project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Adding value to the waste products of olive oil extraction (BECOMOLI)
Context
AGRÍCOLA DE L’ALBI produces olive oil. The extraction rate is 23%. The remaining mass is an exhausted paste called pomace, which is sold to other companies as biomass. Considering the significant volume of pomace generated, and that this is a common problem for the sector, this project aims to implement alternative processes within the oil mill that generate by-products with added value, such as glucose and polyphenols. The focus and the innovation is the application of cascading biorefining processes to recuperate higher value products from the complex biomass resulting from the production of olive oil. This will lead to improvement in the economic results of the mill and will increase the sustainability of the process.
Objectives
The objective is to maximise the value of pomace, a by-product obtained in oil mills, recovering the glucose and polyphenolic compounds contained therein through the application of eco-efficient cascading methods, in order to open new market niches and improve competitiveness. We aim to provide an alternative to the problem that exists in the sector of olive oil producers: the high volume of waste by-products that are generated, which are generally sold as biomass. Glucose and polyphenolic compounds will be marketed to biotechnology industries. The processes used have to allow for the final products to be considered natural, with a low carbon footprint.
Activities
1: Obtain the pomace and determine the influence of farming practices, time of harvest and processing on the chemical characteristics of the final products.
2: Fractionate the pomace with eutectic solvents. Less polar components will be separated from more polar ones. In a second phase, polysaccharide fractions will be separated from lignins.
3: Recovery of the products of higher economic value (glucose and polyphenolic acids) from the various fractions of pomace.
4: Scaling-up of the processes at the company’s facilities. The processes with the best results in the laboratory setting will be scaled-up in a reactor
5: Dissemination of the results among the business organisations and final users.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014ES06RDRP009 Spain - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Cataluña
Location
- Main geographical location
- Lleida
EUR 233128.2
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Josep Cunillera Llurba
Project coordinator