LSIWC launches a new ERDF project on the use of brewer’s spent grain in green chemistry

Brewer’s spent grain is one of the largest by-products of the food industry worldwide – its annual volume exceeds 40 million tonnes, with more than 3 million tonnes produced in European breweries alone. Rich in lignocellulose, proteins, and biologically active compounds, brewer’s spent grain represents a valuable yet underutilized resource for green chemistry and bioeconomy applications.

Harnessing this potential is at the heart of a new project launched by the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC). Leading researcher Dr.sc.ing. Māris Puķe, together with partners from Ltd. Baltic Oak and Ltd. Armgate, has launched the ERDF-supported project “Research and of brewer's spent grain as a green chemical source for bioeconomy. (R&D4GreenChem). The project aims to develop a new eco-innovative technology for converting brewer’s spent grain into lactic acid, furfural, acetic acid, and high-value soil fertilizer.

On 14 October 2025, the project kick-off meeting took place at LSIWC, bringing together the project’s scientific leader Dr.sc.ing. Māris Puķe, administrative manager Karīna Orlova, researchers Prans Brazdausks, Juris Grīniņš, Daniela Godiņa, and student Ketija Roberta Ozoliņa, as well as representatives from the partner companies Ltd. Baltic Oak and Ltd. Armgate. During the meeting, the following topics were discussed: planned activities for the project, assigned tasks, and the form of cooperation with the project partners.

Within the project it is planned to:

• The potential of brewer's spent grain can be converted into real value by improving the industrial extraction efficiency of furfural to ≥ 60%. This process should be done while preserving the cellulose structure and minimizing its destruction.
• Develop a new method for a biotechnological process for obtaining glucose and lactic acid from lignocellulose residue, a concept that has not been researched in this manner;
• Examine the revitalizing effect of lignin mixtures on soil, assessing their ability to promote root crop growth under both greenhouse and field conditions.
• Evaluate the environmental footprint of the entire process through life-cycle assessment (LCA) and create a new biorefining technology prototype that combines scientific precision with sustainable thinking.

The implementation of the project is supported by the association Cleantech Latvia, which has provided a positive assessment and expressed strong interest in its successful realization. The association emphasizes the project’s economic and industrial importance for Latvia and recognizes its role in advancing the principles of industrial symbiosis.

Upon successful implementation, Cleantech Latvia has also invited the research team to present the project’s results within the “Brewing Industry” working group of the Synergia.lv platform, where they could serve as a practical example of how circular thinking and technological innovation can merge into tangible industrial solutions.

The project will run for three years – from 1 October 2025 to autumn 2028. Its total budget amounts to EUR 656,455.14, of which more than three quarters are provided by the European Regional Development Fund.

Dr. Māris Puķe emphasizes:
“Brewer’s spent grain is a vast, yet underexplored resource. Our goal is to demonstrate that even food industry residues can become raw materials for green chemistry products with high added value.”