How can biomass be transformed into valuable products that support a more sustainable and resource-efficient future? The collaboration between BioTrainValue and its industrial partner Arigna Fuels in Ireland demonstrates how scientific research and industrial expertise can work together to advance biomass valorisation and explore new applications for bio-based products.
Meet Arigna Fuels: An Industrial Partner Driving Innovation
Based in County Roscommon, Ireland, Arigna Fuels is a family-owned company with a history dating back to the 1870s. Traditionally associated with solid fuel manufacturing, the company has expanded its activities towards biomass-based products and the development of innovative technologies that support the transition to renewable alternatives.
Through its biomass activities, Arigna Fuels produces Harvest Flame, a biomass-based fuel manufactured using biochar. The company has also been exploring the wider potential of biochar, including applications in agriculture, soil improvement and carbon management.
This industrial experience makes Arigna Fuels a valuable partner in BioTrainValue, where the development of biomass conversion technologies is closely linked to practical implementation and the identification of promising applications for the resulting products.
Collaboration in Practice: Biomass Research at Arigna Fuels
The cooperation between Arigna Fuels and researchers from Lodz University of Technology provides a practical example of this approach. During a research visit to the company’s facility in Ireland, Dr Artur Lewandowski and PhD researchers Hilal Unyay and Julia Osmańska worked with the Arigna Fuels team on biomass torrefaction and the evaluation of biochar produced from different feedstocks, including olive stones.
The work connects experimental research with industrial experience. Understanding how different biomass materials behave during thermal processing, and how the resulting products can be characterised, is important for assessing their suitability for different applications.
Olive stones are one example of a biomass resource that can be investigated as a feedstock for thermochemical conversion. Research into such materials can help expand knowledge of their properties and support the development of potential applications for biomass-derived products.
Strengthening Cooperation Between Academia and Industry
The partnership between BioTrainValue and Arigna Fuels illustrates the value of international research cooperation in the development of sustainable technologies. Industrial partners contribute practical knowledge, production experience and insight into market needs, while research institutions provide experimental expertise, analytical methods and opportunities to investigate new feedstocks and applications.
This exchange supports the identification of technical challenges, encourages the development of new ideas and helps connect laboratory research with industrial requirements.
Ultimately, the goal is not only to develop biomass conversion technologies, but also to understand the properties and potential uses of the products they generate. Such cooperation is an important step towards more resource-efficient approaches to biomass utilisation and the development of a circular, low-carbon economy.
Discover the Collaboration
Watch the video below to learn more about Arigna Fuels and its connection with the BioTrainValue project.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0ZsMgQoNXo
Through collaboration between research and industry, BioTrainValue continues to support knowledge exchange and the exploration of innovative pathways for biomass valorisation.
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