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This project is supported under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) framework by the University of Edinburgh, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), and the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF). The project duration is from January 1 to July 31, 2025, with formal approval granted on March 18, 2025.
The project focuses on developing affordable and scalable thermochemical conversion technologies, such as gasification and pyrolysis, to transform agricultural biomass waste into clean electricity, heat, biochar, and fertiliser. These innovations aim to promote decentralised energy production and enhance agricultural productivity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), improving the quality of life for rural communities.
ITU Contributions
The project will be coordinated at ITU by Prof. Dr. Alper Sarıoğlan, with Research Assistant Dilara Küçükay contributing to field and experimental work. ITU’s role includes:
• Identification and assessment of locally available biomass waste,
• Laboratory-scale gasification and pyrolysis experiments using ITU facilities,
• Comprehensive characterization of the resulting gaseous, liquid, and solid products, including biochar analysis.
On July 14, 2025, Prof. Sarıoğlan delivered a presentation titled:
“Advancing Sustainable Energy Solutions: Research Highlights from the Synthetic Fuels and Chemicals Technology Center at Istanbul Technical University,” showcasing ITU’s contributions and vision.
University of Edinburgh Contributions
The UK side of the project is led by Dr. Hyungwoong Ahn, who is overseeing the chemical process design and simulation, including the integration of PSA-SPUR, a patent-pending CO₂ capture technology. Experimental testing of the PSA-SPUR system with synthesis gas derived from biomass conversion is also being conducted.
Dr. Ahn presented the University of Edinburgh’s related work on January 7, 2025, with the talk titled:
“Development of PSA-SPUR Technology and its CO₂ Capture Applications for Industrial Decarbonisation.”
Future Steps
The teams aim to submit a joint proposal under the SAYEM Green Transformation Call in Türkiye, and have also explored additional funding opportunities under Horizon Europe and CET Partnership frameworks to further the collaboration.
This initiative exemplifies ITU’s commitment to sustainability, international research cooperation, and innovative clean energy technologies that support both scientific advancement and societal impact.
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