VALORA

• Grant agreement ID: CTM2016-81038-R

• Total project budget: 181.500€

• Start Date: 30/12/2016

  End Date: 29/01/2020

• Project website: mon.uvic.cat/valora/

Project Summary: 

Petroleum-based plastics have become a severe environmental problem because of their low biodegradability and limited disposal strategies. Thus, alternatives to that type of plastics are currently being evaluated to find more sustainable options. Furthermore, the generation of agro-industrial wastes also presents several management problems. In that sense, VALORA project aims to contribute to solving some of these socio-environmental problems by producing bioplastics through the valorization of solid agro-industrial wastes. VALORA project intends to use waste with high organic carbon contents produced in the local industry, such that the selected microbial cultures are capable of accumulating it inside the cell as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). This project proposes the use of the solid-state fermentation (SSF) as a potentially more economical and sustainable alternative to obtaining PHA. Consequently, it is expected that VALORA allows developing a feasible productive system capable of competing with the most frequently used technologies based on submerged fermentation systems (SmF).   

Our role in the project: 

VALORA is fully executed by BETA Technological Center, and it is the first project in the center devoted to the development of SSF technology. BETA Technological Center is determined to promote the use of this technology as an alternative to process solid organic residues in a valorization approach. Particularly, VALORA project is focused on the valorization of locally produced residues derived from the brewing, wine and olive oil industries, some of the most relevant agroindustries within Catalonia region. By doing this, BETA Technological Center is looking to contribute with the local industry by providing new technological solutions to the emerging challenges such industries currently face.