Valencia launches a project to reclaim ecologically waste from its citrus

Since time immemorial is very difficult to separate the Earth of its products, from which workers peoples obtained from it at the expense of his effort and dedication. That is exactly what happens to the Valencian Community and their much-touted delicious citrus to national and international levels.

However, that not all reach to know is that the millions of tons in waste that generated this agrolimentaria industry has become highly polluting for the environment. It is for this reason, that has emerged from part of the Citrotecno company and with all the scientific support of the Universitat Politècnica de València, need to find a second life to these waste and that, if possiblethey could serve commercial purposes.

In this communion of ideas comes this project called 'Citrotecno' which allows to solve the problem of citrus waste in the Levantine community largely from transforming them into new products as animal feed, D-Limoneno, bio-ethanol of second generation and water for irrigation systems. It's an innovative project where through the launch of the first floor in the world with these technical features located in the Valencian town of Chair is intended to take advantage of the more than 600 thousand tons of waste are produced only in the Valencian Community.

So far the solution that had been achieved to this environmental problem was the give directly to livestock this surplus without going through any treatment process, obviating the rapid fermentation that these fruits are what makes pollutant. For this reason the State authorities have reacted against this practice and her banned.

Citrotecno was formed by a group of Valencian business related to the agricultural and livestock sector which saw the ecological opportunities that had these wastes and about relying on the scientific technology of the Universitat Politècnica de València have formed a team of work which has already spent two years in projections and close to 20 million euros in investments.

The excess of the citrus production comprising the bark, seeds and pulp of the fruit passes to be processed in this plant pioneer resulting in raw materials for animal feed, in essential oil D-Limonene and 2nd generation bioethanolIt has the virtue of recovering a large percentage of water contained in these waste.

Citrotecno aims to begin producing 19 thousand tons of dried citrus pulp, over 5 million litres of bioethanol, near the 400 thousand litres of D-Limoneno and almost 70 thousand cubic metres of water purified per year. It is also fully able to self-regulate their production by establishing how I think and how much ethanol produces according to the market prices.

The project of Citrotecno, 'citrofuel' has also obtained European recognition ' Life +' granted by the European Fund for the environment, distinguished among more than 600 environmental proposals from across the European Union and which aim to promote economically these important contributions to the conservation of nature and to the improvement of the environment. According to have Manuel Manzano who is its owner and President of Picima investments, do not rule out participating in many more awards that make them internationally and take advantage of these avenues of financing in order to keep rising.

This is the axiom that part the team Valencia to address the millions of tons of waste of oranges, Grapefruits, lemons, mandarins, among other citrus fruits that will pass through the treatment of its plant from this year.

This is why that primordial by-products plant will get will be the 'pellet' of citrus fruits, which are dehydrated the citrus pulp that serves as a raw material to produce feedingstuffs to animal diet. Even they can be used as nutritional contribution for the win because it contain hemicellulose, crude fiber, fiber neutrodetergente and proteins that are necessary for these animals

Then, find the D-Limoneno that is the essential oil that is responsible for the aroma and color of the citric acid, which is widely used in pharmaceutical and as a flavoring and flavouring. Is that it gives you that taste so characteristic of the lemon to the candy, chewing gum or drinks that we eat. However, it is used also as a solvent for resins, pigments, inks, paints, adhesives and as an additive of fragrances. Its use is so common that it is also found in non-toxic insecticides for human health or gardening. Also, this substance has begun to be used in anticancer treatments because it reduces tumor growth.

With regard to locomotion citric waste processed in the Valencia plant will also his contribution that you can get it, second-generation bioethanol, so called because it is not obtained from food commodities such as cornwhich does not affect adversely the social food chain. As bioethanol is produced precious Biodiesel, only non-polluting alternative to conventional gasoline fuel, which is biodegradable, does not contain sulfur and benzene, reduces the emissions of soot and does not contribute to the greenhouse effect.

And as star of the factory we have that it is capable of producing water in large quantities through their processes, since her recover the waste and turns it into water purified through the process of evaporation and condensation. The same "is perfectly consumable to humans, but as there is for now a legislation which allows her are devoted only to the network of irrigation and cattle", says Manuel Manzano. With the interplanetary crisis that exists of the precious liquid, it is an invention that many regions of the world will receive with open arms.

This is the first campaign in the citrus field of Citrotecno. According to its President Manuel Manzano his first step is to consolidate the plant and increase year by year its production capacity. The following ideas will be be able export this initiative to other producers of citrus fruits that are in the same dilemma that the Valencian Community. It also concludes Manzano "are studying the possibility of adapting our technology for the treatment of waste of other fruits or vegetables".