The first review meeting of VALORCOMP project took place the 20th of October 2017 and was held in School of Industrial Engineering (EII) at the University of Valladolid. All the members of the consortium were represented as the first review of the progress of the tasks was made. The meeting was attended by Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (Principal Beneficiary), Fundación CIDAUT, Universidad de Valladolid, Resíduos do Nordeste and Nertatec.
The meeting started with a general evaluation of the project and introducing the agenda of the meeting by the project coordinator. Regarding the major operational activities, it was started by CIDAUT making an exhibition about the results of compost characterization from the point of view of thermochemical valorisation in activity 1. A comparison of results was made between the samples collected in the previous meeting and the visit to the Mechanical and Biological Treatment Unit (UTMB) in July 2017. It was pointed out the relevant amount of glass present in the different samples, a main problem and object of an in-depth study. The results of activity 1 were complemented by IPB with the work done in relation to the study of the adsorption process using activated carbon as adsorbent from treated compost. It was revealed that one of the objectives was to establish a ranking of activated carbon from biomass considering CO2 separation.
IPB subsequently focused its exposition on the results obtained in activity 2 on the analysis of the material valorisation of the compost. The presentations focused on two aspects: the advances on the use of treated compost as adsorbent of different chemical compounds and a first approach for the use of compost in ecological bricks.
Activity 3 was commented by the UVA and by IPB jointly. The UVA showed the results of characterization of the samples collected in July. This characterization was made from an agronomic point of view making clear that the presence of glass and improper represents a relevant problem. IPB, on the other hand, showed its advances in the use of leached waters with a first characterization.
Finally, a review was made of the transversal activities such as management and dissemination activities. Topics such as the project logo, as well as the launch of the website and attendance at events were established as priorities.
After the technical review of tasks, next meeting was planned to be held in CIDAUT facilities on February 2018.
This project is co-financed by the programme of cooperation INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 and will run until September 2019. Project VALORCOMP aims to contribute cooperatively to solve cross-border problems in the valorisation of waste generated in the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.
