PROMOTION OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT OF INNOVATION FOR EFFICIENT VALORIZATION OF RICE STRAW WASTE PROJECTS IN THE RIBERA REGION
The main objective of the project focuses on preparatory actions to promote the financing of Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI/CPI) projects and the development of goods and services not available in the market for the valorization of rice straw waste in the Albufera Natural Park area.
The innovative projects that the Consorci de la Ribera intends to support soon are based on circular economy, specifically on the valorization and use of rice by-products. Therefore, the Consorci de la Ribera considers it relevant to carry out:
- Work Package 1: Study of possible innovative solutions for rice straw waste valorization in its territory.
- Work Package 2: Business plan incorporating a set of strategies and PPI/CPI financing lines.
- Work Package 3: Promotion of public procurement of innovation through dissemination workshops, aiming to facilitate the participation of companies and other interested entities.
The global idea of the project is to use rice straw as a substrate to produce biogas, which would then be purified and converted into biomethane injectible into the gas grid.
The main advantage of this technology is the “infinite” capacity of the biomethane grid, allowing operation at maximum efficiency without worrying about storage or distribution of the energy vector.
Additionally, as a by-product of digestion, organic amendment/compost or fertilizer will be obtained, depending on local applicability, which can be used in rice crops, thus closing the proposed self-sustainable cycle.
Through this project, the Consorci de la Ribera, starting in 2020, intends to use CPI as a tool to:
- Improve public services: incorporating innovative goods or services in the bioeconomy and rice agricultural sector, offering better value propositions for citizens and companies.
- Drive business innovation: greater incentive for companies to innovate, as the administration represents an initial commercial demand.
- Sector strengthening: improving regional competitiveness and sustainability.
- Enhance competitiveness and internationalization: necessary boost for the consolidation and internationalization of innovation.
Figure 1. Objectives achievable through the development of CPI
The EFFICIENT VALORIZATION OF WASTE CPI project has been funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI) through the support for strengthening and developing the Valencian Innovation System to improve the productive model 2019-2020, under the Public Procurement of Innovation (CPI) promotion program.
