This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Jornada sobre el proyecto europeo Biorenew

Conference on the European project Biorenew

04/03/2008

March 4, 2008

The Group paper and graphic of the Escola d'Enginyers Terrassa organizes together with the other Spanish partners in the Biorenew a day to publicize this project.The course will be held on the Campus of Terrassa of ETSEIAT/UPC (Colom, 11, 08222 Terrassa) on 3 April 10 to 17 hours. The contact address is colom@etp.upc.edu.

Apply new processes in the paper industry in the image of them in a simple way carried out in the nature: this is the way in which the project 'biorenew', through biotechnology, wants to develop new processes and environmentally friendly products. In addition the project aims to implement the concept of biorefinery, for not only the cellulose but also the lignin from wood and other lignocellulosic materials.

'biorenew' is a European macro within the 6th framework programme involving 12 countries and is led by the Center for biological research (CIB-CSIC). Other Spanish groups that also involved are the Irnas (CSIC), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Group paper and graphic of the school of engineers of Terrassa), the University of Santiago and the companies Ence and Celesa. They involved 26 European bodies including enterprises, laboratories and the most significant universities in the sector, with a budget of EUR 15 million, of which 9.5 are the European Union, and that it will have to deliver results in the year 2010.

This project which is inspired by nature to generate new paper products without polluting is based on three main areas:

Produce paper with bioengineering: research and implementation of new enzymes (biocatalysts) can allow an environmentally friendly technology environmentally friendly replacing more polluting chemicals from industrial processes, for example eliminating derivatives chlorinated in the laundering of paper pulp. You can also permit new products derived from lignin as surfactants or adhesives. It is the bioengineering applied to the paper industry.
Papermaking fibers with new properties: development of papermaking fibers with new properties able to provide new features and uses the role with a high added value: make it more resilient, endowing it with greater resistance to water, or antimicrobial properties and saving energy in industrial manufacturing processes.
Towards the biorefineries: in addition to the benefits obvious for the environment of this new system of Bioengineering, another objective is to leverage the lignin which is now pulled, obtaining products that can replace some petroleum products which are not renewable. 'biorenew' is intended to make a comprehensive use of plant biomass taking advantage of all the compounds of the wood that can be used for the production of paper, chemical or even ethanol. This is what begins to be called biorefinery.