SELECTION OF THE LIPID ACCUMULATOR MICROTHRIX PARVICELLA IN MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS FOR SUBSEQUENT BIODIESEL PRODUCTION

The current trend of more circular use of resources have driven the new practices in wastewater treatment that propose a transition from taking wastewater as just a waste to wastewater as a source of resources. Thus, lipids accumulated by the microbial biomass represent a potentially important stock of resources for biodiesel production. Within this study, a lipid accumulating bacterium Microthrix parvicella (M. parvicella), was studied using a molecular biology approach (16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) and GC-MS/MS to identify its occurrence and its accumulated lipids and thus, their potential use for biodiesel production

Assessment of the production of biodiesel from urban wastewater-derived lipids

By adopting a Circular Economy Package in 2015, European Commission aimed at stimulating transition towards a stronger and more circular economy where waste (including sewage) is no longer recognized as waste, but as a valuable resource of raw materials. This review study assesses the existing methodologies to produce biodiesel from wastewater-derived lipids. Depending on the stage of wastewater treatment where biodiesel would be extracted, it may cover up to 20% of the current European biodiesel demand. Further studies in regards to the biodiesel quality, legislative conditions and techno-economic assessment towards respective transition are needed

WOW! Sewage is valuable!

There are market opportunities for raw materials from sewage, but for this the sewage treatment plants and the industry need alignment. This calls for a transition: sewage treatment plants need to switch from treating sewage to producing valuable materials. On the other hand, market parties need to regard sewage as a valuable source instead of ‘dirty unsafe water’. Last but not least, the policies should better fit this new circular practice. To realize these opportunities WOW! aims to develop value chains for three different raw materials from sewage: cellulose, PHA bioplastics and lipids