Pinkafeld, 4 June 2024 - As part of the ERDF-funded Waste2Material project, a plant for the thermochemical pre-treatment of residual materials was developed using a currently non-recyclable fraction from the mechanical-biological treatment of household waste.
This process heats the material to around 600°C and the organic components are decomposed. The resulting pyrolysis gas is incinerated and the resulting energy is recovered. The solid residue can be recycled. The forward-looking result: both landfill volumes and CO2 emissions are reduced.
Schneemann: ‘Burgenland is a pioneer in energy and environmental technologies’
CO2 reduction, sustainability, energy efficiency, innovations and sustainable technologies are important research goals of the EU and Burgenland. A total of EUR 1.9 million in funding from the ERDF Fund for Investment in Growth and Employment and the province of Burgenland is being channelled into the Waste2Material project. This internationally recognised project is also receiving important support from the province of Burgenland. ‘We are clearly investing in such forward-looking projects. The exchange between business, research and education is beneficial for everyone. Waste2Material thus makes a decisive contribution to Burgenland's pioneering role in innovative and sustainable energy and environmental technologies,’ says Leonhard Schneemann, the provincial councillor responsible for research and innovation.
‘Applied research is also important in order to bring us closer to our goal of increasing the research quota in Burgenland. Last but not least, our prosperity also depends on research, development and constant innovation,’ emphasises Schneemann: ’Burgenland's universities and research institutes are important partners in this. That is why the interaction between applied research and regional companies and the economy is particularly important to us.’
Customised production made by FH and Research Burgenland
The research project was launched in 2019 and since then Christian Wartha and Michael Preinsipp have been working with their team to develop a prototype for the thermochemical conversion of waste materials. ‘The Waste2Material project involves employees from Forschung Burgenland and FH Burgenland as well as students from the university. We are working on the development of the system on the one hand and on the topic of the circular economy on the other,’ explains Christian Wartha. He is in charge of the research project and is also head of the Energy & Environment degree programme at FH Burgenland.
Construction of the pilot plant began in December 2022 using a container solution. The research team organised and built everything themselves. ‘The acquisition of the individual parts, the assembly of the components and even the programming was carried out by our scientific staff. That's what makes this construction so unique in Austria. We have adapted the system to our preliminary investigations and can work with it in a very customised way,’ reports Michael Peinsipp. For example, this design makes it possible to test a wide variety of residual materials for their utilisation. For example, residual materials from agriculture, the processing of electronic waste, plastic waste or similar can be processed.
Environmental Service Burgenland (UDB) was the practical co-operation partner in the project. The scientific project partner was Montan University Leoben. There was also close co-operation with the company Sonnenerde GmbH during the construction of the plant.
Keding: ‘Projects like these are trend-setting’
Marcus Keding, Managing Director of Forschung Burgenland, also emphasises that projects like these are forward-looking and trend-setting: ‘The global interdependence of our economy also requires us to analyse waste streams in a comprehensive context and find joint and sustainable solutions. In general, the demand for research co-operation with regional companies has risen sharply. Companies want to find, investigate and scrutinise solutions,’ explains Keding.
Research foci such as building technology and renewable energies in particular are hitting the mark. ‘The focus here is clearly on the circular economy. The research projects in the Building Technology and Energy Transition research centres in particular are very much concerned with this topic,’ says the Managing Director.
What started a decade ago with just over a handful of university members in research has now grown to a ‘research power’ of 136 employees. Of these, around 45 people are employed by Forschung Burgenland and around 90 lecturers are involved in research projects. ‘This is a huge development and an important support for SMEs, for whom we are the first and often only point of contact.’
Current service catalogue: 100-page catalogue of services
This capability is also demonstrated by the 100-page catalogue of services, hot off the press. The University of Applied Sciences and Research Burgenland place great emphasis on sustainability. In order to make this commitment even more visible, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have also been integrated into the current volume. ‘Research makes a significant contribution to achieving the sustainability goals. That's why the SDGs are also anchored and are considered and ultimately cited in every single project,’ explains Keding.
Here is the link to download the current catalogue of services.
