Hydrothermal Carbonization Symposium 2025: Pioneering the Future of HTC

New Orleans, January 21-24, 2025 – The 4th International Symposium on Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC)

Photo Rosie Kerr @ Unsplash

The 4th International Symposium on Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC) once again proved to be a hub of innovation, bringing together global experts, researchers, and industry leaders to explore the future of HTC technology.

Why This Symposium Mattered

This year’s event showcased HTC’s vast potential in energy recovery, carbon-neutral fuel solutions, waste management, and environmental sustainability. A key focus was HTC’s role in converting biogenic waste into hydrochar, supporting carbon sequestration technologies and advancing circular economy solutions.

One of the most anticipated moments was the HTC-Roadmap session, where leading experts outlined the strategic direction of HTC commercialization, research collaboration, and performance benchmarking. The symposium was not just about presentations—it was a platform for shaping the future of HTC technology through interactive discussions and networking opportunities.

For more details on presentations and upcoming events, visit the symposium website: htc2025neworleans.netlify.app.

Key Highlights

• compelling keynote by Judy Libra (Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy, Germany), who presented the HTC-Roadmap, detailing past developments and ongoing networking activities crucial for advancing HTC technology globally.

• Kunio Yoshikawa (Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan) shared insights into solid fuel production from biomass and municipal solid waste, emphasizing commercial experiences in Asian countries.

• Jim Wang (Louisiana State University, USA) explored the potential of hydrochar-based fertilizers derived from sugarcane residue, highlighting their multifunctional benefits.

• Ayumi Iwamoto (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan) presented a novel approach to reducing chlorine content in hydrochar from PVC-containing plastics via HTC.

• Kyoung Ro (USDA ARS, USA) discussed the role of swine-manure hydrochar in mitigating salt-affected soils and reducing soil greenhouse gas emissions.

• Benham Jabbari Kalkhoran (University of Trento, Italy) examined the electrochemical applications of carbon materials derived from glucose HTC.

• Sophia He (Dalhousie University, Canada) highlighted the potential of coffee-ground hydrochar for wastewater treatment and soil amendment.

• Hugues Vanden Bossche (Suez Engineering & Construction, France) shared large-scale findings on hydrochar valorization and key learnings from an HTC sewage sludge project in PAU, France.

• Veronica Belandria (ICARE, France) introduced an Integrated ML/LCA framework for assessing HTC’s energy recovery potential.

• Malgorzata Wilk (AGH University of Krakow, Poland) presented findings from a life cycle assessment of hydrothermal co-carbonization using sewage sludge and biomass.

• Luca Fiori (University of Trento, Italy), who discussed integrating HTC within the eyewear industry to repurpose bioplastic scraps, demonstrating an innovative approach to circular economy solutions.

• Marc Buttmann (TerraNova Energy, Germany) on HTC as a Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technology through the TerraNova "Wet Pyrolysis" process.

• Daniele Basso (HBI Srl, Italy) on the impact of HTC and gasification on micropollutants in wastewater and sewage sludge.

• Adhwaith Das (Southern Cross University, Australia) on enhancing biomethanation in anaerobic digestion using hydrochar.

• Fritz Keller (4-Chem, Germany) on the EU Certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming, and carbon storage in products.

• Chuan Wang (Swerim AB, Sweden) explored bio-coal production from wet biomass for use in the iron and steel industry.

• Animesh Dutta (University of Guelph, Canada) introduced a sustainable approach to enhanced CO2 adsorption using catalytic HTC and chemically activated food waste.

• Baoyue Zhou (Louisiana State University, USA) presented findings on the removal of nitrate and phosphate using biochar and hydrochar in bioreactor systems.

• Filippo Marchelli (University of Trento, Italy) discussed how hydrothermal treatment can improve bioplastic recyclability and enable anaerobic digestion.

• Joshua T. Padilla (USDA ARS, USA) compared cadmium sorption efficiencies of manure-derived hydrochars, pyrochars, and plastichars.

• Joan Lynam (Louisiana Tech University, USA, tentative) investigated the hydrothermal carbonization of waste materials from Mayhaw Jelly production.

• Hema Jha (Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India) explored enhanced hydrochar production from rice husk and food waste.

• Daniela Moloeznik (Technische Universität Berlin, Germany) examined the effects of hydrothermal carbonization on halophyte biomass and process water recirculation.

• Hao Xu (Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan) presented research on the influence of temperature and solid-to-water ratio on HTC processing of asparagus.

From advancing carbon sequestration to revolutionizing waste-to-energy solutions, the symposium reaffirmed that HTC is more than just an emerging technology—it’s a necessity for a sustainable future. Stay connected for more updates on groundbreaking HTC research and applications!

Photo Morgan Petroski @ Unsplash