Renewables-Based drying technology for cost-effective valorisation of waste from the food processing industry
The EU27 annually generates 90 million tonnes of food waste, with a 39% generated in the manufacturing processes. The food processing industry critically needs sustainable solutions for waste valorisation and re-use. 

Our Proposition: DRALOD, a disruptive replicable drying process 100% environmentally-friendly and extremely cost-effective:
- Environmentally: DRALOD uses renewables only, to allow valorisation of plant-origin waste into highly valuable functional ingredients as demanded by the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry.
- Cost-effectiveness: DRALOD drying plant has a pay-back period shorter than 6 years for an average plant with 35,000 tonnes/year capacity. 

Our Assets:
- Consortium´s technological background: The Coordinator (PERNIA) is experienced in solar drying plants with licensing rights on a leading solar heating technology. OKOTHERM is specialist in the development and manufacturing of innovative biomass heating systems since 1995, while RTDPs DFBZ and RISE bring world-class knowledge for implementation of energy recovery and smart control units for DRALOD combined solar-biomass drying system.
- Industry-driven vision: PERNIA´s turnover is over €2.2million in 2017, with a net profit increase growth of 32% with respect to 2016, operating in solar drying for BSG valorisation, evidencing a high potential. 

Target market: The generated volume of high-water content waste from plant-origin food processing, leads to an SAM estimated at €1,395 million in 2024.

Business model: Commissioning of DRALOD drying plants under a franchise business model, designed to overcome the up-front investment barriers by lowering our customers´ required initial investment in 30%.

Commercialisation strategy: The Brewery sector is our beachhead market. We currently work for the largest Spanish Brewery group. Our follow-on markets will include wineries, fruit juice and the olive oil sectors.

Financial projections: 44 million € and 80 new direct jobs by 2024.