AMBER project-team-meeting on biogas utilization in Morocco and Germany

July marked a significant milestone for the AMBER project with a gathering of all university partners at the Institute of new Energy Systems (InES) at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI). This event was held to review progress and also coincided with the one-month lecture visits from Prof El Asli of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI) and Prof Rachidi from Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture (ENA) Meknes. 
Representatives and PhD students from THI, AUI, and ENA attended the meeting. They were joined by Prof Hassan El Bari, a top biogas researcher from Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra. Over the course of this productive week, the teams delved into biogas-related research in Germany and Morocco. Each team presented their progress on various project tasks, with the PhD students also sharing updates on their research activities, preliminary results, and future plans. 
The group benefited from an enlightening presentation by Marc Reinhard from the international affairs division of the German Biogas Association (Fachverband BIOGAS). He brought to light the extensive international work of the association and discussed their periodic publications in the Biogas Journal. 
Included in the week were visits to two regional biogas plants. One visit offered insights into the production of biogas from hops residue and its upgrading to biomethane for gas grid injection. The second visit was a tour of a biogas plant producing Combined Heat and Power (CHP) from maize, grass silage, and chicken manure. 
This week of learning and exchange proved invaluable for all partners. The knowledge and experiences gained over the course of the event will play a significant in driving the project’s goal of advancing biogas technologies in Morocco.