CYCLOLIVE project: Recycling olive oil extraction by-products for sustainable agricultural practices in the Mediterranean region
LEMTA’s Heat Management team with Mohammed Khalij (French leader) and Abdelhamid Kheiri will play a role in the implementation of solar and thermal solutions for the conversion of olive oil residues into biochar by pyrolysis meeting European standards for wastewater treatment and agricultural application, while meeting the requirements of the International Biochar Initiative. This involves adapting existing solar technologies to the specific needs of the project, while respecting the environment.
CYCLOLIVE is tackling the environmental challenges of the Mediterranean region, including the complex management of waste from the olive oil industry, one of the region’s most important agricultural products. Unfortunately, this industry is also one of the most polluting due to the generation of waste water from olive oil mills (OMWW) and solid residues (OMSW). It is therefore necessary to combat this pollution, guarantee the availability of water for irrigation and promote environmentally-friendly farming practices.
CYCLOLIVE seeks to meet these challenges by integrating sustainable solutions and innovative agricultural practices such as converting waste into biochar and using renewable energy sources to reduce CO2 emissions. It also aims to translate the concepts of biomass recycling and the circular economy into practical solutions.
Coordinated by Faissal Aziz of Cadi Ayyad University in Morocco, the project brings together research teams from 9 partners:
- University of Florence and University of Turin in Italy
- Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. in Germany
- Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research
- University of Jordan in Jordan
- MetaMeta Anatolia in Turkey
- University of Sfax in Tunisia
- and LEMTA in France
The project is part of the PRIMA 2023 call for projects, part-funded by the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.
Project duration: 36 months
Total funding: 1.8 M€, including 200 k€ for LEMTA