Fourth CIRCULAIR webinar on 6 May 2026
Fourth CIRCULAIR webinar on 6 May 2026
The fourth CIRCULAIR webinar will be organized on Wednesday 6 May 2026 from 16.00 to 17.00 (CEST).
The event will focus on the valorization of side-streams that are generated during the production of biocrudes via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and wet oxidation (WO) of the HTL aqueous phase. Utilizing the resulting aqueous, gaseous, and solid phases is the key to achieve nearly-complete biomass resource utilization and to enable negative contributions to the GHG balance of HTL fuel production. Specifically, the webinar will discuss volatile fatty acid recovery from the WO aqueous phase, the suitability of evolving gas streams for CO2 utilization via methanol synthesis, and the application of HTL solids for soil amendment and carbon sequestration.
Agenda:
- “Valorisation of side streams from the HTL-WO process: recovery of VFA from the aqueous phase and utilisation of CO₂-rich gas streams in methanol synthesis” by Marcos Larriba (Complutense University of Madrid)
- “Unlocking the potential of HTL hydrochar in agriculture: a step closer to carbon negative production and nutrient circularity” by Gero C. Becker (University of Hohenheim)
Registration is now open.
About the speakers:
Dr. Marcos Larriba is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). He has led R&D projects to develop separation processes for the valorisation of liquid and gaseous streams. Marcos has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers on liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption, and CO₂ capture and conversion. In the CIRCULAIR project, he leads the Work Package on the valorisation of side streams.
Dr. Gero C. Becker is a lecturer and senior researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Hohenheim (Germany), working in the Department of Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources. His R&D includes nutrient recovery and sustainable conversion of biobased feedstocks with a focus on hydrothermal conversion and hydrochar applications to close the loop to agriculture. In the CIRCULAIR project, he leads the Work Package on solid carbon utilisation.
