The event brought together international experts in Valencia to discuss the role of anaerobic technologies in the transition towards a more sustainable future.
For five days, the city of Valencia became a leading international event for businesses, academics, researchers, policymakers and representatives from the public and private sectors involved in the field of anaerobic technologies. The 19th edition of the IWA World Conference on Anaerobic Digestion (IWA AD19), held from 9 to 13 June under the slogan “Driving Sustainability”, brought together experts from 50 countries to discuss the role of anaerobic digestion in transforming waste into resources and in the transition towards a more sustainable future.
Researchers from the Institute of Sustainable Processes at the University of Valladolid took part in this leading international event, which has been held since 1979 at various venues around the world. The ISP’s presence was reflected both in the conference’s scientific committee, of which Raúl Muñoz, Raquel Lebrero and Cristina González-Fernández were members, and in various contributions to the scientific programme.
Among the most notable contributions, Raúl Muñoz delivered a plenary presentation entitled “Expanding the portfolio of bioproducts from anaerobic digestion through the bioconversion of biogas and digestate”, focusing on the development of new pathways for the valorisation of the gaseous and liquid streams generated in anaerobic digestion, aimed at obtaining compounds and materials of biotechnological interest.
Furthermore, researchers from the ISP’s ENVIROENG Unit took part in various scientific sessions with work on waste recovery, the production of bioproducts, the bioconversion of biogas and the development of new biotechnological pathways associated with anaerobic digestion.
The ISP’s involvement also extended to various specialist workshops at the conference. Raúl Muñoz and Raquel Lebrero spoke at the workshop “Harnessing the potential of underutilised waste streams”, with presentations focusing on biogas upgrading and its conversion into value-added products. Sara I. Pérez-Elvira participated as a speaker in the workshop “Connecting research with real-world practice in anaerobic sludge digestion”, where she discussed pre-treatment strategies using thermal hydrolysis and took part in the final round table on the transfer of scientific advances to real-world applications. For her part, Cristina Gonzalez coordinated the workshop “Towards a carboxylate biological potential test”.
The ISP’s presence at IWA AD19 reinforces its contribution to an international scientific community working to define the future roadmap for anaerobic digestion and its role in building more sustainable systems.