Modelling and evaluation of a waste-to-energy-to-agriculture process for the development of new cities and airports

This proposal details both the experimental and simulation-based research of a waste-to-energy-to-agriculture process. The process has four functions; (i) the disposal of wet biomass waste, (ii) the production of renewable electricity, (iii) carbon negative heating and (iv) organic crops. The process technologies include hydrothermal carbonisation for producing hydrochar from waste, combined heat and power for energy production, and a vertical urban farm for the efficient production of crops through controlled-environment agriculture. The research aims to investigate alterative process models on gPROMS software to evaluate the optimal operating conditions and economic feasibility when applying the process to a new city or airport.