jrc118318_1

EUR 29910 EN
This publication is a Technical report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European
Commission’s science and knowledge service. It aims to provide evidence-based scientific support
to the European policymaking process. The scientific output expressed does not imply a policy
position of the European Commission. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on
behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of this publication.
Contact information
Name: Nicolae SCARLAT
Address: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
Email: Nicolae.SCARLAT@ec.europa.eu
Name: Maria GEORGIADOU

Address: European Commission DG Research and Innovation, Brussels, Belgium
Email: Maria.GEORGIADOU@ec.europa.eu
Name: Thomas SCHLEKER

Address: European Commission DG Research and Innovation, Brussels, Belgium
Email: Thomas.SCHLEKER@ec.europa.eu
EU Science Hub
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc
JRC118318
EUR 29910 EN
ISSN 2600-0466
PDF ISBN 978-92-76-12432-0 doi:10.2760/919071
ISSN 1831-9424 (online collection)
ISSN 2600-0458
Print ISBN 978-92-76-12433-7 doi:10.2760/19308
ISSN 1018-5593 (print collection)
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2019
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How to cite this report: N. Scarlat, F. Fahl, Heat and Power from Biomass Technology Development
Report 2018, EUR 29910 EN, European Commission, Luxemburg, 2019, ISBN 978-92-76-12432-0,
doi:10.2760/919071, JRC118318.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1
1.1 Methodology ............................................................................................. 2
1.2 Data sources ............................................................................................ 3
2 TECHNOLOGY STATE OF THE ART AND DEVELOPMENT TRENDS .................... 5
2.1 Overview .................................................................................................. 5
2.2 Biochemical processing .............................................................................. 5
2.2.1 Anaerobic digestion ............................................................................. 5
2.3 Thermochemical processing ........................................................................ 7
2.3.1 Biomass combustion ............................................................................ 7
2.3.2 Torrefaction ........................................................................................ 9
2.3.3 Pyrolysis ...........................................................................................10
2.3.4 Hydrothermal processing.....................................................................12
2.3.5 Biomass gasification ...........................................................................13
2.4 Algae for bioenergy ..................................................................................15
2.5 Biorefineries ............................................................................................17
3 R&D OVERVIEW .......................................................................................... 20
3.1 EU R&D framework programmes ................................................................20
3.2 Cross-cutting bioenergy issues ...................................................................22
3.3 Cross-cutting bioenergy issues: international projects ...................................23
3.4 Biochemical processing .............................................................................25
3.4.1 Anaerobic digestion ............................................................................25
3.4.2 Anaerobic digestion: international projects ............................................26
3.5 Thermochemical processing .......................................................................30
3.5.1 Biomass combustion ...........................................................................30
3.5.2 Biomass combustion: international projects ...........................................31
3.5.3 Torrefaction .......................................................................................32
3.5.4 Torrefaction: international projects .......................................................32
3.5.5 Pyrolysis ...........................................................................................34
3.5.6 Pyrolysis: international projects ...........................................................35
3.5.7 Hydrothermal processing.....................................................................35
3.5.8 Hydrothermal processing: international projects ....................................37
3.5.9 Biomass gasification ...........................................................................38
3.5.10 Biomass gasification: international projects ...........................................38
3.6 Algae for bioenergy ..................................................................................41
3.7 Algae for bioenergy: international projects ..................................................42
3.8 Biorefineries ............................................................................................44
3.9 Biorefineries: international projects ............................................................44
3.10 Other support programmes ....................................................................46
4 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ................................................................................. 48
LCEO Heat and Power from Biomass Technology Development Report 2018
4.1 Overview .................................................................................................48
4.2 Cross-cutting bioenergy issues ...................................................................48
4.3 Biochemical processing .............................................................................58
4.3.1 Anaerobic digestion: EU and SET Plan projects .......................................58
4.4 Thermochemical processing .......................................................................67
4.4.1 Biomass combustion: EU and SET Plan projects .....................................67
4.4.2 Torrefaction: EU and SET Plan projects .................................................71
4.4.3 Pyrolysis: EU and SET Plan projects ......................................................72
4.4.4 Hydrothermal processing: EU and SET plan projects ...............................74
4.4.5 Biomass gasification: EU and SET Plan projects ......................................75
4.5 Algae for bioenergy: EU and SET Plan projects .............................................80
4.6 Biorefineries: EU and SET Plan projects .......................................................83
5 TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT OUTLOOK ..................................................... 90
5.1 Technology trends and needs .....................................................................90
5.1.1 Biochemical processing .......................................................................90
5.1.2 Thermochemical processing .................................................................91
5.1.3 Algae for bioenergy ............................................................................94
5.1.4 Biorefineries ......................................................................................95
5.2 Technology projections .............................................................................95
5.3 Technical barriers to large scale deployment .............................................. 100
5.3.1 Biochemical processing ..................................................................... 100
5.3.2 Thermochemical processing ............................................................... 101
5.3.3 Algae .............................................................................................. 104
5.3.4 Biorefineries .................................................................................... 105
6 CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................... 106
6.1 Biochemical processing ........................................................................... 106
6.1.1 Anaerobic digestion .......................................................................... 106
6.2 Thermochemical processing ..................................................................... 106
6.2.1 Biomass combustion ......................................................................... 106
6.2.2 Torrefaction ..................................................................................... 106
6.2.3 Pyrolysis ......................................................................................... 107
6.2.4 Hydrothermal processing................................................................... 107
6.2.5 Biomass gasification ......................................................................... 107
6.3 Algae for bioenergy ................................................................................ 108
6.4 Biorefineries .......................................................................................... 108
7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 109
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................. 113
ANNEX 1. CROSS-CUTTING BIOENERGY PROJECTS ......................................... 115
ANNEX 2. ANAEROBIC DIGESTION PROJECTS ................................................ 119
ANNEX 3. BIOMASS COMBUSTION PROJECTS ................................................. 122
ANNEX 4. BIOMASS TORREFACTION PROJECTS .............................................. 125
ANNEX 5. BIOMASS PYROLYSIS PROJECTS ..................................................... 126
ANNEX 6. HYDROTHERMAL PROCESSING PROJECTS ....................................... 127
ANNEX 7. BIOMASS GASIFICATION PROJECTS ............................................... 128
ANNEX 8. BIOMASS ALGAE PROJECTS ............................................................ 129
ANNEX 9. BIOMASS BIOREFINERIES PROJECTS ............................................. 131
Foreword on the Low Carbon Energy Observatory
The LCEO is an internal European Commission Administrative Arrangement being executed by the
Joint Research Centre for Directorate General Research and Innovation. It aims to provide top-
class data, analysis and intelligence on developments in low carbon energy supply technologies. Its
reports give a neutral assessment on the state of the art, identification of development trends and
market barriers, as well as best practices regarding use private and public funds and policy
measures. The LCEO started in April 2015 and runs to 2020.
