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Valorization of by-products from wet coffee processing: waste to carbon-rich material using hydrothermal carbonization to improve the sustainability of the coffee value chain in Vietnam (CoffeeChar)
Project
Project code: 2819DOKA02
Contract period: 01.09.2019
- 30.09.2023
Budget: 192,232 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Keywords: poison/toxins, food processing, energy, recycling, resource protection, resource efficiency, competitiveness, regional value addition, processing, other industrial plants
The current Vietnamese national strategy to improve the competitiveness of Vietnam's coffee exports addresses the need to improve product quality. One proposed measure is to change the processing method of the coffee cherries from dry to wet processing. While wet-processing can make farmers and the whole value chain less dependent on weather conditions, produce higher quality coffee beans and potentially increase profits at each stage in the value chain, new challenges arise from the centralized production of large amounts of by-products in these plants. Water and energy consumption increase, and effective treatment processes for wet solids and wastewater are required. The purpose of the proposed project is to develop new innovative solutions to valorize by-products in the coffee processing sector. The project will explore, first theoretically and then experimentally, the use of an emerging thermochemical conversion process, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), to convert wet solid by-products at temperatures of 180–250 °C to carbon-rich materials (hydrochars) within a relatively short time (minutes to hours). The hydrochars can be combusted to generate heat and power. Since little to no knowledge on the conversion with HTC of solid and liquid by-products from coffee berries exists, a central outcome of the proposed research will be evidence for the technical feasibility of integrating HTC in the wet-processing plant and its waste treatment facilities. The project will develop and assess alternative designs for process combinations based on these results, evaluating their impact on resource use and environmental emissions in coffee processing. In addition, the project will strengthen the scientific cooperation between Vietnam and Germany by developing a collaboration framework for further research with the goal to implement innovative solutions to improve the sustainability in the coffee value chain.
Section overview
Subjects
- Specialised crops
- Food Processing
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)
