The Waloval project is part of the Circular Wallonia strategy and is coordinated by the Wagralim cluster. It focuses on the recovery of by-products from the agri-food industry. The main objective is to demonstrate the industrial viability of a solution for recovering by-products from Wallonia’s agri-food industries, by setting up shared equipments.

The expected outcome of this project will be a Proof of Concept (POC) validating the scientific, technical and economic relevance of such a shared tool for the stabilisation, processing and recovery of these co-products, in a circular and sustainable way.

 

Objectives of the Waloval project

Launched as part of Wallonia’s Circular Wallonia strategy, Waloval aims to :

  • Identify under-exploited agri-food by-products.
  • Study their potential for recovery, both technically and commercially.
  • Remove the regulatory and logistical obstacles to their use.
  • Exploring new economic models for integrating them into the value chain.

 

Targeted by-products

As part of this project, four by-products have been selected for their value-adding potential:

  • Wheat bran
  • Rapeseed meal
  • Brewers’ grains
  • Apple pomace

These raw materials were chosen because of their availability in Wallonia and their potential for the development of new food products or functional ingredients.

 

Activities and results

Several key actions are expected from this project:

  • Literature reviews on methods for stabilising and adding value to by-products.
  • Pre-feasibility laboratory tests, in collaboration with Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (ULiège) and Celabor, to assess processing and stabilisation processes.
  • Regulatory analyses to identify legal obstacles to the marketing of by-products.
  • Sizing of facilities and study of energy requirements.
  • Supply chain study, in collaboration with Logistics In Wallonia.
  • BtoB market studies to understand companies’ needs and commercial opportunities, particularly for products enriched with fibre and protein

 

The Waloval project will come to an end in September 2025.

The project is part of a wider move towards a circular economy in Wallonia, aimed at reducing waste and creating value from existing resources.

For more information or to take part in project-related working groups, please contact Cécile or Julie.