Which technologies are covered?
• Wind energy • Hydropower

• Photovoltaics • Heat and power from biomass
• Solar thermal electricity • Carbon capture, utilisation and storage
• Solar thermal heating and cooling • Sustainable advanced biofuels
• Ocean energy • Battery storage
• Geothermal energy • Advanced alternative fuels
How is the analysis done?
JRC experts use a broad range of sources to ensure a robust analysis. This includes data and
results from EU-funded projects, from selected international, national and regional projects and
from patents filings. External experts may also be contacted on specific topics. The project also
uses the JRC-EU-TIMES energy system model to explore the impact of technology and market
developments on future scenarios up to 2050.
What are the main outputs?
The project produces the following report series:
 Technology Development Reports for each technology sector
 Technology Market Reports for each technology sector
 Future and Emerging Technology Reports (as well as the FET Database).
How to access the reports
Commission staff can access all the internal LCEO reports on the Connected LCEO page. Public
reports are available from the Publications Office, the EU Science Hub and the SETIS website.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank JRC colleagues who contributed to this report: The energy
modelling work has been performed by the JRC-EU-TIMES team: Wouter Nijs, Pablo Ruiz Castello
and Ioannis Tsiropoulos.
Authors
Nicolae Scarlat
Fernando Fahl
1 Introduction
This Technology Development Report for Heat and Power from Biomass is an update to the version
produced in 2016. Since then, the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission
have agreed on 32% targets for the renewable energy in the final energy consumption and 14%
renewable energy in transport 2030, as well as on a sub-target of 3.5 % for advanced biofuels. The
Commission has proposed reinforced EU sustainability criteria for bioenergy to cover biofuels but
also biomass and biogas for heat and power that include GreenHouse Gas (GHG) savings compared
to fossil fuels, the avoidance of deforestation or degradation of habitats or loss of biodiversity. The
sustainability criteria also include requirements to ensure high conversion efficiency of biomass into
energy, the efficient use of limited resources and to avoid negative impacts on other (competitive)
uses. The EU sustainability criteria are extended to cover solid biomass and biogas used in large
heat and power plants (above 20 MW fuel capacity) and delivers at least 80% fewer GHG emission
compared to fossil fuels by 2021 and 85% less by 2026. Large-scale new biomass electricity plants
(above 20 MW) will need to use high efficient Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology,
reaching efficiencies above 80% (this criterion does not apply in case of risks to the security of
electricity supply).
The global primary energy supply from biomass has reached about 60 EJ in 2015, representing a
share of the total global primary energy consumption of 10 % and a share in the final energy
consumption of 14 %. The traditional use of biomass, primarily for cooking and heating, has an
important contribution, accounting for about 8.9% of the global final energy consumption (REN 21
2016). Bioenergy is likely to keep its major role in the European Union as renewable energy source
in the energy mix until 2020 with a share above 60 % of renewable energy and a share in the
gross final energy consumption of about 12 % in 2020 (Scarlat et al. 2018). Biomass used
worldwide for energy consists mainly in solid biomass and includes fuel wood, charcoal, crop
residues, organic Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), wood pellets, and wood chips in modern, small and
large-scale facilities. Traditional use of biomass relies mainly in fuelwood, charcoal, manure and
agricultural residues burned in open fires, stoves and ovens for cooking and heating applications
(Scarlat et al. 2018).
Biomass electricity capacity reached an installed capacity in 2015 of about 106 GW at worldwide
level and 30 GW in operation in the EU, world leader for bio-power generation and capacity. The
global biomass electricity power generation also reached 474 GWh in 2015, with a large share of
biomass electricity being produced in the EU (178 TWh). Global biogas production increased from
0.28 EJ in 2000 to 1.28 EJ in 2014, with a global volume of 35 billion m3 methane equivalent, of
which 18 billion m3 methane equivalent being produced in the European Union (Eurostat 2018, IEA
2016). The global installed biogas capacity reached in 15 GW in 2015, with more than 10 GW in
the European Union only. Europe is also leading in electricity production from biogas, with 58 TWh
electricity generated only in the European Union, out of the global electricity production of 80 TWh
in 2014 (REN21 2016, Eurostat 2018).
In the heating sector more than two-thirds of the use of renewable energy worldwide was
traditional biomass (firewood, charcoal, manure and crop residues). Biomass use for heat
represented 45 EJ worldwide in 2014, having a share of 75 % of total global biomass demand, of
which about 70% (31.5 EJ) was produced from traditional biomass, mainly in rural areas in Asia
(19.1 EJ) and Africa (11.6 EJ). Biomass accounted for over 90% of modern renewable heat
generation in 2015 (REN21 2016, Eurostat 2018). Most bio-heat is derived from solid biomass, but
biogas is becoming a more important source for heat production, providing about 4 % of the
bioheat worldwide in 2015. Biogas is used primarily in electricity and CHP plants, with small
amounts used in heat-only plants. About 50% of total biogas consumption in Europe (more than
330 PJ) was used for heat production. Small biogas amounts upgraded to biomethane were used in
the transport sector; limited volumes of biogas upgraded to natural gas quality are now being
injected into the natural gas grids. A number of large-scale plants that run on biogas are also
operating across Asia and Africa. Biogas is also produced in a growing number of small, domestic-
1
scale digesters, mainly in developing countries - including China, India, Nepal, and Rwanda - and is
used as a cooking fuel (REN21 2016).
