Interchange of knowledge to define the best ways for the use and valorization of residual biomasses

In order to promote the interchange of knowledge and select the best strategies for the use and valorization of residual biomass from agriculture, forestry and agro-industry activities, two research teams from Quebec and Mexico are working together in a bilateral project aiming to share experiences and define indicators which allow the optimal selection of the processes used for biomass recovery and valorization. The project consists in to concentrate a database containing results from the characterization of different biomass and its relation to the obtained efficiency and benefits from the different evaluated process for its valorization. The database has been integrated with results from the literature review and also with results from the experimental characterization of different agriculture, forestry and agro-industry biomass from both teams. The database also includes results from the evaluation of the efficiency of different processes such as fermentation, anaerobic digestion, combustion and pyrolysis carried out by each research team. The biomass characteristics, the biomass availability, the efficiency process, the cost and benefits reported for the existing process will be used as a reference to analyze and define the indicators. These indicators will be used to compare existing processes, to define the best strategies for biomass valorization and to promote the knowledge transfer to key users and decision makers in Quebec and Mexico. This work presents the bilateral experience, the advances relate to the integration of the database and the definition of some indicators.