Biorefining of Citrus Processing Waste (CPW) short: CPW Biorefinery

Research summary

Latin America is the biggest orange juice producer worldwide which results in significant amounts of Citrus Processing Waste (CPW). For many enterprises these waste products lead to significant disposal problems. On the other hand CPW can be the source of valuable products if converted in a biorefinery. The aim of this proposal is to develop a biorefinery concept for the CPW.

Description

Currently CPW is often discarded and only in some cases it is processed to cattle feed however this requires drying which is energy consuming and often not economic. Another product from CPW is pectin for the food industry which is used as a gelling agent for jams or marmalades; however the pectin of the CPW is by far exceeding the marked for food pectin. Still another product that is isolated from the CPW is the sweet orange oil, which is mainly D-limonene.
In our proposed project we will develop new technologies for a better use of this raw material. These new technologies are related to extraction and bioconversion of high value compounds and to the fermentation of pectin rich biomass to fuels and chemicals using genetically engineered microorganisms.

Research info

Research title
Biorefining of Citrus Processing Waste (CPW) short: CPW Biorefinery

Research timeline
1.3.2017 - 1.2.2020

Region
Latin America

Countries
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Germany

Institution
VTT, Finland

Funding instrument
Ministry for Foreign Affairs (ICI, HEI-ICI, N-S-S), Academy of Finland, European Union Funding

Head of research
Peter Richard

Research team
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, the Coordinator

Partners
Research and Transfer Center of Entre Ríos (Conicet-National University of Entre Ríos-UNER): Alejandra B. Omarini (Argentina), Universidad Nacional de Columbia sede Manizales: Prof. Carlos Ariel Cardona Alzate (Colombia), Multidisciplinary Institute of Plant Biology (IMBIV-CONICET-National University of Córdoba-UNC): Prof. Julio A. Zygadlo (Argentina), Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH: Prof. Marcelo Fernandez Lahore (Germany), Universidade Federal do Parana (Federal University of Paraná): Prof. David A. Mitchell (Brazil), Eca Agroindustria: Ludmila Lemesoff (Argentina)

Contact information
Peter Richard
Peter.Richard@vtt.fi

Record last updated
22.6.2017