Bioenergy production is based on a large extent on biomass combustion (including biomass co-
firing with coal, waste incineration in waste to energy plants) and biogas production in Anaerobic
Digestion (AD) plants (of organic materials and wastewater treatment), and from landfill gas
recovery. The biomass combustion process, based on steam turbine cycle, produce heat, electricity
or CHP using a large range of feedstock from wood chips, wood pellets, agricultural and forestry
waste, etc. Biomass combustion and biogas production for electricity generation are economically
viable if adequate support is provided (feed in tariffs, premiums, investment grants, etc.) or low-
cost or no-cost biomass feedstock is available (such as waste and residues from agriculture
forestry, households or industry). The production of heat by direct combustion of biomass is often
cost-competitive with fossil fuel alternatives residential and industrial applications.
Biomass heating is applied at large scale in households in stoves, using wood logs or wood pellets,
or in small boilers using wood pellets. In the industry sector, heating is produced in boilers using
wood chips or wood pellets or in district heating, especially in several MS where the district heating
networks are developed (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, etc.). Other biomass conversion
technologies are still at pilot or demonstration stage and require further technological
improvements and demonstration of technical and economic performances at large, commercial
scale. Several demonstration plants have been built and technologies are being tested at pilot, or
semi-commercial scale based on pyrolysis, gasification, torrefaction or hydrothermal processing
(liquefaction). Some biorefinery plants at demo scale have been built, taking advantage of existing
infrastructure and expertise of pulp and paper production and certain processes are closer to
commercial application. Algae are being increasingly considered a potentially interesting feedstock
for a number of applications to produce biochemicals, biomaterials, fuels and energy through a
number of adequate processing including AD, pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, and gasification.
The natural biomass resources are limited. Biomass availability, competition between the
alternative use of biomass, as well as the environmental implications are major concerns for
bioenergy deployment. Bioenergy production, however, brings significant opportunities to deliver a
number of social, environmental and economic benefits in addition to the climate and energy goals,
in relation to food production, water, ecosystems, health and welfare. Most studies show that
available biomass resources have the potential to expand from current 60 EJ to 145 EJ worldwide
by 2060, as required by the IEA 2DS (2 Degree Scenario) and B2DS (Beyond 2 Degree Scenario)
(IEA 2017) and between 10-12.6 EJ in the European Union in 2050. Furthermore, biomass can be
used not only for electricity production, but also for heat and as transport fuels and lately for bio-
based materials or for bio-chemicals. Biomass mobilisation, including small flows, waste and
residues from agriculture and forestry, is critical for further increase in bioenergy production.
1.1 Methodology
This report presents an assessment of the state of the art of key technologies for heat and power
from biomass. The main goal is to identify their development status, ongoing research and
development (R&D) efforts, and perspectives for improvement and research needs. It also aims to
define the areas for further R&D that will allow achieving high deployment rates for bioenergy. The
various biomass technologies were analysed, based on their technological advancement and their
potential to provide a significant contribution to decarbonisation of the European energy system in
the short-and medium- to long-term period.
The analysis focused on the main technologies that are currently used for heat and power
production or have good prospects for entering soon on the market, including biomass combustion,
AD, as well as torrefaction, pyrolysis, hydrothermal processing and gasification. Biorefineries,
integrating a number of biomass technologies in complex systems, producing energy, biomaterials
and biochemicals, were also included in this analysis. This report also considers the use of aquatic
biomass (algae), as novel feedstocks for bioenergy production that show high potential and great
perspectives for future development.
2
These various technologies, although in different stages of development, have undergone
significant improvements and technical advances in the last years. However, most of them face
technical and non-technical challenges and barriers that impede on their large scale commercial
application that will be discussed in the report. Some technologies still require research support to
improve their technical, economic and environmental performances to achieve commercial
operation.
In order to address the different tasks, set out for this report, detailed analysis of the biomass
technologies has been carried out, involving in-depth literature reviews, employment of technology
specific database, collection of techno-economic information and analysis of the information to
provide a comprehensive assessment of the bioenergy sector. The technology assessment section
depicts the state of the art of bioenergy technologies, including the analysis of the European R&D
framework research programmes and international research activities. The report provides an
analysis of the topics, objectives and results of past and on-going EU projects and how these
compare to the state of the art, as well as to the international trends.
Technology projections were based on the JRC-EU-TIMES model to estimate the future contribution
of bioenergy production in the European energy sector (Simoes et al 2013).
Bioenergy technologies are a cluster of many individual technologies contributing to heat and
power applications with different levels of development. The assessment of the bioenergy
technologies has been made on the basis of their Technology Readiness Level (TRL), as well as on
the guiding principles established for renewable energy technologies in the DG RTD report (De
Rose et al., 2017). Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is a tool widely used for a technology
maturity assessment and allows also a consistent comparison of maturity between different types
of technologies (Table 1).
It should be noted that most of the H2020 and SET-Plan flagship projects under analysis are on-
going projects and therefore the assessment of their current impact was hindered by no availability
of final project results and deliverables. The available information on projects has been collected
from CORDIS website and other sources.
Table 1. Technology Readiness Level scale used by Horizon2020

for the eligibility assessment of projects
TRL Description
TRL 1 Basic principles observed
TRL 2 Technology concept formulated
TRL 3 Experimental proof of concept
TRL 4 Technology validated in lab
TRL 5 Technology validated in relevant environment
TRL 6 Technology demonstrated in relevant environment
TRL 7 System prototype demonstration in operational environment
TRL 8 System complete and qualified
TRL 9 Actual system proven in operational environment
1.2 Data sources

The main data sources used to assess the state of the art of the technologies and to identify the
relevant European R&D projects came from several sources of information from literature and R&D
project data.
