The project “Capacity building and research in green chemistry for green recovery in Uruguay” held its wrap-up event on 20 April 2023 via an online workshop led by the Faculty of Chemistry of the Universidad de la República Uruguay (Udelar).
In this event, supported by PAGE Uruguay, researchers presented the results of an experience focusing on the production of activated carbon from pine sawdust and olive pits.
Moreover, participants took part in an exercise with the goal of identifying the problems associated with the production of activated carbon in the country, the key actors in its production and use, and the opportunities and prospects for its production in the country.
As a result, they emphasized the need for larger-scale studies, involving the olive industry as a biomass source, engaging key market players, attracting investors, and evaluating the quality of activated carbons produced from national biomass.
Key findings from the discussions included identifying challenges related to market concentration, technical aspects, and economics of activated carbon production. In the activated carbon production ecosystem, governmental institutions, the national industry, biomass producers, technology providers, and investors were recognized as crucial actors too.
The online event accounted for 17 participants from various sectors, including producers of raw materials to produce activated carbon, government, academia, public sector and specialists in circular economy and green chemistry.
The Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Uruguay has contributed actively to the field through scientific research, knowledge dissemination, and industry collaboration.
The project “Capacity building and research in green chemistry for green recovery in Uruguay” aims to promotes the use of by-products generated by the forestry and food industry, which are generated in large quantities in the country and can be valorised through the production of activated carbon, promoting the circular economy.
The project’s outcomes align with Uruguay’s national circular economy strategy, promoting waste valorization and enabling the adoption of emerging green chemistry technologies across diverse sectors of the economy.
This initiative, which falls under the PAGE programme, is implemented in collaboration between UNITAR, the FUNDAQUIM Foundation of the University of the Republic, the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation and the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, in the framework of PAGE-Uruguay.
Source: PAGE Uruguay