First Executive Committee Meeting of the GreenPATh Project, “Circular Production of Green Energy from Agri-Food By-Products through High-Temperature Processes”
CENER hosted at its headquarters the first meeting of the Executive Committee of the strategic GreenPATh project, in which all the partners that make up the consortium participated. This initiative focuses on the development of an innovative combination of high-temperature technologies that will enable, on the one hand, the transformation of agri-food waste into advanced biofuels and synthesis gas (syngas), and on the other, the use of these renewable energy vectors to generate and store thermal and electrical energy.
In a context of continuously increasing global energy consumption, green synthetic fuels can support the transition to a decarbonized energy system, enabling the conversion and storage of energy. Thus, hydrogen, its derivatives (known as hydrogen carriers), and synthesis gas (or syngas) are energy carriers that can be used as alternative fuels to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and the depletion of fossil fuels. Agri-food waste has characteristics that make it suitable for use as a feedstock for these fuels, and it is also abundant. In the case of the agri-food sector (the second largest area of economic activity in Navarre), the generation of non-hazardous waste, including animal, plant, and food waste, reached 108,906 tons per year in 2022, with the majority being products of animal and food origin (92.5%). Therefore, the conversion of these wastes and by-products into advanced biofuels (green fuels) and other clean energy vectors represents an attractive alternative to reduce environmental impact in this sector and thus contribute to the decarbonization of industry and transport. Additionally, the food production sector generates numerous emissions, most of which are associated with energy consumption (approximately 1/3 in the form of electricity and 2/3 in the form of heat, which is difficult to decarbonize).
The GreenPATh project was created with the aim of promoting the recovery and valorization of waste from the agri-food sector in Navarre, while at the same time advancing the decarbonization of industries with high thermal and fossil raw material consumption, as well as strategic sectors such as heavy road transport, maritime transport, and aviation.
In addition to NAGRIFOOD, the project includes two leading research knowledge centers – Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA) and CENER – two companies from the agri-food sector – HARIVENASA and URZANTE – an organization specialized in circular economy and sustainability innovation – SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION (SUSTAINN) – and two technology provider companies – GREENDUR and TAFCO METAWIRELESS (TAFCO), the latter being the project coordinator.
GreenPATh will be carried out over two and a half years within the framework of the Government of Navarre’s 2025–2028 Strategic R&D Projects funding program, co-financed at 40% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Navarre’s Operational Program FEDER 2021–2027.
The overall objective of the project is to develop new green energy vectors from variable-composition by-products from the agri-food industry, for use in industrial processes and/or mobility applications, through the combined application of a set of disruptive high-temperature technologies.