Transforming Waste into Value: Inside BRILIAN’s Spanish Pilot

Transforming Waste into Value: Inside BRILIAN’s Spanish Pilot

junio 20, 2025 admin Comments Off

📍Vitoria-Gasteiz 👤PATURPAT 👤AITIIP 👤TECNO 🗓️ Jun 23-May 27

BRILIAN was created with the goal of promoting sustainable cooperative business models that allow agroindustries and farmers to diversify their income through the valorization of agri-food by-products and waste.

The project will validate 10 bio-based value chains in total across Spain, Italy, and Denmark

Closing the Loop: The Project in Spain

The core of the pilot is the construction and commissioning of a pilot plant for starch extraction from potato by-products, enabling the production of starch that can be transformed into biodegradable thermoplastic (TPS). This material is then used in the development of biodegradable films for flexible packaging and biodegradable agricultural mulch, thus helping to replace conventional plastic materials with circular and locally sourced solutions.

“This pilot allows us to take a further step in our commitment to comprehensive sustainability, closing the potato loop and demonstrating that innovative and competitive solutions can be generated in rural areas for sectors like packaging and agriculture,” explains Ana Carrasco, Head of New Product Development at Paturpat/Udapa

🎯Impact targets

▪️Reduce Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) by 90%.

▪️Re-circulation of 140.000m3 of water yearly.

▪️Generate 450.000kg of starch yearly.

▪️Enable new applications in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.

✅Pilot milestones so far

▪️Starch extraction plant operational and undergoing optimization.

▪️15.000 tonnes of potatos processed and 64,5 tonnes of starch.

▪️63% COD reduction.

▪️Cosmetic line in early-stage testing to assess BRILIAN starch quality.

▪️AITIIP developed six starch formulations; one pre-selected for Termoplastic (TPS).

▪️TECNO completed shrink film trials and is testing two mulch types made from potato starch.

▪️Field trials underway to compare mulch performance vs. traditional straw.

Potential benefits of BRILIAN’s Potato mulch.

Simplify harvesting, as it degrades within one season.
Applied loosely, it supports plant growth while acting as a barrier against pests.
It offers a more cost-stable solution, reducing dependency on straw, which is subject to price fluctuations.

🚀Official pilot launch

During BRILIAN’s General Assembly in May 2024, the full team visited the facilities at Paturpat/Udapa and showcased the pilot at the Food4Future Expo.

🎥Watch our video to see innovation in action: BRILIAN SPANISH PILOT VIDEO

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