TECNALIA has presented some preliminary results at the conference "Aportando valor al CO2". Read more.
The team of researchers involved in the Photo2Fuel project is advancing its research in different fields. From polymer dots photosensitisers, bacteria used as feedstock to the recovery of methane and acetic acid, the team is working effortlessly to achieve the expected impact by the end of the project.
In particular, TECNALIA presented preliminary results of their research in the conference "Aportando valor al CO2" held in Bilbao, Spain, on 10 and 11 May 2023.
The role of TECNALIA in the Photo2Fuel project
TECNALIA Research & Innovation is a centre for applied research and technological development in Spain specialising in energy transition and circular economy, among other fields. It is a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance. In Photo2Fuel, they have a key role: they are in charge of the separation of chemical products obtained in the reaction between CO2, photosensitisers and bacteria, especially acetic acid.
Recovering biomethane after its production is quite easy: methane generates as a gas, and it can be easily "pumped" from a digestor directly to the distribution line. It is indistinguishable from natural gas and so can be used without the need for any changes in transmission and distribution infrastructure or end-user equipment, and is fully compatible for use in natural gas vehicles.
But for acetic acid it is not a piece of cake: special expertise is needed, and TECNALIA comes to the rescue.
Separating acetic acid from biomass
TECNALIA is developing specific solutions to separate acetic acid from the Photo2Fuel system made of CO2, bacteria and photosensitisers. TECNALIA is focusing on three main separation technologies for the obtention of the acetic acid: extraction with ionic liquids, electrodialysis and ion exchange resins. The TECNALIA approach to those technologies has been summarised in a poster.
The TECNALIA team presented the preliminary results of the research at the conference "Aportando valor al CO2", organized in Bilbao on 10 and 11 May 2023.
The poster is now available online in Open Access on Zenodo, in the Photo2Fuel community. You can view and download it by clicking here.