Achieved the target of biomass production
Good news for the progress of the Life Biomass C+ project. Nearly one ton of dry submerged biomass (rhizomes and roots) of Typha domingensis Pers. (cattail) was obtained from the 2020 harvest of Green Floating Filters (GFFs) in Madrid. There is no doubt that 2020 will be remember as the year of covid-19, and that pandemics affected suddenly all facets of productive activities, including crop production works. In the context of the Life Biomass C+ project, the crisis affected to GFFs establishment at the demo sites, but difficulties were taken as challenges to be faced. The main challenge was to ensure the supply of biomass for bioprocessing, scheduled for the last year of the Project. To this aim, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) implemented a contingency plan by which GFFs of cattails were established at UPM facilities for biomass production in Madrid. During the 2020 lockdown, works of GFFs maintenance were acknowledged as essential works of R+D+I, this way GFFs activities could count with the support of UPM personnel. At the end of the season GFF rhizomes were surveyed for size and starch content; according to the results, it was proceeded to the harvest. Once collected, the submerged biomass was allowed to dry under cover, allowing its storage over time. Starting February 2021, the dry biomass was packed into big-bags to be weighted and shipped to CARTIF, responsible for biomass processing.
