Renewables-based drying technology for cost-effective valorisation of food processing waste
DRALOD is an EU-funded Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) project (Horizon 2020, GA No 820554) aimed at developing a novel, low-temperature drying process powered entirely by renewable energy. The pilot plant combines solar air heating and biomass with a co-current rotary dryer to process high-moisture food by-products (e.g., brewer’s spent grain, olive pomace, orange pulp), reducing their weight by ~65% and cutting both CO₂ emissions and transport costs compared to natural‑gas drying. Located in Chiloeches, Spain, the 75 °C pilot unit integrates a solar array (~2,500 m²) and a 1 MW biomass boiler, with a heat-recovery unit (HRU) that recovers ~20 kW from exhaust air and upgrades it via heat-pump technology. The system was tested over nine weeks, demonstrating strong energy efficiency and process performance. It also yielded technical specifications for scaling to a 1 MW HRU and generated several peer-reviewed publications.
Stable and Efficient Alkaline Water Electrolyzers With Zero Critical Raw Materials for Pure Hydrogen Production
Anion Exchange Membrane Water stack based on Earth Abundant 2D Materials for Green Hydrogen Production
Layered double hydroxide materials for alkaline water electrolysis
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