The relevant projects and the overall funding efforts under the EU R&D framework programmes
were identified from CORDIS, the public repository and portal to disseminate information on all EU-
funded research projects and their results, IEE project database, other databases and project
websites. The main focus has been on the assessment of project results from EU-funded FP7
3
(2007-2013), IEE (2003-2013), and H2020 (2014-2020) RTD programmes, as well as in the
NER300 (2014-2018) and selected international projects.
For each selected technology relevant projects have been identified by searching for a combination
of keywords from CORDIS and other databases: bioenergy, biomass conversion, heat and power,
biogas, biomethane, combustion, torrefaction, pyrolysis, gasification, syngas, thermochemical
conversion, hydrothermal processing, biorefinery, algae. The relevant identified projects have been
analysed in detail, in terms of objectives and main achievements in order to define their impact on
the development of the technology.
In addition to projects funded under the Horizon 2020 (H2020), the present study screened NER
300, Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC)-Innoenergy, InnovFin and the European Fund for
Strategic Investments (EFSI) schemes for relevant projects. Moreover, national research councils
have been analysed. In particular R&D projects supported by national research organisations of
countries with a strong tradition in bioenergy were identified.
National projects and SET-Plan “flagship projects/activities” provided by the Temporary Working
Group (TWG) on the “Implementation Plan for the SET-Plan Action 8 on Bioenergy and Renewable
Fuels for Sustainable Transport” have been included in the analysis (SET Plan 2018). Flagship
activities are defined in the Implementation Plan as “prominent ongoing R&I activities contributing
to achieving the (SET Plan) targets and of interest to the public at large”; a flagship activity can be
a project or programme with an innovation potential and the capacity to “lead by example”.
The identification of sub-technologies status worldwide, as well as technical barriers and potential
challenges to the large-scale deployment of bioenergy have also been based on major international
studies, such as the IEA Bioenergy Tasks, IRENA (the International Renewable Energy Agency),
plant websites and review papers.
The selection included the most relevant projects in terms of the scope, conversion technology
involved and the potential contribution to the advancement in technology. The projects related
mainly to heat and power from biomass and to a lower extent, to biofuels for transport, which they
are treated in a separate LCEO report, as the authors acknowledge the synergies between biomass
conversion technologies that could be used for heat and power generation and for the production of
energy carriers and liquid biofuels that could be used in transport. The analysis focussed on the
project reports, main deliverables and project summaries, depending on the availability of data.
Some of the identified projects have been already finished, while other projects are in-progress and
for the later the expected developments were assessed. Significant uncertainty has to be
considered for the analysis of specific projects results, as the assessment was constrained by
restricted availability of confidential projects deliverables. In some instances, the only publically
available information was abstracts and final report summaries from the CORDIS database while no
projects websites were still available.
4
2 Technology state of the art and development trends
2.1 Overview
This section provides an assessment of the state-of-the-art of various technologies that are used to
produce heat and power from biomass. Different bioenergy pathways include a number of
conversion technologies, based on thermo-chemical (combustion, torrefaction, pyrolysis,
hydrothermal processing, gasification) and biochemical/biological (digestion and fermentation)
processes. Biorefineries are a rapidly emerging concept integrating a number of biomass
conversion technologies in complex systems, producing a range of value-added products
(chemicals, materials, food, feed) and bioenergy (biofuels, biogas, heat and/or electricity) in a
single facility. Novel promising feedstocks such as aquatic biomass (algae), offers great
perspectives for future development from the point of view of large potentially available resources,
versatility of production options and technologies that could be used.
Bioenergy technologies are at various stages of maturity, from lab-scale, pilot scale R&D to
commercial stage and new technologies are expected to enter the market soon. Further research
support is necessary for most technologies to improve their technical performances and achieve
cost effectiveness, or to scale them up and demonstrate their technical and economic data in
stand-alone systems or in combination and integrated into more complex facilities. The sub-
technologies selected for this report are listed in Table 2
Table 2. Sub-technologies for heat and power from biomass for analysis within LCEO.
Sub-technology
Biochemical processes
Anaerobic Digestion
Thermochemical processes
Combustion
Torrefaction
Gasification
Pyrolysis
Hydrothermal processing
New biomass feedstocks
Algae for bioenergy
Integrated processing biomass feedstocks
Algae for bioenergy
2.2 Biochemical processing

2.2.1 Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the conversion of organic material into biogas by microorganisms under
anaerobic conditions. AD includes a series of biological processes in which microorganisms break
down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen in four steps: hydrolysis; acidogenesis;
acetogenesis; and methanogenesis. Biogas is a renewable fuel that could be used to produce
electricity, heat or as vehicle fuel. The biogas produced is a mixture of methane (50 - 70 %),
carbon dioxide (30 - 40 %), small quantities of other gases, such as hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and
ammonia (NH3), and trace amounts of hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), saturated or halogenated
carbohydrates, organic silicon compounds (e.g. siloxanes), oxygen (O 2) and particles. AD is a
technology suitable for using most wet biomass and organic waste, such as agricultural, municipal
and industrial organic residues and wastes, sewage sludge, animal fats and slaughtering residues,
sewage sludge from wastewater treatment and also aqueous biomass (micro and macro algae)
(EPA and NREL 2009). Co-digestion of various feedstocks (e.g. energy crops, organic solid waste,
5
or animal manure) is a common practice that allows to maintain the optimum C/N ratio of the
substrate and to maximize the biogas yield. More difficult feedstocks (such as straw, food waste
and other residues) might require additional pre-treatment to achieve higher gas yields or post-
processing to remove various contaminants.
