Wheydrogen
What if whey could become a source of clean, locally produced energy?
"Fribourg Agri&Food has been supporting our project to convert whey permeate into biohydrogen since 2024, enabling us to develop a first functional 500 mL prototype that meets industrial specifications."
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Contexte et défis
Contexte
Fribourg is home to a thriving cheese industry, generating large volumes of whey permeate every year. Rich in organic matter, this by-product poses a significant environmental challenge, particularly for wastewater treatment plants.
At the same time, the agricultural and energy sectors remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels and imported fertilizers. Unlocking the value of these local resources offers a strategic opportunity to strengthen the region's sustainability and resilience.
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Objectifs et impacts
Objectifs et impacts
The Wheydrogen project aims to unlock the value of whey permeate by developing a technology that can:
- Produce renewable hydrogen.
- Reduce the pollutant load of the by-product.
- Recover nutrients for use in sustainable fertilizers.
The project first demonstrated the technical feasibility of the process and provided a deeper understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in microbial fuel cells.
Building on these results, the second phase focused on optimizing the system and scaling it up through the development of functional prototypes.
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Résultats attendus
Résultats
The project's initial phases validated the technology's potential, demonstrating that microbial systems can efficiently break down organic matter while generating energy.
Building on these results, further technical improvements enabled the successful production of hydrogen and the development of larger-scale bioreactor prototypes, marking a key step towards industrial deployment.
The project paves the way for a circular solution that combines renewable energy production, pollution reduction, and nutrient recovery, with potential applications across agriculture, the dairy industry, and sustainable mobility.
