Press and Media

A major European research initiative coordinated by Fraunhofer UMSICHT has been launched to develop integrated solutions for textile waste recycling. The AUTOLOOP project aims to create a comprehensive system that could process 1.24 million tonnes of textile waste annually by 2050, whilst potentially creating over 130,000 green jobs across the EU. This project aims to develop, test and integrate automated sorting, tracing, and closed-loop recycling technologies for polyester-based textiles (NRT), addressing the pressing challenge of textile waste management.

Interactive map by Fraunhofer shows 2.8 Mt/a planned capacity but only 0.29 Mt/a operational. Pyrolysis dominates the project pipeline (1.68 Mt/a planned), while larger gasification plants remain unbuilt. Three solvent-based/solvolysis plants deliver 27 kt/a in operation.

Hillary Onyebuchi Onyishi from the Advanced Carbon Conversion Technologies department at the Fraunhofer UMSICHT institute branch in Sulzbach-Rosenberg wrote his doctoral thesis on the topic of »Investigation of factors influencing the yields and qualities of the products from the thermo-catalytic reforming process« successfully defended at the Ruhr University Bochum. The research for this took place at the Fraunhofer UMSICHT Sulzbach-Rosenberg branch.

The SEAFAIRER project's objective is to demonstrate technology for producing renewable marine biofuels, aiming to reduce GHG emissions in the shipping industry. The project is funded by a 10 million euro budget, co-financed by the Horizon Europe program.

The EU-funded FERTIMANURE project aimed to develop, test, and validate advanced nutrient management strategies to produce competitive fertilizers that contribute to high yields. The primary goal was to recycle valuable nutrients from livestock manure and produce bio-based fertilizers.

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