Integrated system of bioremediation – biorefinering using halophyte species – HaloSYS

The potential impact of the HaloSYS contribution is related to:
-Knowledge and innovation enhancer in the bio-economy domain at European and regional levels;
- Achievement of critical mass and better use of limited natural resources;
- Awareness raising for stakeholders and general public regarding social and economic advantages of bio-based products obtained from biomass sources that use lands unsuitable for agriculture;
- Dissemination and exploiting the results of transnational and multidisciplinary project within the education system, as well as the end-users.
HaloSYS project addresses the challenge of using halophyte species to develop integrated system, as a model for saline soil bioremediation and biomass biorefining. Different species are developed by specific adaptations mechanisms enabling them t grow in salty soils. Every partner has their tasks to accomplish the project goals using different technologies described as follow:
- NIRDBS is the national leader in bio-based products elaboration. The involved infrastructure is represented by: bioreactors, parallel syntheses equipment, high pressure reactor, GC/MS.
-UASVM participates with multidisciplinary team and provide: fully equipped greenhouse and microbiology lab, digestion and extraction systems.
-IMT-Atlantique is highly-experimented in biomass transformation and combustion analysis of alternative fuels. It has a lab for fuel characterisation and bench engines for testing.
-S3D is expert in the field of organic waste recovery, territorial master plan, feasibility study, project management, monitoring and LCA.
-IWNIRZ has impresive expertise in conducting research work on remediation of degraded land. It has fully equiped labs for agrotechnology and analysis (SEM, HPLC).
-BIOTEN is a company that aims introducing modern solutions and techniques for eco-friendly transformation of waste. Sustainable biofuels and biocomponents production are the core activities.

For IMT Atlantique partner, the results description is as follow: Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) was used as thermochemical conversion technology. Model components were chosen and carried out in supercritical HTL conditions for bio-oil (BO) production In order to optimize the HTL process, two experimental designs are employed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). It was utilized to optimize the conditions of three independent variables using Design Expert as software. A full 3^3 factorial for the HTL of sunflower as model components to study the effect of operating parameters such as temperature (240-320°C), time (10-60min) and biomass/solvent ratio (20-80%). The used design proved to be an effective model in studying the influence of the HTL parameters in mixture solvents by using CO2 as inert gaz. The mixed solvent has an important synergic effect on the model component conversion. A better BO viscosity was obtained at optimum conditions. In the second work, the Central Composite Design was used to study the effect of methanol supercritical conditions on the viscosity of BO. The low BO viscosities from raw seeds of 5.82 mPa.s and 5.94 mPa.s were achieved at optimal parameters conditions of 300°C, 30min for a mass ratio of 7/1 and 280°C, 40min for a mass ratio of 5.5/1, respectively. The next step of experiment research was to apply the optimal conditions found from model components optimization on different halophytes species. The results discussion about BO yield has been done based on data found by the model components HTL. The halophytes species seeds were characterized by different analysis as shown in Table 1. Compared to rapeseeds oil, the halophytes seeds are poor of lipids depending on the specie type. The high content of lipids leads to produce a BO with good viscosity and a high yield. The higher heating value of BO was 37.15MJ/kg and 39MJ/kg as weel as a maximum yield of 75.50% and 55.25% for rapeseeds and halophytes seeds, respectively.

From the experimental investigation results, oleaginous seeds are a very good resource for the production of bio-oil by using HTL process and methanol as solvent. Facing to the challenge of sustainable biofuel production halophytes could be a part of solution.
The next stage of our research is to develops synergistic biorefinery concepts using advanced thermochemical conversion processes. In addition, the research will focus on the use of halophytes for bioenergy (second-generation biofuels). In addition, the chemical and energetic characterisation of biofuels, and validation in internal combustion engines will be performed in them of pollutant emissions. The energetic and environmental performance of obtained biofuels compared to fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel) will be evaluated.

Conferences
- Annual congress of GIS PERLE « Nouveaux projets Energies en Pays de la Loire », Halosys project presentation, March 26, 2019.
- 2nd Congress of GDR Thermobio, November 7-8, 2019, Montpellier, France
HADHOUM L., LOUBAR K., PARASCHIV M., AWAD S., TAZEROUT M., Optimisation de la liquéfaction des graines oléagineuses pour la production de biochar en utilisant la Méthodologie des surfaces de réponse (MSR), (accepted).

- International conference on sustainable energy water environment nexus in desert climate, December 2-5, 2019, Qatar.
HADHOUM L., LOUBAR K., PARASCHIV M., AWAD S., TAZEROUT M., Optimization of sunflower seeds liquefaction for biochar production using response surface methodology, (Submitted).

Publications

- HADHOUM L., LOUBAR K., PARASCHIV M., BURNENS G., AWAD S., TZEROUT M., Extraction of bio-oil from oleaginous seeds under supercritical conditions: Optimization of reaction parameters using response surface methodology, Waste and energy valorisation (Submitted).

- HADHOUM L., AWAD S., PARASCHIV M., BURNENS G., LOUBAR K., TAZEROUT M., Effect of parameters on viscosity of bio-oil from oleaginous seeds in methanol supercritical conditions, Fuel (Submitted).

The project proposes the cultivation of selected halophytes species on salt-affected soils with the aims of developing new value chains from
obtained biomass.
The work will be conducted on the monitoring the degree of soil purification, the yield of biomass and seeds, and their chemical composition.
Obtained biomass will be investigated on the possibilities of extracting fibres to produce green composites, sugars for fermentative
processes (bioethanol production), active biomolecules and micronutrients for developing new pharmaceutics and/or nutrceutics, oils from
seeds for sustainable biodiesel synthesis. Waste resulted after extraction or pretreatment processes are further transformed into bio-based
products (briquets, etc.). Process efficiency in terms of biomass production, salt-affected soil remediation, biomass conversion, materials
and energy demand is the core activity for each involved step of the developed integrated technology targeting the optimal solution for
ensuring overal sustainability.
Thus, HaloSYS project proposes an applied research work with a high knowledge transfer potential as alternative economic solution on
bringing back into use for agricultural the farmland damaged by saltwater during coastal flooding, by the intensive agriculture practices or
under the pressure of climate changes (aridisation phenomena).
Two SME’s are involved in life cycle assessment of biomass cultivation, soil quality management and biomass transformation technologies,
as well as the evaluation of reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture.