UTN Mar del Plata to Hold Online Seminar on Waste-to-Energy and Biofuels on October 22

The Mar del Plata Regional Faculty of the National Technological University (UTN) will hold the online seminar "Waste That Generates Energy: Biofuels and the Circular Bioeconomy" on October 22 (Thursday) at 14:00. The event is organized by the faculty's Secretariat of Science and Technology through the Center for Sustainability and Industrial Ecology Studies (CISEI), is open to the general public, and will be streamed live.

According to the organizers, the seminar aims to disseminate technical solutions for using waste generated by different production activities and converting it into resources with energy and environmental value, with a focus on two pathways related to the transition of production systems toward greater sustainability: first, the development of biofuels, especially biodiesel; second, the production of biogas and biofertilizers from agricultural, livestock and agro-industrial waste. These technologies are part of the principles of the circular bioeconomy, a model that seeks to use biological resources, reduce waste generation, and reintroduce materials into production processes.

The first presentation will be given by Dr. Marcela Bertoni of the National University of Mar del Plata (UNMdP), on the energy transition and the role of biodiesel as a substitute for fuels of fossil origin. Biodiesel can be produced from vegetable oils and other oil-based feedstocks, including certain waste oils; its use can contribute to diversifying energy sources, but its environmental benefits depend on the feedstock used and the production conditions.

The second presentation will be given by Dr. María Eugenia Sanz Smachetti, a researcher at IPADS Balcarce (INTA-CONICET), on the production of biogas and biofertilizers through the use of organic waste. Biogas is obtained through anaerobic digestion, in which microorganisms break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen; the resulting gas can be used to generate heat or electricity, while the remaining material can be used as fertilizer under appropriate treatment and control conditions. These pathways offer new possibilities for managing agro-industrial waste and recovering nutrients, and have potential for application in different production chains.

Waste valorization is one of the industrial sustainability research topics of interest to participants. In sectors that generate large amounts of organic by-products, such as agriculture and livestock, food, and fisheries, the development of recovery technologies can help improve raw material utilization and reduce the amount of material sent for final disposal. In fisheries, there are research opportunities for the use of processing by-products, but converting them into energy requires specific technologies and assessments of technical, economic and environmental feasibility.

The organizers said the seminar is intended to inform the public about scientific knowledge on converting residual materials into usable inputs and to promote closer links between research, production and sustainability. The seminar will be held on October 22 (Thursday) and can be viewed live through the official website of the UTN Mar del Plata Regional Faculty. It is aimed at the general public and at people interested in energy technologies, waste management and the circular economy.