In the upcoming month, the lipid-team from the WOW! project will launch the pilot installation at the wastewater treatment plant in Audun-le-Tiche (France). Carefully determined key parameters in the lab-scale experiment will now be tested on site.
The production of biodiesel is remaining one of the most important European targets in terms of renewables in transport fuels for future. Industrially today, biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters; FAMEs) is produced by processing vegetable oil or animal fat. These feedstocks are expensive and to some extent part of the ongoing food vs. fuel discussion. The current recovery and reuse of wastewater-derived lipids (fat, oil and grease) is limited to biogas production in digesters. The residual majority of the lipid potential in sewage is currently not utilized. It is being disposed which brings additional costs to the wastewater treatment plants.