Valorization of industrial liquid effluents into biogas

At the Paris Conference (COP21), Quebec committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 37.5% below its 1990 emissions by 2030, while the reduction should have reached 20% below 1990 emissions by 2020. This reality implies drastic societal changes, particularly in transportation and consumption. In concert with this objective, the Canadian government has been working for a few years on the Clean Fuel Standard which, in addition to the tax imposed on CO2, will require the Canadian industry to progressively reduce its carbon impact (CI), which implies, on one hand, a reduction in the consumption of energy from fossil sources, and on the other hand, an optimization of processes in order to make them more efficient. Both in Canada and in Quebec, the two sectors that produce the most greenhouse gases (GHG) are transportation (light, heavy and air) and industrial activities. This reality will necessarily have an impact on Canadian industry, which will have to gradually reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Among the solutions available to address this reality, biofuels remain a reliable and sustainable option in most Canadian provinces and particularly in Quebec, which not only has an abundant pool of residual lignocellulosic biomass, but also an abundance (even an excess) of renewable electricity. Access to bioenergy represents an inescapable opportunity, particularly in a situation where it would allow us to solve two industrial challenges at the same time. The partner in this project, Formica, is the world's largest manufacturer of high pressure laminates and has been in the business for over 100 years. The company's production activities result in the generation of various biobased by-products such as paperboard sheets, phenolic papers, wood dust and cardboard mandrins. The company also produces aqueous effluents that require treatment before being returned to the environment. In order to reduce its carbon footprint and maintain its high environmental standards, Formica decided to work with the Biomass Technology Laboratory (BTL) and IP to address these challenges and turn them into an opportunity for the company via a valorization in the form of biofuels that will be used through a thermochemical approach to generate a portion of the company's energy. Furthermore, thanks to LTB's expertise in the field of wastewater treatment, it is also intended to address this issue to enable the company to maintain its leadership position in sustainable development.