Introduction
As the world faces escalating environmental challenges, innovative strategies that align waste recovery with renewable energy solutions are more critical than ever. In this context, our research explores the transformation of marine biowaste, specifically mussel processing wastewater, into sustainable carbon materials for next generation supercapacitors. This project demonstrates how ocean waste to energy can revolutionize waste management and renewable energy systems.
Our approach not only addresses the global issue of organic waste accumulation but also contributes meaningfully to the pursuit of clean circular energy systems. By transforming mussel cooking wastewater into porous carbon materials, we are paving the path toward ocean waste to energy conversion that both reduces pollution and supports the energy transition.
Biowaste as a Gateway to Green Energy Storage
Marine biowaste is often viewed as an afterthought, but we see opportunity where others see waste. Mussel cooking wastewater contains glycogen, a naturally abundant biopolymer. Through a carefully designed carbonization process, we transformed this underused resource into porous carbon materials ideally suited for use as electrodes in supercapacitor devices (Brandão et al., 2023) and enhanced with semiconductor particles (Brandão et al., 2024). This development further highlights the potential of ocean waste to energy research.
The resulting materials displayed characteristics that are essential for high performance energy storage such as high surface area, well developed porosity, and structural stability. These features enable efficient charge accumulation and long term operational reliability in supercapacitor applications that can advance ocean waste to energy projects.
A Greener Electrolyte for a Greener Future
To maintain a fully sustainable profile, we selected a green alternative to conventional electrolytes, a deep eutectic solvent (DES) based on choline chloride. Unlike traditional solvents, this DES is biodegradable, non toxic, and environmentally benign, making it an ideal partner for our bio derived carbon materials. This synergy of advanced materials and sustainable electrolytes propels ocean waste to energy innovation.
From Concept to Practical Prototype
Sustainability in research is not just about theoretical potential but about practical implementation. We designed a working supercapacitor prototype using our biocarbon electrodes and the DES based electrolyte. The prototype demonstrated strong functional characteristics in real world conditions, reinforcing the viability of marine biowaste as a foundation for ocean waste to energy solutions that are both scalable and clean.
Reinventing the Lifecycle: A Circular Economy Approach
At its core, this project aligns with circular economy principles by transforming a problematic waste stream into a valuable energy solution. By doing so, we disrupt the traditional take make dispose model and contribute to a regenerative system in which materials are reused, repurposed, and reintegrated. This research offers a replicable model for converting local biowaste into sustainable technologies while advancing ocean waste to energy initiatives.
Driving Global Relevance Through Local Innovation
While our research focused on a specific marine waste stream within a regional context, its implications extend far beyond any single coastline. Coastal and island communities around the world generate marine byproducts and largely treat them as waste. By reimagining these materials as renewable resources, we challenge established assumptions about value and drive ocean waste to energy innovations. Our method is intentionally designed to be low cost, adaptable, and replicable for implementation in both developed and resource constrained settings. Local innovation becomes a driver of global transformation when ocean waste to energy systems empower communities to participate in the energy transition on their own terms.
Author Bio
Dr. Ana T. S. C. Brandão is a contracted researcher at the Research Center in Chemistry (CIQUP) at the University of Porto. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Faculty of Sciences and an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering, both at the University of Porto. Her research focuses on sustainable energy storage materials, particularly the development of high-performance carbon electrodes derived from marine and agricultural waste, and the use of deep eutectic solvents as green electrolytes. Dr. Brandão has contributed to over 25 peer-reviewed publications and has presented her work at numerous international conferences. She has collaborated with institutions such as the University Politehnica of Bucharest, the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (CSIC) in Spain, and the Bernal Institute at the University of Limerick. Her work exemplifies the integration of circular economy principles into advanced energy technologies.
Original Article
Brandão, Ana TSC, Sabrina State, Renata Costa, Pavel Potorac, José A. Vázquez, Jesus Valcarcel, A. Fernando Silva, Liana Anicai, Marius Enachescu, and Carlos M. Pereira. “Renewable carbon materials as electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors: from marine biowaste to high specific surface area porous biocarbons.” ACS omega 8, no. 21 (2023): 18782-18798. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c00816
