Newpower

Title: Integral valorisation of agroforestry waste: New scalable multi-product biorefineries.

The main objective of the NEWPOWER project is to solve the problems associated with the high generation of agricultural and forestry waste, which is accumulating to an increasing extent due to the abandonment of the rural environment, causing a large number of fires.

NEWPOWER will create a network of collaboration between public and private organisations in the SUDOE area, seeking the sustainable management of this waste, developing new conversion processes, obtaining renewable energies and new products with high added value, which will imply socio-economic benefits and the creation of qualified jobs.

The innovative character of NEWPOWER is based on the use of agricultural and forestry waste in a comprehensive way, reusing it instead of disposing of it. Obtaining high added-value ingredients will generate benefits for companies in the sector and lead to new lines of business. The project aims to obtain attractive biofunctional products for use in the food, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and organic farming industries. To achieve the objective, it will be necessary to establish a strong transnational cooperation, with each entity contributing its knowledge at different stages. Some will be involved in innovative and ecological processes of extraction of value-added products based on a multi-product biorefinery in a circular economy context; others focused on the characterisation and encapsulation of active compounds of interest; and others on the formulation of functional foods, nutraceuticals, smart packaging, natural plant protection products, biofuel production, bioplastics and platform chemicals.

Finally, a technical-economic and environmental study of all the processes developed in NEWPOWER will be carried out to study their industrial viability. The civil society organisation involved will play a key role in raising awareness and disseminating the results, promoting sustainability, responsible consumption, healthy habits and diets and the reduction of waste, in order to achieve the well-being of society as a whole.

The beneficiaries and partners associated to the project belong to different countries within the Sudoe territory: Portugal, France and Spain.

Project beneficiaries: University of Vigo, University of Minho, Multisectoral Research Technological Centre Foundation, University of Lleida, Technological Institute of Bragança, University of Zaragoza, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, INRAE Centre Occitanie-Toulouse, Ingredalia S.L., BCL3EVOLUTION LDA, Revalorem SCCL,

Project partners: ENCE-Energía y Celulosa, TAGUSVALLEY Asociación para la promoción y desarrollo tecnológico del Valle del Tajo, Forest Bioengineering Solutions (FBS) SA, Bodegas Lombre scg, Argal Alimentación SA, TMAD Soluciones en madrea y derivados Lda., Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agrario e Veterinario I.P., Segibois, Alliance Forest Bois.

The University of Zaragoza participates in this project in the in vitro (cells) and in vivo (animals) biological tests.

Specifically, the research work focuses on:

• Study of the therapeutic effect of plant extracts obtained from waste from agri-food and forestry companies on diseases such as cancer, inflammation and those related to lipid metabolism.
• With extracts or bioactive molecules that are difficult to penetrate cells, use of nanoparticles (encapsulation) to increase their bioavailability.

The research team is made up of 8 researchers from the University of Zaragoza and the Agri-Food Institute of Aragon (IA2). The part of the project carried out on cells is led by María Jesús Rodríguez Yoldi and the animal part by Jesús de la Osada García.