Authors: Vassia Kaperneka & Kostis Atsonios
In May and June 2025, the FRONTSH1P project was presented at two major conferences advancing the future of circular and bio-based systems: the 15th International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Applications (ICEEA 2025) in Paris and the 21st International Conference on Renewable Resources & Biorefineries (RRB 2025) in Turku. Both events spotlighted the latest results from Circular Systemic Solution 2 (CSS2)—a core stream of FRONTSH1P focusing on the transformation of agricultural, food, and municipal biowaste into high-value bioproducts.
The focus of these presentations was not only on the bioproducts themselves, but on how regional-scale implementation can be achieved through process modelling and system integration—a critical step often overlooked when moving from pilot results to market-ready solutions.
Process Modelling as a Bridge to Industrial Scalability
At the heart of the CSS2 work shared at ICEEA and RRB is an integrated process modeling approach, developed using Aspen Plus™, a standard tool in chemical and process engineering.
Three value chains were modeled:
- Corn stover to fatty acids and bio-insulation foams
- Organic food waste and compostable bags to biogas
- Oilseed crops to biolubricants and animal feed
These simulations are not conceptual alone—they are grounded in experimental data from pilot-scale operations (notably with technical support from STEX in Portugal) and literature-derived parameters, making them robust representations of what scaled-up systems could look like in practice.
The models simulate entire process flows, including pre-treatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, separation, and conversion stages. They incorporate custom component definitions to account for biogenic feedstock variability and detailed reaction mechanisms to predict yields and energy requirements.
Why Modelling and Integration Matter
For circular systems to work at industrial scale, some core questions must be answered, such as:
Can the process achieve meaningful product yields using local feedstocks?
Is the energy balance favorable enough to ensure environmental benefit?
Are the carbon flows optimized to maximize circularity and climate impact?
The modeling work done under CSS2 answers all three. For each value chain, simulations produced mass and energy balances to assess material conversion efficiency, carbon utilization, and specific energy consumption. These indicators feed directly into design specifications for full-scale facilities, offering a clear roadmap for scale-up.
Moreover, process integration techniques—such as heat recovery and solvent recycling—were applied to optimize overall energy efficiency. This enables identification of bottlenecks and synergies early in the planning phase, significantly reducing risk and improving cost-effectiveness in later deployment stages.
From Simulation to Regional Implementation
While many bioeconomy projects stop at the pilot stage, CSS2 uses its modelling results to support territorial deployment. Using real feedstock data from the Łódzkie region, the models reflect actual industrial conditions and resource availability. This ensures that the proposed solutions are not just theoretically scalable, but regionally grounded.
For example, in the bio-insulation foam chain, the simulation follows corn stover from pre-treatment to final product, revealing the energy input required per unit of foam, how carbon is conserved or emitted at each stage, and where value can be captured or lost.
This quantitative, systems-based view is essential for policymakers and investors who need to understand not just what can be done, but how well it performs at scale.
Next Steps
The discussions at ICEEA and RRB confirmed strong interest in FRONTSH1P’s modeling work from both the academic and industrial communities. The discussions emphasized the importance of solid technical foundations in circular transition strategies and highlighted the need for replicable, well-defined models to effectively support regional decarbonization efforts across the EU.
As CSS2 moves closer to real-world deployment, its modeling framework remains a key asset. It enables FRONTSH1P not just to propose circular innovations, but to prove they can work—technically, economically, and environmentally—at scale.
