WALBIOPOWER

General objective:

Improve the energy recovery of organic waste to produce biomethane and green hydrogen from fermentable organic matter and urine by developing new electrode materials, innovative electrical stimulation of bacterial consortia and reducing the overall environmental impact.

Materia Nova's mission:

Materia Nova's mission is to develop catalytic materials for biogas and hydrogen production, based on electro-oxidation and biomethanization processes assisted by microbial electrolysis cells. It is also responsible for the full characterization of these materials (physico-chemical, electrochemical and bioactive analyses), upscaling them to test their performance and durability, and contributing to the technico-economic and environmental assessment of the solutions developed, with a view to sustainable and circular innovation.

Materia Nova is working on the recovery of two types of abundant organic waste:

firstly, the solid fraction of organic food waste for the production of biomethane. Materia Nova is working on improving the efficiency of the biomethanisation process and decentralising production.
secondly, urine. The nitrogen contained in urine, mainly in the form of urea, represents a major source of pollution for the environment and both surface and groundwater. Reducing the nitrogen load represents a very significant proportion of the cost of wastewater treatment. We are developing two strategies for using this molecule as a catalyst in the production of hydrogen and, secondly, the controlled production of ammonia, including the production of hydrogen by plasma reforming.

Our strengths:
- Materia Nova is active in the production of hydrogen from methane and biomethane using plasmalysis, a process for which it holds patents.
- Our knowledge in the field of bio-electrochemistry and the functionalisation of electrodes and electrolysis to support the development of new electrode materials for the electro-oxidation of urea and for the assisted biomethanisation of CEM (Design electrolysis cells and implementation of treatment processes (reactors).
- Platforms for characterising chemical reactions in the gas phase. Combination of plasma and catalytic systems to improve selectivity.

Partners :

UMONS, ULiège

Contact Materia Nova :

Rob ONDERWATER

rob.onderwater@materianova.be