EUBCE 2026 - Clara JARAUTA-CÓRDOBA - Carbon Circularity through Methane-to-Ectoine Bioconversion in Biogas Plants

Carbon Circularity through Methane-to-Ectoine Bioconversion in Biogas Plants

Short Introductive summary

Biogenic methane (CH4) from biogas plants remains an underutilized resource despite its potential for producing high-value bio-based compounds. Within the CERNET project, this work explores the bioconversion of CH4 into ectoine, an industrially relevant osmolyte widely used in cosmetics, food, and biotechnology. The goal is to develop and optimize a methanotrophic cultivation process capable of achieving high ectoine productivity and to establish the operational parameters for its scale-up to a 200-L TRL7 demonstration system. Laboratory experiments will employ 1-L bioreactors containing mineral medium and inoculum sourced from the ENCE GALERA biogas plant, supplied with synthetic biogas mixtures as carbon and energy inputs. Key variables, including temperature, O2/CH4 ratio, and working volume, will be systematically adjusted to maximize ectoine yield per gram of methane consumed. Although experimental work is ongoing, previous studies indicate that achieving approximately 4 mg ectoine per g CH4 and ~84% conversion efficiency is feasible. These performance expectations guide process optimization and will inform the design of the pilot-scale bioreactor. This work demonstrates a pro

C. Aragon, CIRCE Technology Center, Zaragoza, SPAIN
T. De Marco, CIRCE Technology Center, Zaragoza, SPAIN
C. Dorado-Sanchez, CIRCE Technology Center, Zaragoza, SPAIN
C. Jarauta-Cordoba, CIRCE Technology Center, Zaragoza, SPAIN
A. Carmona-Martinez, CIRCE Technology Center, Zaragoza, SPAIN