Bioenergy systems

Research activities on bioenergy systems focus primarily on biogas and its integration into sustainable energy systems. The work covers the full value chain, from biomass conversion to energy production and system integration, with particular attention to optimising plant configurations and end-use pathways.

The research addresses biogas production from multiple sources, including wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), agricultural residues, and landfill gas. Activities span the entire process, from biomass conversion to biogas conditioning and final utilisation.
A key focus is the comparison and optimisation of different biogas exploitation pathways, including electricity generation through internal combustion engines (ICE) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), as well as upgrading to biomethane for grid injection. In addition, CO2 contained in biogas is valorised through methanation and other conversion processes to produce synthetic fuels (e.g. synthetic methane), enabling integration with Power-to-X pathways.