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Development of novel environmentally added-value surfactants and esters by biotechnological processes from fats and oils waste streams (Bio-SURFEST)

Aim of the project

Production economy is the major hurdle in most biotechnological processes, as raw material constitutes 10 to 30% of the total production cost. Due to the high cost of pure carbohydrates used as raw materials in several research studies done so far, industrial scale development does not prove feasible. There is a clear need to reduce this cost. The main objective of the Bio-SURFEST Project was to obtain high value compounds such as biosurfactants and esters. These compounds can be extracted from used oils or fats, found in a wide range of industries such as hotels, restaurants, vegetable oil industries, biodiesel industries, etc. The main result of the present project is the determination of the oils using appropriate technical and economical production methods in order to obtain the biosurfactants and other bioproducts of high added value.

Project Development

Agricultural products have been used as substrates to produce biosurfactants, including vegetable oils, starches, whey, distillery and refinery wastes. The Bio-SURFEST project developed two biotechnological processes on a semi-industrial scale to produce two different classes of bioproducts: biosurfactants and ester oils. The biosurfactants were produced by a fermentation process and the ester oils by enzymatic catalysis. The aim of Bio-SURFEST was also the biotechnological optimization of the synthesis of bioproducts.

Project partners

Nine members from five different countries (Germany, Netherlands, Lithuania, Greece and Spain) participated in the program as partners. Among them, four companies (Green Technologies LtdMachinefabriek Otto Schouten BV, Compuestos y Granzas, S.A., Phytolutions GMBH), one large industry (Industrias Suescun, S.A.) and three technology research and development centers (L´Urederra, Fundación para el desarrollo Tecnológico y social, Verein Zur Foerderung des Technologietransfers an der Hochschule Bremerhaven E.V., UAB Biocentras).

Funding

EU (FP7-SME-2011) BSG-SME- Research for the benefit of SMEs No 286834.

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