BioMatNet Item: FAIR-CT96-1420 - Improvements of Treatments and Validation of the Liquid-Solid Waste from the Two-Phase Olive Oil Extraction (IMPROLIVE)

FAIR-CT96-1420
Improvements of Treatments and Validation of the Liquid-Solid Waste from the Two-Phase Olive Oil Extraction (IMPROLIVE)

Contacts
Website: www.ucm.es/info/improliv/index.htm
Further Information

	Type of Project	Shared Cost
	Contract No	FAIR-CT96-1420
	Total Cost	892,491 ECU
	EC Contribution	787,491 ECU
	Start Date	01/01/1997
	Duration	36 Months

Improvements of treatments and validation of the liquid-solid waste from the two-phases olive oil extraction (IMPROLIVE)

Objectives

There is a lack of experience and information on treatments of alpeorujo, the solid liquid waste generated by the new two-phase method of olive oil extraction. The aim is to develop integrated and multidisciplinary treatments for the validation of alpeorujo that will serve to minimise the environmental impact, create new markets and support rural economy and industry.

Expected Results

To create a comprehensive package of treatments for alpeorujo that will be hopefully the most efficient, most economical, and most feasible for olive oil industry to use.

I. Direct results

Development of a catalogue and a database for processing technical and economic information.
Validation of alpeorujo by protein optimisation, to obtain animal feeding.
Validation of alpeorujo by aerobic bioremediation/composting of liquid/solid phases, to obtain plant growth promoters.
Improvement of the recovery of orujo oil and alpeorujo drying, to obtain better oil quality and reduce costs.
Validation of alpeorujo and final solid wastes by combustion/gasification, to recover energy and combustible gases.

II. Indirect results

Subsequent goals are to define real costs of different alternatives of treatment and to obtain quantitative criteria for deciding, for example, what is the best alternative treatment for a given European area.

Applications

The overall methodology integrates several procedures that could be used in other industrial sectors: computerised integration of data and results, waste water treatments, balanced-protein enrichment, aerobic bioremediation and nitrogen fixation, extraction by decanter centrifuge, fluidised bed systems, spray or similar drying and combustion/gasification.

Progress

the structure of the database is being developed
the pilot plant for improving the recovery of orujo oil from alpeorujo is being assembled
the chemical characterisation, isolation and identification of indigenous microflora of alpeorujo are in progress
the bioremediation of liquid and solid phases has started
the fluid dynamics of the fluidised and moving beds is being studied
a moisture sensor prototype is being designed

Aerobic Lagooning of alpeorujo

Contacts

Associated Partner

Fritz BOLLE / Forschungsinstitut fuer Wasser und Abfallwirtschaft and der Rheinisch-Westfalisch Technishen Hochschule Aachen / GERMANY

Coordinator

José-Manuel ARAGON-ROMERO / Universidad Complutense de Madrid Dpto Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas / SPAIN

Participant

Sub-Contractor