Anaerobic Digestion occurs under certain conditions (psychrophilic, mesophilic, and thermophilic),
which differ mainly based on specific temperatures. Thermophilic digestion (50 – 70 °C) requires
shorter retention time due to faster degradation at the higher temperature and better pathogen
and virus removal than mesophilic digestion (25 – 40 °C), requiring lower digester volume, but
entailing more expensive technology and higher energy consumption (IEA 2009). Nowadays,
mesophilic digesters are the most popular but thermophilic conditions are applied in most of the
large-scale centralized biogas co-digesters.
The process may operate as a wet anaerobic digestion process, treating low solid content waste
that contains up to 20 % dry matter and as a dry digestion process, when dry solids content of
feedstock is between 20 – 40% dry matter or more. Dry AD systems allow the use of substrates
with a high content of crop residues, household waste and wastewater sludge. Dry AD plants offer
several benefits, including greater flexibility in the type of feedstock accepted, shorter retention
times and lower water usage. AD systems also have less complex system, require less critical
equipment (pumps, agitation systems, feeding equipment) and are therefore cheaper and are very
tolerant system for contaminants (sand, particles).
Biogas is used for electricity and heat production in electricity only plants, heat only plants or CHP
plants. Energy generation options with AD include gas engines, Stirling engines, gas turbines,
micro turbines, and fuel cells. AD plants are mostly connected to gas-fired engines for heat and
power generation with electrical capacity ranging from tens of kWe up to a few MWe. The heat
generated can also be used to meet the local heat demand on farm, or delivered to external users.
Generally, a relatively small part of the biogas is used to produce heat only or in industrial
applications for steam generation.
Biomethane is currently supplied in Europe as compressed gas from dedicated filling stations for
Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) and public transport applications. Biogas upgrading to biomethane
has emerged as an option for injection into the natural grid or to be used as vehicle fuel. In
comparison to on-site conversion of biogas into heat and/or electricity, the upgrading of biogas to
biomethane allows a more flexible use of this resource as it can be used in existing combustion
engines and benefit from the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
refuelling infrastructure. Biomethane can also be used as a feedstock and as an alternative for
natural gas to produce a range of bio-based chemicals.
Biogas can be upgraded to bio-methane for the injection into the natural gas grids, or for the use
as fuel in gas engine vehicles. Biogas upgrading entails the removal of carbon dioxide to increase
the energy density as well as the removal of water, hydrogen sulphide and other contaminants to
avoid corrosion or other problems in downstream applications. There are several upgrading biogas
technologies available including Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), Pressurised Water Scrubbing
(PWS), physical scrubbing (e.g. selexol, genosorb), chemical scrubbing using amines (e.g. MEA,
DEA), Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), cryogenic technologies, and separation through
membranes. Several biogas upgrading technologies operate commercially, including mostly
water/chemical scrubbing and Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA). Water scrubbing is the most
common upgrading technique, followed by organic physical scrubbing and chemical scrubbing
based on amine solutions. Cryogenic separation might be of growing importance in case of higher
use of biomethane as LNG, benefitting from the integration of methane separation with liquefaction
units for the methane (Thrän et al. 2014).
The upgrading technologies commercially available (Van Foreest 2012, Thrän et al. 2014) are:
 Pressure Swing Adsorption, where CO2 is separated by adsorption on solid surface

(activated carbon or molecular sieves - zeolites) under elevated pressure (3-10 bar). The
carbon dioxide is desorbed from the adsorbent by reducing the pressure;
6
 Pressurised Water Scrubbing (PWS), where carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and
ammonia from biogas are dissolved in water at lower temperatures and higher pressures (5-10
bar). The dissolved carbon dioxide is released from the solvent in a desorption vessel at
atmospheric pressure;
 Organic physical scrubbing, where carbon dioxide is absorbed at high pressure (5-10 bar) in
selective organic solvent such as polyethylene glycol instead of water;
 Chemical scrubbing to remove hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide from biogas using
amines at atmospheric pressure. The resultant rich amine is then regenerated by heating to
about 160°C;
 Membrane separation, where pressurized (5 – 20 bar) biogas passes through a membrane

unit permeable to carbon dioxide, water and ammonia, whereas the methane is retained;
 Cryogenic upgrading, a developing technology making use of the different boiling points of
various gases, particularly for the separation of carbon dioxide and methane.
Electricity conversion efficiencies vary between 30 % and 45 % for gas engines, 25 – 32 % for
micro turbines, 30 - 45 % for gas turbines, and 18 – 22 % for Stirling engines, depending on
equipment type and size (Mott Mac Donald 2011). The capacity of biogas plants is constrained by
the availability of the feedstock within a certain distance from the biogas plant, and is typically in
the range of 250 kWe to 5 MWe (IEA 2012a). The economic viability of AD is highly sensitive to
feedstock price, process configuration and plant size. While higher capacity plants are more
economic, their capacity is limited by the feedstock availability. Combined heat and power
production represents a good option to improve the overall efficiency of biogas plants if heat could
be used locally or through heat distribution networks. The by-product from AD, the digestate, can
be used as fertiliser, just like manure, having the same content of nutrients as manure. This brings
additional economic benefits by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers in farms, and reduces
nutrient runoff and avoids methane emissions.
AD is a relatively established technology for manure, energy crops or sewage sludge, around TRL 8
- 9. There are a number of AD technologies operational and their technical complexity and
associated capital and operational costs depend on the feedstock. AD and biogas upgrading has
been successfully demonstrated. There are about 459 biomethane units in Europe with a
production of about 1.2 billion m3 biomethane (from a total of biogas produced of 18 billion 18
billion m3 methane equivalent in 2015), and 697 filling stations and 340 plants feeding into the
natural gas grid.
