These are two initiatives that will be implemented over a period of five years by the universities of Concepción and Andrés Bello. Both seek to move towards sustainable production by creating new products with agricultural waste such as additives for paints and bioproducts such as fertilizers and a water retainer for crops.
Corfo approved two technological programs to promote productive transformation in response to the climate crisis in the agricultural sector. With a budget of more than Ch$7,000 million and a five-year implementation period in various regions of the country, both initiatives respond to the need to integrate circular economy practices and efficiency in the use of resources.
One of them is called “Thermochemical transformation of agricultural waste into materials and energy: Circular economy model for the sustainability of the agricultural sector”, in which the Universidad de Concepción participates in co-execution with Empresa de Servicios Tecnológicos Ltda., Química Hewstone, in association with Agrícola Pacífico S.A., Sherpas Group and Ecomaule SpA.
“This program, which will have a direct impact on the regions of Ñuble and Biobío, marks a significant advance in the conception of agricultural activity in this territory, as it proposes a productive development model based on the reconversion of waste into valuable products. This not only has an impact in terms of profitability, but also reduces pollution and generates new opportunities in energy efficiency,” said Macarena Dávila, regional director of Corfo Ñuble.
According to Cristina Segura, a project engineer at the Technological Development Unit of the Universidad de Concepción and director of the program, the goal is to valorize biomass and plastic waste from agricultural activities and transform it into biochar, a versatile and highly beneficial carbonaceous material. “Biochar is used to develop fertilizers and soil amendments, which are rich in carbon and have excellent water retention capacity. These products not only improve soil nutrition, but also act as a carbon capture and storage mechanism. Our approach not only benefits agriculture by improving soil quality and productivity, but also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gases by sequestering carbon,” she explained.
The second initiative, called “Agroindustrial Symbiosis for Sustainable Production: Higher Production with Lower Emissions”, is led by the Universidad Nacional Andres Bello (UNAB) together with Eurecat Latam, Univiveros, Adama Chile S.A. in collaboration with Sociedad Comercial Nueces del Choapa, Afipa A.G., Agrosuccess, Syngenta and Biofeed. Its target audience is companies seeking access to validation, acceleration and technology transfer, adapting to the challenges of climate change and maintaining competitiveness in the agroindustrial sector.
“This project seeks to contribute to a productive transformation of national agribusiness companies through circular economy practices, the development of new and improved products that increase their profitability with sustainability and the reduction of environmental and social externalities. In addition, we will act as an industrial tinder, connecting companies whose waste can be used or valorized by others as raw material or resource to manufacture other goods,” said Dr. Pilar Parada, director of the Center for Systems Biotechnology at UNAB.
UdeC: Paints and water retainer with agricultural wastes
The results of this project are mainly aimed at the development of biochar, an element obtained from waste that, through thermochemical transformation, is converted into products of value and commercial interest: a water retainer to maintain the humidity of agricultural land and fertilizers.
In addition, through thermochemical conversion technologies for plastics and biomass generated by agricultural activity, the initiative seeks to obtain new products for the development of protective additives for the production of paints, which make them more resistant, and other materials that can be reused in agriculture.
UNAB: Transforming organic waste into new foodstuffs
One of the objectives of this initiative is to implement transformation technologies to organic waste from the nut, apple, cherry and kiwifruit industries for the development of ingredients and foods that target the fastest growing global market trends.
Source: Corfo Press Release
More information at: https://biocharchile.cl