SUGIMAT's Horizon + self-cleaning rotary boiler and CEDER-CIEMAT's pilot demonstration plant at the San Javier WWTP in Murcia for valorizing sludge with solar drying and gasification have been chosen as the best innovative practices with biomass in 2022.
The objective of the competition promoted by AVEBIOM and the CIRCE Technology Centre It is to identify and give visibility to innovative technologies, processes or business models in the biomass sector that are little known, but already available to be used or put into practice.
The selection of the two winners resulted from a public vote, which garnered 1,647 votes over four weeks, and a final evaluation by a jury of five professionals with extensive experience in various fields of biomass and bioeconomy. The tie between the applications of Sugimat and Ceder-Ciemat was resolved, with both receiving the first prize for best innovative practice with biomass in 2022.
The SUGIMAT Horizon+ self-cleaning rotary biomass boiler It allows for the valorization of fuels with very high percentages of unburnable material. Because it can withstand very high ash content and does not require cleaning shutdowns, it maintains consistent performance throughout its operating time. The rotary operation facilitates the flow of ash between the boiler's flue gas passages to its evacuation, while an aggregate injection system ensures the removal of deposits adhering to the tubes.
According to Xavier Mas, technical and R&D director at Sugimat, “The Horizon + boiler is the result of two years of work in our laboratory, where it underwent all kinds of rigorous testing to prove its reliability. Its self-cleaning system is what sets it apart from other technologies and makes it a unique model on the market. In fact, we are finding that customers prioritize the technological features and autonomy offered by a unit like the Horizon + when making their selection, so we have very positive sales forecasts for the near future.”.
On the other hand, the pilot plant for the valorization of sewage sludge At the San Javier WWTP in Murcia, developed by CEDER-CIEMAT, the environmental impact associated with conventional sludge treatment and management in this type of facility is reduced, while simultaneously generating renewable energy and a highly stable agricultural amendment thanks to the combination of four technologies: solar dryer, gasifier, gas burner and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC).
Virginia Pérez, researcher at the Thermal Conversion Processes Unit of Ceder-Ciemat, explains the need for this project: “At Ceder, we have been working for over 15 years on technologies such as sewage sludge gasification and solar drying, and we understand the need for wastewater treatment plants to manage sludge in a more energy-efficient way. Thanks to the Life Dry4gas project, we have designed a management model that integrates these technologies and contributes to the circular bioeconomy and the sustainable use of renewable energy. We are finalizing the economic study and believe that the model can be replicated in other wastewater treatment plants in Spain.”.
Furthermore, the jury has decided to award three honorable mentions to both practices, which have been highly recognized both in the public vote and in the jury's evaluation process.
This is a mechanized harvesting system with a brush cutter-collector to initiate value chains for shrub biomass, presented by CEDER-CIEMAT; the AI pilot projects with distributed sensors applied to biomass in building climate control and heating networks, presented by REDYTEL IoT SL.; and the automated system for estimating forest biomass and recommended harvests online based on the management and processing of LiDAR, ground and satellite data and silvicultural criteria of AGRESTA S. Coop.
More information on innovative practices with biomass already in use
The INtercamBIOM network is an initiative of the BRANCHES project, funded by Horizon 2020. The network will present several practices in the workshops it is organizing during the International Agricultural Machinery Fair (FIMA) in Zaragoza, on April 26 and 27.