Enhancing biomethane production from citrus waste: An integrated approach of hydrothermal carbonization and anaerobic digestion for sustainable waste management

Norma Alejandra Vallejo-Cantú; Areli Galván-Hernández; Andrea Alvarado-Vallejo; Juan Manuel Méndez-Contreras; Erik Samuel Rosas-Mendoza; Ofelia Landeta-Escamilla

doi:10.56845/rebs.v5i2.96

Authors

Norma Alejandra Vallejo-Cantú Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6273-7388
Areli Galván-Hernández Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba
Andrea Alvarado-Vallejo Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3052-0950
Juan Manuel Méndez-Contreras https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9745-4628
Erik Samuel Rosas-Mendoza Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2353-9143
Ofelia Landeta-Escamilla Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1966-0116

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56845/rebs.v5i2.96

Keywords:

biomethane production, orange waste, waste to energy, sustainable waste management

Abstract

This study investigates the energy recovery potential of bio-oil derived from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of citrus waste through anaerobic digestion (AD). The bio-oil, a complex mixture containing 30-50% of the original carbon from biomass, serves as a valuable substrate for AD. Leveraging the HTC pretreatment, the hydrolysis step in AD becomes more efficient, facilitating faster degradation rates. Anaerobic digestion of the bio-oil was conducted in a high-loading hybrid anaerobic reactor. The reactor underwent stabilization using tomato liquid fraction, followed by bio-oil feeding with an applied volumetric loading of 5 g COD/L-d under mesophilic conditions. Remarkably, COD removals exceeded 90% when utilizing the tomato fraction and surpassed 80% in the bio-oil feed. Additionally, methane yield approached theoretical levels, highlighting the effectiveness of combining HTC and AD technologies. The study demonstrates that the integration of HTC and AD offers a promising alternative for the sustainable utilization of citrus industry wastes, showcasing high removal efficiencies and methane production. This approach aligns with circular economy principles, providing a pathway for efficient waste valorization and renewable energy generation.

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Enhancing biomethane production from citrus waste: An integrated approach of hydrothermal carbonization and anaerobic digestion for sustainable waste management

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