricants and additives used in various industries.
Kalpit Shah, Professor and Deputy Director (Research) at RMIT said PYROCO is close to commercial-ready scale.
“Our upcoming project aligns with the Global Waste Management Policy and Australia’s National Waste Policy Action Plan,” said Shah.
Shah said the goal is to prevent PFAS-contaminated biosolids from being disposed of in landfill by converting them into PFAS-free biochar, for its diverse applications.
“According to an International Biochar Initiative report, biochar will have a global market potential of $3.3 billion by next year, showcasing a truly circular solution,” said Shah.
The Australian Government has provided $3 million to the team to build a commercial-scale demonstration plant at one of the water recycling plants at South East Water next year.
South East Water is contributing $3 million in funding and collaborating with other partners to drive the $11 million project.
Lara Olsen, Managing Director of South East Water said the latest trials and upcoming demonstration project represented significant progress for the water sector in terms of environmental sustainability and innovation.
“We’re tackling a national challenge by harnessing cutting-edge technology with the potential to destroy 99.99 per cent of PFAS in biosolids,” said Olsen.
“The PYROCO project reflects our vision of innovating with purpose to protect our environment for future generations.”
Manish Pancholi, Chief Executive Officer of Aqua Metro said the organisation is proud to be leading the way in this technology.
“Aqua Metro is excited to have been awarded this Cooperative Research Centre Project (CRC-P) grant, leading the commercialisation of PYROCO technology along with our RMIT, South East Water, Iota and other partners,” said Pancholi.
“We see a unique opportunity for this technology to provide significant decarbonisation, environmental and circular economy benefits to the water industry and potentially other industries and are looking forward to proving the PYROCO technology at scale.”
For more information, visit: www.rmit.edu.au/
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