ManuREfinery Project Advances Smart Circular Farming at the 4th Consortium Meeting in Prague

Bringing together a powerful coalition of 24 international partners, the ManuREfinery project successfully convened its Month 18 (M18) Consortium Meeting on 5-6th May. Hosted by Bioeast Hub CZ in Prague, the gathering allowed partners to align on breakthrough biorefining systems designed to maximize resource recovery. The project, funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) under the Horizon Europe program, aims to accelerate zero-waste circular solutions for European rural areas.

Advancing the Three Core Valorisation Lines

The core of the Prague meeting focused on technical updates across ManuREfinery’s distinct pilot operations:

• Gas Valorisation: Partners analyzed designs and testing protocols for the ammonia biotrickling filter and its hybrid model. These systems recover gas emissions for stable nutrient recycling.
• Solid Valorisation: Teams reviewed progress on demo-site materials handling, sensor-integrated dryers, gasification mechanics, and the biological conversion of syngas into microbial proteins.
• Liquid Valorisation: Detailed updates covered active testing protocols for anaerobic digestors, biogas fermentation units, and specialized stripping systems engineered to capture nitrogen and phosphorus. Progress was also reported on caproic acid purification units.

Strengthening Collaborative Frameworks

Beyond hardware milestones, consortium members aligned on broader structural work packages. Leading institutions synchronized data models and deployment roadmaps for upcoming field implementations. These collaborations ensure that regional demo sites can seamlessly scale technology while meeting European safety standards.

Project Maturity, Impactful Training, and Next Steps

As the ManuREfinery project enters a more mature stage, operations are shifting from early design to field execution. Moving forward, the consortium anticipates highly impactful training activities organized jointly by participating universities and demonstration sites, designed to transfer critical technical knowledge directly to regional stakeholders.

The intense technical sessions in Prague culminated in a scenic city tour, giving international partners an opportunity to network and experience historic landmarks together. Following this successful meeting, the partnership will officially reconvene after the summer break for the Month 24 assembly.