Tel Aviv University researchers enable biofuel production from wet organic waste

In Israel, JNS reported that an innovative development by a team of researchers at Tel Aviv University allows for the conversion of the wet raw waste thrown in the trash into liquid and solid biofuels without the need to dry the waste. 

The researchers assess that fuels produced from organic waste can meet about a third of Israel’s marine fuel consumption, according to the report.

“Organic waste emits methane, which is a greenhouse gas, and also contaminates groundwater,” said Professor Alexander Golberg of TAU’s Porter School of Environment and Earth Sciences, who led the study. “The treatment of waste is a critical issue. Landfill sites in Israel are reaching capacity, and despite the desire to reduce landfill to a minimum, we are forced to open new sites because there is no other solution. The major advantage of our proposal is that we will reduce the need for so many landfill sites. Municipalities invest considerable funds on waste transportation and treatment, and our solution has the potential to significantly cut those expenses.”

“We found cost-effective catalysts that make it possible to control the ratio between the liquid and solid fuel products. Solid fuel can be used as biochar, effectively sequestering carbon dioxide for extended periods. The biochar can be burned in power plants like regular coal, and liquid biofuels, after upgrading, can power planes, trucks and ships,” he added.

The report noted that the TAU researchers successfully produced liquid biofuel with a yield of up to 29.3% by weight and solid fuel with a yield of up to 40.7% based on dry raw material.

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