Residual Resources Engineering (Section) includes following Groups & Topics:

Solid Waste (About the Group):
- Waste characterization and analysis (About the Topic)

- Thermal waste treatment/incineration (About the Topic)

- Organic waste/composting/digestion (About the Topic)

- Landfilling (About the Topic)

- Environmental assessment - LCA-models/GHG-accounting (About the Topic) 

Bioenergy (About the Group):
- Biogas processes (About the Topic)

- Biohydrogen - pure and mixed-culture (About the Topic)

- Anaerobic microbiology (About the Topic)

- Microbial fuel cell - lignocellulosic waste to energy (About the Topic)

- Biorefinery (About the Topic) 

 

About the Research Section

Modern society uses a vast amount of resources and at the same time produces a vast amount of waste that must be taken care of in order to avoid environmental problems.

The resources are energy resources and material resources, e.g. aggregates, food, metals, plastic, glass, pulp, and wood. Although decoupling of waste production from economical growth is a major target, this has not been successful so far.

The approach of Residual Resource Engineering is to see waste as a potential resource so that good management simultaneously solves a waste management problem and provides new resource  - being material or energy resources.

Climatic changes and shortage of fossil fuels, demand new ways of producing energy. Intelligent use of residual resources is providing opportunities for new and innovative industries, strengthens rural economies and agriculture, reduces the dependence on fossil fuels and improves security of supply, while at the same time reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Residual resources and waste are often contaminated and this demands that also contaminant flows and rejects from cleaning and treatment as well as emissions related to disposal activities are properly managed in a safe way. This demands that Residual Resource Engineering covers a wide range of research issues contributing to understanding of combinations of approaches and technologies on a system level. 

Residual Resources Engineering deals with characterization of waste and resources, treatment technologies to extract materials and energy, disposal methods for rejects, and assessment of over-all environmental performance. Special focus is on generation of energy by anaerobic microbial processes (bioethanol, biohydrogen and biogas). Focus is on municipal waste, industrial waste and agricultural waste.

The Residual Resources Engineering Section encompasses a long list of research activities each of which addresses part of the overall problem complex. The theme facilitates cross-fertilisation and cooperation between the two research groups that constitute the theme. The research groups and their main fields of activity are:

Theme leader: Associated professor Charlotte Scheutz