2.3 Thermochemical processing

2.3.1 Biomass combustion
Bioenergy production is largely based on mature, direct combustion technology using solid,
gaseous and liquid biomass. Biomass combustion occurs in both small-scale combustion in stoves
and boilers and large-scale combustion for heat, electricity or CHP applications. Biomass
combustion in a boiler is a standard technology to generate electricity via a steam turbine. Small-
scale combustion occurs in stoves and small boilers for traditional heating in the residential sector
or for industrial heat production. Biomass heating is a mature, commercial-scale technology and it
is competitive with heat produced from fossil fuels. There are many different kinds of stoves
available, including open fireplace, closed fireplace, firewood space heater etc., with a capacity
between 5 and 15 kW. Traditional heating systems in a stove, using wood logs, have low efficiency
(10 - 30 %) and high emissions (especially particulate matter). Modern biomass technologies, with
high efficiencies (90 %), are available and include efficient wood log, wood chips, or pellet burning.
High efficiency, low emission systems include automatic feeding systems and advanced control
systems, but at higher cost. Small-scale automated heating boilers with high efficiency are used for
central heating and are equipped with a water heat exchanger and connected to a heating water
circuit based on wood chips or wood pellets. Biomass heat can also be produced in co-generation
7
power plants, supplying heat from industry or from district heating network. Overall efficiencies of
around 80 - 90 % are possible (IEA 2012a, JRC 2013).
Heat and power production from biomass is based on various technologies including Grate
Boilers (GB), Bubbling Fluidised Bed Combustion (BFBC) or Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion
(CFBC) boilers, coupled with steam turbine system. Grate boiler coupled with steam turbine system
is the standard and simpler technology for small to medium-scale (1 to 10 MWe) power generation,
offering low investment and operating costs. Fluidised bed technologies (including Bubbling
Fluidised Bed Combustion - BFBC and Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion - CFBC boilers) are
commercial technologies that ensure high efficiency, low emissions and high fuel flexibility.
Fluidised bed technologies offer the advantage of large fuel flexibility (biomass type, moisture
content) and higher conversion efficiency although with higher capital and operating costs (IEA
2009, IEA-ETSAP and IRENA 2015). CBFC technology is used in small-scale to large power
generation with lower fuel properties and higher fuel flexibility. Combustion technology can utilize
controlled systems with automatic fuel feeders to reduce Particulate Matter (PM) and pollutant
emissions. Latest improvements offer new plants with advanced steam parameters and high
efficiency (EPA and NREL 2009, IEA-ETSAP and IRENA 2015).
The scale of operation is a very important factor for heat or power from biomass systems, with
specific capital and operating costs increasing as plant capacity reduces. The efficiency of power
generation depends on the scale of the operation. Power generation efficiencies using steam
turbines are in the range of 25 % to 35 % for steam turbines biomass plants, with efficiency
somewhat lower than those of conventional fossil-fuelled plants of similar scale. Biomass plants
with large capacities usually have advanced steam parameters and high efficiencies. Thus, the
efficiency of electrical generation alone ranges from about 10 % for small CHP plants (< 1 MWe
steam-engine) to 24-38% for plants between 10-50 MW and 32-42% for plants with a capacity
above 50 MW for steam-turbine combined with advanced fluidised bed combustion technology
(IPCC 2011, IEA 2012a, IEA-ETSAP and IRENA 2015). Co-generation is an effective way to
significantly increase the overall efficiency of a power plant (and hence its competitiveness) when a
good match exists between heat production and demand. Co-generation plants might offer typical
overall efficiencies in the range of 80% to 90%. Various technologies are available for electricity
production based on biomass combustion: steam turbine process (for plants higher than 2 MWe),
ORC and steam engines (200 kWe - 6 MWe) and Stirling engines (below 100 kWe). Stirling engines
are promising applications of small scale electricity production from biomass using external
combustion engines. The heat is not supplied in the cycle by the internal combustion but
transferred from outside through a heat exchanger. Electric efficiency can reach 12 % to 15 %.
Stirling engines are being demonstrated in CHP applications (Obernberger and Thek 2008, IEA
2009).
Biomass combustion is a well-established commercial technology for heat and power generation
(TRL 8 - 9). Bioenergy production can be competitive in some circumstances and when cheep
feedstock is available, or when deployed with financial support. The key to the deployment of these
technologies is the availability and reliability of sustainable feedstocks. The economies of scale are
significant for biomass plants, although the overall size of biomass plants is limited by biomass
availability, the high transportation cost for biomass feedstock and logistic issues. Thus, the
opportunities for large plants may be limited. The economic performances and the deployment of
biomass CHP plants are also limited by the local heat demand (for heating cooling of industrial
heat) and by its seasonal variation (IEA-ETSAP and IRENA 2015, LCICG 2012, Mott MacDonald
2011).
Biomass co-firing consists of combusting biomass and fossil fuels, mostly coal but also natural
gas. Biomass co-firing with coal in existing boilers is a cost-effective and efficient option of
electricity and heat production from biomass in pulverised coal-fired, grate-fired boilers, stationary
and circulating fluidised bed boilers. There are three different concepts for co-firing biomass in coal
boilers:
 direct co-firing, using a single boiler with either common or separate burners;
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 indirect co-firing, a gasifier converts solid biomass into a gaseous fuel and the gas produced is
burnt in the same furnace as the coal;
 parallel co-firing, in which a separate boiler is used for biomass, and its steam generation is
then mixed with steam from conventional boilers.
Co-firing biomass in coal-fired power plants offers advantages with respect to the use of biomass in
dedicated plants that include higher efficiency, lower pollutant emissions and lower costs. This
approach makes use of the existing infrastructure of the coal plant and thus requires only relatively
minor investment in biomass pre-treatment, handling and feeding equipment without noticeably
affecting boiler efficiency. Biomass properties pose several challenges to coal plants that may affect
their reliability and lifetime, causing increased ash corrosion and deposition (slagging and fouling)
on the surfaces of the boiler and affecting flue gas cleaning equipment and Selective Catalytic
Reduction (SCR) system efficiency (JRC 2013, IEA-ETSAP and IRENA 2015, IEA 2009).
