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3 clusters · 7 sources · 4 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: TECHNOLOGY

Waste-derived biofuel research in Spain and Chile

Entities: Magdalena Constantí · Spain · Universitat Rovira i Virgili · Coffea arabica · Biodiesel

Overview

Researchers at Spain’s Universitat Rovira i Virgili have refined their coffee‑ground oil extraction, using n‑hexane at 45 °C for one hour to recover roughly 90 % of the lipid content with only 0.3 % impurities—significantly cleaner than traditional Soxhlet methods. The process, described in *Biomass and Bioenergy*, operates with a low solvent‑to‑dry‑residue ratio and preserves the residual cellulose‑rich solids for further conversion into bio‑ethanol, lactic acid, biodegradable plastics or other fuels, reinforcing a scalable, lower‑energy pathway for turning the estimated 6 million tonnes of global coffee waste into biodiesel feedstock.

In parallel, Chile’s Energy Sustainability Agency and the Clean Flight programme have highlighted used cooking oil as a strategic feedstock for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. With an annual generation of about 128 000 tonnes of used cooking oil, the agency estimates that recycling 75 % of this waste by 2035 could produce roughly 99 million litres of renewable fuel each year—enough to power around 2.5 million airline passengers. Together, these studies illustrate expanding international interest in converting organic waste streams into high‑value biofuels and the potential for large‑scale circular‑economy solutions in hard‑to‑electrify transport sectors.

Timeline

  1. 14 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
    Spanish University Develops Efficient Method to Extract Coffee Ground Oil for Biodiesel

    Spanish researchers at URV reported a rapid hexane extraction that recovers ~90 % of oil from spent coffee grounds, producing cleaner biodiesel feedstock while preserving the residual biomass for other uses.

  2. 16 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Spain and Chile boost waste‑derived biofuel research

    Spain and Chile researchers develop processes to turn coffee grounds and used cooking oil into bio‑fuels, aiming to boost renewable diesel and aviation fuel production and decarbonise transport.

  3. 17 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Coffee grounds identified as viable feedstock for biodiesel production

    URV researchers proved coffee grounds can yield high‑quality biodiesel oil using a 45 °C, 60‑minute, n‑hexane process, recovering 90% of oil with minimal impurities and preserving the residual biomass for other

Sources

jornaleconomico.sapo.pt · knowridge.com · mundodeportivo.com · retema.es · sabado.pt · thebrighterside.news · tvu.cl