Abstract: The invention relates to a method for recovering energy from the organic fraction of urban solid waste comprising the following steps: a) the organic fraction is pre treated with mineral acids, preferably sulfuric acid, during which the fraction is heated by an outer thermal jacket with no steam injection or steam explosion, thereby producing a first slurry containing an insoluble solid susceptible to enzymatic attack by cellulases; b) a step comprising enzymatic hydrolysis using cellulases and simultaneous fermentation, using an ethanologenic microorganism, of the first slurry in order to obtain a second slurry containing diluted ethanol; and c) distillation of the second slurry such as to obtain wet ethanol, a recyclable liquid effluent and a solid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for recovering energy from the organic fraction of urban solid waste comprising the following steps: a) the organic fraction is pre treated with mineral acids, preferably sulfuric acid, during which the fraction is heated by an outer thermal jacket with no steam injection or steam explosion, thereby producing a first slurry containing an insoluble solid susceptible to enzymatic attack by cellulases; b) a step comprising enzymatic hydrolysis using cellulases and simultaneous fermentation, using an ethanologenic microorganism, of the first slurry in order to obtain a second slurry containing diluted ethanol; and c) distillation of the second slurry such as to obtain wet ethanol, a recyclable liquid effluent and a solid.

Abstract: The hydrothermal treatment is based on placing the crude residual plant material in contact with hot water in a closed reactor, comprising the following steps: a) placing the material to be treated in contact with water in a closed reactor, and adjusting the solid/liquid ratio so that it ranges from 1/5 to 1/15 (w/v): b) stirring; c) heating to a temperature between 180 and 240° C., and at a pressure so that the water is maintained in liquid phase; d) constantly stirring the mixture for a time period between 4 and 30 minutes; and e) cooling the reactor to approximately 40° C., unloading the mixture, filtering and recovering the liquid fraction.

Abstract: The hydrothermal treatment is based on placing the crude residual plant material in contact with hot water in a closed reactor, comprising the following steps:

Abstract: It includes the stages of grinding the lignocellulosic biomass to a size of 15-30 mm, subjecting the product obtained to steam explosion pre-treatment at a temperature of 190-230° C. for between 1 and 10 minutes in a reactor (2), collecting the pre-treated material in a cyclone (3) and separating the liquid and solid fractions by filtration in a filter press (9), introducing the solid fraction in a fermentation deposit (10), adding a cellulase at a concentration of 15 UFP per gram of cellulose and 12.6 International Units of &bgr;-glucosidase enzyme dissolved in citrate buffer pH 4.8, inoculating the fermentation deposit (10) with a culture of the heat-tolerant bacteria Kluyveromyces marxianus CECT 10875, obtained by chemical mutagenesis from strain DER-26 of Kluyveromyces marxianus and shaking the mixture for 72 hours at 42° C.