@inproceedings{01KTVF1XEGTN0MGDWS7WMT868P,
  abstract     = {{Biomass represents a well-established renewable energy source with significant potential for both energy and material recovery. However, many agro-industrial and waste biomass streams remain difficult to valorise via conventional waste disposal pathways due to high levels of impurities, heterogeneous composition, or contamination with synthetic polymers. Such challenging feedstocks necessitate the development of more robust and flexible conversion technologies. This work investigates microwave plasma gasification as a versatile platform for the valorisation of low-quality waste biomass streams. The high-temperature plasma environment enables the rapid and efficient conversion of complex organic matter into high-quality syngas, primarily composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which can serve as a chemical synthesis feedstock or clean energy carrier. Beyond gasification, the project explores several complementary resource recovery pathways integrated within the plasma process. This includes the potential use of captured CO2 as a constituent of the plasma-forming gas mixture, contributing to a net-zero carbon footprint. Furthermore, the concept enables strategic nutrient recovery at multiple stages, assessing the integration of pyrolysis/hydrothermal pretreatment for carbon concentration in the feedstock as well as the sublimation of volatile nutrients within the thermal plasma, followed by controlled condensation. Synergetic extraction of valuable compounds from the raw biomass is also taken into consideration. The key advantage of this microwave plasma system is its exceptional operational flexibility. Rapid start-up and response times of such installations allow providing Demand Side Response services, supporting grid stability by modulating power consumption in response to load fluctuations.}},
  author       = {{Niedzwiecki, Lukasz and Morent, Rino and Nikiforov, Anton and Akyol, Çağrı and Pilař, Jakub and Castagna, Alessandra and Fathi, Jafar and Van Oost, Guido and Belounis, Djamel and Mašláni, Alan and Meers, Erik}},
  booktitle    = {{ESNI-NERM 2026 Conference, Book of Abstracts}},
  keywords     = {{microwave plasma,gasification,thermochemical treatment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  location     = {{Brussels, Belgium}},
  title        = {{Synergetic resource recovery, CO2 use, and demand side response via microwave plasma valorisation of contaminated biomass}},
  url          = {{https://www.biorefine.eu/esni-nerm-2026/}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}