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The hydrothermal treatment (HT) has demonstrated the ability to improve fuel characteristics of biomass. On the other hand, the liquid by-product, which potentially contains solubilized nutrient, is being poorly utilized. This paper presents an investigation on HT of empty fruit bunch (EFB) on both solid and liquid product characteristics. In this work, the effects of HT on EFB were investigated at the HT temperatures of 100, 150, 180 and 220°C with the holding time of 30 minutes. The results showed that HT can increase the carbon content, remove up to 55% of ash content from EFB, lowering the potassium and chlorine contents down to 0.84% and 0.18%, respectively. Moreover, maximum of 37% of nitrogen, 65% of potassium and less than 10% of phosphorus in EFB were dissolved into the liquid product which positively correlated with the HT temperature. These results demonstrate the possibility of employing HT for producing solid fuel as well as nutrient recovery from EFB.

Industries account for about 30% of total final energy consumption worldwide and about 20% of global CO2 emissions. While transitions towards renewable energy have occurred in many parts of the world in the energy sectors, the industrial sectors have been lagging behind. Decarbonising the energy-intensive industrial sectors is however important for mitigating emissions leading to climate change. This paper analyses various technological trajectories and key policies for decarbonising energy-intensive industries: steel, mining and minerals, cement, pulp and paper and refinery. Electrification, fuel switching to low carbon fuels together with technological breakthroughs such as fossil-free steel production and CCS are required to bring emissions from energy-intensive industry down to net-zero. A long-term credible carbon price, support for technological development in various parts of the innovation chain, policies for creating markets for low-carbon materials and the right condition for electrification and increased use of biofuels will be essential for a successful transition towards carbon neutrality. The study focuses on Sweden as a reference case, as it is one of the most advanced countries in the decarbonisation of industries. The paper concludes that it may be technically feasible to deep decarbonise energy-intensive industries by 2045, given financial and political support.

Bio-based fertilizers are currently gaining interest as a method for reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and as a means for safe disposal of biomass waste. Feathers, which are an abundantly available biomass and have a high N content, are a potential source of fertilizer nutrients. In this study, chicken feathers were subjected to hydrothermal treatment (HTT) with lime addition in the temperature range of 140-2008C to obtain a high N containing liquid product that can be used as a liquid fertilizer. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of HTT conditions on the feather solubilization rate and the properties of the liquid products. The results showed that HTT with a reaction temperature of 1808C, a reaction time of 30 min, feather-water ratio of 1:5, and lime addition is sufficient to solubilize as high as 83% of the chicken feather protein. The produced liquid contained nitrogen of up to 3.4% and total amino acid content of 13.6%. These results indicate the potential utilization of soluble hydrolyzed feather obtained from the HTT process for liquid N fertilizer.

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Purpose Protein hydrolysates (PHs) have attracted much interest in recent years owing to the beneficial effects on plant growth. Feather, one of the most abundant wastes generated from the poultry industry, is rich in proteins and amino acids. It can be utilized to generate value-added bioproducts such as liquid feather protein hydrolysate (FPH). This research aims to evaluate the effect of FPH as fertilizer on plant growth. Methods Hydrothermal treatment (HTT) at a temperature of 160-180 °C and a holding time of 30 min was employed to convert feathers into a liquid feather-derived protein hydrolysate (FPH) containing nitrogen and amino acids. To evaluate the effect of FPH produced from the HTT process on plant growth, FPH (0.5-5 mL/L) and its combination with 50% recommended dose of chemical fertilizers were applied to patchouli and mung bean plants. Results Results showed that the combination of FPH and 50% dose chemical fertilizer on patchouli yielded a statistically significant increase in leaf area, dry weight, and chlorophyll content in comparison to the control, suggesting that the application of FPH along with the inorganic fertilizer can increase fertilizer use efficiency. Combined treatment of inorganic fertilizer and FPH on mung bean also showed a relatively higher yield per plant compared with control. Conclusion Hydrothermal treatment (HTT) can be a useful method for nutrient recovery from animal residuals such as feather. The application of FPH obtained through HTT could improve crop productivity and reduce chemical fertilizer consumption.

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