Direct co-firing has been successfully achieved up to about 15 % biomass in pulverised coal-fired
boilers, while fluidised bed boilers can substitute higher levels of biomass. Higher percentages of
biomass (50 - 80 %) may be used in co-firing with extensive pre-treatment (e.g. torrefaction),
with minor changes in the fuel handling system. Indirect and parallel co-firing alternative
options allow to the avoidance of biomass-related issues (moisture, ash composition, etc.), but
require additional infrastructure and are more capital intensive. Indirect co-firing with pre-
gasification of the biomass has now been demonstrated in both coal power plants and in coal
gasification plants. Although they are more expensive because of the additional technical
equipment required, this option allows for a greater variety and higher percentages of biomass to
be used. Biomass co-firing in modern, large and highly-efficient coal power plants results in high
biomass conversion efficiency that ranges between 35 – 44 %, depending on the plant technology,
size and specific biomass feedstock. This is significantly higher than the efficiency hat can be
achieved in small (<10 MW) and medium-scale (10-50MW) dedicated biomass power plants with
efficiencies of 25 - 35 %. Apart from the higher efficiency, the economies of scale of large power
plants will also lead to lowered costs for the energy provided per unit of biomass fuel use. Higher
efficiencies of 46 % to 52 % could be reached with indirect co-firing in Biomass Integrated
Gasification Combined Cycle (BIGCC), but more R&D and cost reduction efforts are needed for this
technology to reach commercial status (Mott MacDonald, 2011, Irena 2012, IEA-ETSAP and IRENA
2015, IEA 2009, JRC 2013).
Biomass co-firing has been successfully demonstrated with many technology options and with a
wide range of biomass feedstocks (wood and herbaceous biomass and crop residues) and is now in
full commercial operation in many installations worldwide. Typical co-firing plants, equipped with
pulverised coal boilers, stoker boilers, cyclone boilers, bubbling and circulating fluidized bed boilers,
are in the range from approximately 50 MWe to 700 MWe (IEA Bioenergy Task 32, 2018).
However, the use of coal for energy generation is expected to decrease in line with the goals of
decreasing GHG emissions and thus the number of coal generation units will decrease, reducing the
potential for biomass co-firing.
2.3.2 Torrefaction
Torrefaction is a thermochemical upgrading process consisting of biomass heating in the absence of
oxygen at atmopsheric pressure and temperatures typically ranging between 250-320°C, leading to
a release of moisture and partial release of volatile compounds. Torrefaction has the potential to
become an important pre-treatment technology and so improve the biomass to a high quality solid
fuel. Torrefaction produces a high quality solid biofuel with higher heating value or energy density,
lower moisture content, good hydrophobic behaviour, improved grindability and reactivity and
more uniform properties (Chen et al 2015, Van der Stelt et al 2011). Biomass torrefaction is used
as a pre-treatment step for biomass conversion techniques such as combustion and gasification.
Torrefaction can be classified into light, mild and severe torrefaction processes. The heating value
of the torrefied biomass increases from 19 MJ/kg to 21-23 MJ/kg for torrefied wood or event to 30
9
MJ/kg in the case of complete devolatization resulting in charcoal. The torrefaction degree depends
typically on the time that a (dry) biomass particle resides in the torrefaction reactor and on the
temperature inside the reactor. Different reactor technologies are available for torrefaction:
rotating drum reactor, screw reactor, multiple hearth furnace, microwave reactor, moving/fixed
bed or fluidized bed reactor. The selection of technology needs to be done based on the
characteristics of the feedstock, or alternatively, the feedstock needs to be pre-processed (Cremers
et al 2015). The control of the temperature profile and residence time of biomass in the reactor is
crucial for an efficient process and optimal product quality. Ensuring product quality and
consistency is a challenge, due to uneven biomass quality (particle size and composition), heat
transfer rate, temperature, and residence time, requiring process optimisation (IEA 2015).
Biomass torrefaction can create new markets and trade flows as commodity fuel and increases the
feedstock basis. Torrefaction improves the combustion properties and the suitability of biomass for
co-firing in coal fired power plants and has the potential to enable higher co-firing shares (JRC
2013, IEA 2015). Torrefaction improves the suitability of biomass for co-firing in coal fired power
plants and decreases the costs for handling, storage and transport. Torrefaction of agro-residues
appears to be more complicated due to the challenging physical and chemical characteristics.
Torrefaction process results in feedstock and energy losses and increased cost. The energy
required for the drying and torrefaction process is delivered by the combustion of torrefaction gas,
or from additional auxiliary fuel. Integration of the torrefaction process with existing biomass-fired
boiler plants, such as district heating plants, utility boilers or wood industry boilers, offers a
possibility to benefit from energy streams and feedstock handling available.
Biomass densification (pelletization) is a process to create compact biomass fuel with uniformly
sized solid particles such as pellets, briquettes and logs with higher energy density. The quality of
densified pellets strongly depends on the particle size, moisture content, and process parameters.
Pelletizing torrefied biomass, which densifies the material to pellets or briquettes, brings a number
of advantages in terms of superior combustion characteristics, resistance to degradation and
moisture uptake. Additional advantages of pelletizing torrefied biomass, in comparison to torrefied
biomass chips as the intermediate product, refer to transport, handling and storage. Torrefied
biomass could improve the gasification efficiency and reduce the tar formation due to its high
heating value and low volatiles content. Torrefaction is also an effective method for reducing the
water, acid, and oxygen contents of bio-oil when derived from fast pyrolysis of torrefied biomass
(Chen et al. 2015, Eseyin et al 2015).
Biomass torrefaction has been proven at pilot scale and a number of demonstration and
(semi)commercial facilities are in operation (Cremers et al 2015). Torrefaction technology is not
yet fully commercially available, but the first demonstration projects are in operation (e.g.
