BEST – Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH is an Austrian Research Competence Center. As a link between academic research and industrial technology development, the center´s vision is to develop and demonstrate sustainable and circular biorefinery processes and technologies for producing green gases, green liquid fuels, and green products, all of which will support the transition to a climate-neutral, zero-fossil-carbon economy. The participant in the project is the Research Area on “Biochemical Technologies”.
Within the CBE JU Ellipse project, BEST will work with paper rejects and sludges from a paper recycling plant. The acidification of these industrial by-products to volatile fatty acids are scaled up to a 1 m³ pilot process at the premises of BEST. The process is optimised and product yields are increased. The produced volatile fatty acids are then provided to other ELLIPSE partners which use these acids for PHA (poly-hydroxyalkanoate) production.
BEST has gathered extensive experience in anaerobic processes and will integrate this experience into the consortium. On the other hand, BEST will benefit from the direct access to the waste streams of the industrial partners and at the same time learn from the partners who process the volatile fatty acids about the quality requirements and the drawback of the processes.
