Innovation Platform for the Thermal Utilization of Biomass and Waste Resources

The Valthera platform (Thermal Valorization of Agricultural Resources) is part of the RAPSODEE Center – UMR CNRS 5302 at IMT Mines Albi. Its research activities are based on a multidisciplinary approach combining process engineering, chemical engineering, and energy and thermal engineering to promote the valorization of biomass and waste. 

Valthera explores a wide range of technologies, including roasting, pyrolysis, gasification, combustion, as well as catalytic conversion and synthesis gas purification. The work conducted is primarily experimental on a pilot scale, allowing processes to be tested and optimized under conditions that closely resemble actual industrial conditions.

The main areas of research for the Valthera Research and Innovation Platform are:

• Small- and medium-scale production of nitrogen-free synthesis gas for conversion into renewable gases (hydrogen, biomethane) and biofuels.
• Synthesis gas purification: dust removal, tar reduction, and removal of pollutants (H₂S, NH₃, HCl, etc.).
• Reduction of emissions from the combustion of biomass and waste (excluding incineration).
• Production and modification of biochar, a material derived from pyrolysis with significant agronomic and environmental potential.
• Conversion of synthesis gas into renewable energy carriers via high-temperature catalytic processes.

Equipped with advanced analytical tools, the Valthera platform supports the energy transition and low-carbon innovation.

A dedicated research team

Javier Escudero Sanz

Louise Roques

Jérome Lemonon

• Javier Escudero Sanz : Scientific Director of the VALTHERA platform
• Louise Roques : Laboratory technician responsible for chemical analysis and the characterization of biomass and thermoconversion products.
• Jérome Lemonon : Research and Development Engineer for the VALTHERA Platform

Partnerships and projects developed by the VALTHERA platform

• Optimization of the syngas purification process resulting from the pyro-gasification of residues and waste in collaboration with ENGIE

As part of the partnership between the RAPSODEE center and ENGIE, the VALTHERA platform is hosting two pilot units dedicated to the purification of synthesis gas as part of CIFRE doctoral research projects.

Synthesis gas produced by pyrolysis contains inorganic pollutants (H₂S, NH₃), whose concentrations vary depending on the feedstock used—particularly waste materials (B-grade wood, RDF, agricultural byproducts)—and which affect the conversion processes into renewable energy sources. The research in the two ongoing CIFRE theses aims to better understand and optimize their removal through adsorption and absorption, by combining experiments (laboratory and pilot scale) and modeling.

• VERITE Project: Study of Energy Recovery from Agricultural Biomass (Combustion & Gasification)

The VERITE project, conducted in partnership with RAGT Energie and funded by ADEME, evaluated the recovery of agricultural byproducts (vine shoots, vine stumps, corn stalks) through combustion and gasification.

The work focused on biomass preparation, process control, and the characterization of yields and emissions. The tests were conducted on VALTHERA’s pilot gasifier (100 kW). The results demonstrate the importance of a homogeneous biomass structure (pellets) for ensuring process stability, as opposed to shredded or loosely structured forms. The project also includes a technical-economic analysis and a life-cycle analysis of the various recovery options.

• Thermochemical recovery of multilayer packaging waste (Tetra Pak®)

Tetra Pak® multilayer packaging (cardboard, aluminum, polyethylene) poses a major challenge for recycling. As part of the PEPR Recyclage, Recyclabilité et Ré-utilisation des Matières program, a doctoral thesis is investigating its energy and material recovery. The research focuses on the thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis, combustion) of the materials, as well as on the physicochemical separation of the different layers and their specific recovery.

The studies, conducted at the laboratory and pilot scales (LFT reactor – Valthera), include product characterization, material balances, and process modeling, with the aim of optimizing recycling and recovery pathways.

A technical facility at the IMT Mines Albi campus

VALTHERA is a 350-square-meter research facility comprising:
   •    a storage hall used primarily as a warehouse for test materials; 
   •    a technical hall housing various testing devices, ranging from bench-scale to pilot-scale;
   •    a laboratory for conducting certain characterization analyses;
   •    an office space for the permanent and temporary staff working at the facility.

The platform’s location, near the IMT Mines Albi campus, allows it to directly benefit from the analytical facilities and expertise developed by the RAPSODEE center, to which it is affiliated.

Explore all characterization equipment

The research conducted at VALTHERA focuses on the thermochemical conversion of biomass into energy and materials. The platform is equipped with various testing facilities that enable work on a range of scales, from milligrams to several kilograms per hour. The main objective is to convert biomass either into an energy source in the form of biogas, tar, or coal—which can be used in various downstream applications—or into high-value-added materials such as activated carbon with controlled properties, for example. The platform is equipped with a grinder and a drying oven for preparing small sample quantities for studies and/or physicochemical analyses of the various products.

Thermal recovery processes