Andritz-ECN, at Stenderup, Andritz ACB in Frohnleiten, Stramproy at Steenwijk, Topell at Duiven,
etc.). Further development of torrefaction technology is needed to overcome certain technical and
commercial challenges (Star Colibri 2011, JRC 2013, IEA 2015).
2.3.3 Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is the thermochemical conversion of biomass into a bio-oil, gas, and solids (bio-char) in
the absence of oxygen at lower temperatures than combustion or gasification, around 450 – 600
°C (typically 500 °C). The ultimate goal of this technology is to produce high-value bio-oil for
competing with and eventually replacing non-renewable fossil fuels. The extent of decomposition
depends on process parameters, reactor configuration and feedstock. The exact fraction of each
product depends on the temperature heating rate and the residence time. Pyrolysis process can be
categorized as slow or fast pyrolysis, distinguished by different residence times in the reactor. Fast
pyrolysis has been developed in recent years as a fast and flexible method to provide liquid
products from biomass. While slow pyrolysis favours the production of bio-char, fast pyrolysis, at
moderate temperatures (450 – 500 °C) and short residence times (< 5 s) favours the production of
bio-oil. Pyrolysis is based on various types of reactors including Bubbling Fluidised Beds rectors,
10
Circulating Fluidised bed (CFB), screw-type reactors or based on microwave pyrolysis (IEA 2009,
Bridgwater 2018a).
Fast pyrolysis produces mostly bio-oil, along with small amounts of biochar and gases, like
hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Bio-oil is the desired product and has higher
market value potential. High pyrolysis temperature and longer residence time increase the biomass
conversion to gas while lower temperature and longer vapour residence times favour the
production of charcoal. The proportions of each phase and product composition depend on the
process design, the chemical conditions, temperature and reaction rate within the pyrolysis reactor.
Up to 75 % of the biomass is converted to bio-oils, 10 - 15 % of biochar and 10 - 15 % of
permanent gases. The by-products obtained (char and gas) are used within the process to provide
the process heat requirements (Mott MacDonald 2011, Star Colibri 2011, Bridgwater 2018a).
Bio-oil is a complex mixture of hundreds of chemicals and oxygenated hydrocarbons with high
water content with a calorific value of about 17 MJ/kg. Pyrolysis oil has about twice the energy
density of wood pellets, which could make it particularly attractive for long-distance transport. The
bio-oil composition is influenced by several factors: feedstock properties, heat transfer rate,
reaction time, temperature profile, and/or the addition of catalysts. Bio-oil is miscible with some
solvents such as methanol and acetone, but totally immiscible with petroleum-derived fuels. Bio-oil
can be a substitute for fuel oil or diesel for heat and power production, in many applications
including boilers, engines and turbines. The use of pyrolysis bio-oil in diesel engines can be a
valuable approach for small scale, CHP applications. Although bio-oil is a promising alternate to fuel
oil, its direct applications without chemical upgrading is limited due to its high viscosity, high water
and ash contents, low heating values, solid content, chemical instability, and high corrosiveness.
Research is also under way to explore the possibility of mixing pyrolysis oil with conventional crude
oil in existing oil refineries (JRC 2013, Mott MacDonald 2011, Star Colibri 2011, Bridgwater 2012).
Besides the heat and power applications, bio-oil can also be upgraded to feedstock for advanced
biofuels, converted to fuel additives, to chemical intermediates and final products. Pyrolysis can
also be used as a pre-treatment step for gasification and biofuels production. Biorefineries offer
considerable scope for optimisation of fast pyrolysis processes, that require the development of the
various processes in order to optimise an integrated system. The main challenges for development
rely on the integration of pyrolysis process in complex systems such as biorefineries that offer
prospects for product utilisation.
Bio-oil upgrading aims to improve bio-oil quality for the production of chemicals or hydrocarbon
biofuels (Bridgwater 2018a). Bio-oil upgrading to transport fuels is challenging because of the
high oxygen and water content of bio-oils. Bio-oil can be upgraded following physical, chemical and
catalytic pathways. The main methods for upgrading bio-oil to transport fuels include:
hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil; catalytic vapour cracking of fast pyrolysis vapours followed by
hydrodeoxygenation and/or use into a conventional oil refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC); or
gasification to syngas followed by synthesis to hydrocarbons or alcohols. Bio-oil can be
deoxygenated by two potential routes: the oxygen can be thermally cracked from the bio-oil in the
form of water and carbon oxides, or it can be removed as water by the addition of hydrogen. The
bio-oil could be converted through gasification into a synthesis gas that is then cleaned to remove
particles, alkaline salts, HCl, H2S, COS, CS2, NH3, and HCN. Many chemical pathways are possible
to produce gaseous and liquid fuels and chemicals from syngas (Bridgwater 2018b).
Pyrolisys is adequate for small decentralised fast pyrolysis plants of 50,000 to 250,000 tonnes or 1
to 3 MWe per year for production of bio-oil liquids to be transported to a central processing plant.
The implementation of large projects could involve multiple small modules (JRC 2013, Mott
MacDonald 2011). Pyrolysis and bio-oil upgrading technology is still in the pre-commercial
demonstration phase, with considerable experience been gained from several pilot and
demonstration plants (Fortum in Finland; BTG Empyro in NL; Pyrogrot in Sweden, etc. (Meier et
al., 2013, JRC 2013). Biomass pyrolysis has been successfully demonstrated at small-scale, and
several large pilot plants or demonstration projects (up to 200 ton/day biomass) are in operation or
at an advanced stage of construction. The technology to produce upgraded pyrolysis oil, developed
11
originally for heat, power, and food industry applications, are at pre-commercial, initial
demonstration stage at TRL 3 - 5 (LCICG 2012).
2.3.4 Hydrothermal processing

Hydrothermal processing is a thermochemical process that involves thermal disintegration of
biomass in the presence of water, at high temperature and pressure. The process converts biomass
into a solid (bio-char), a liquid (bio-oil or bio-crude), or a gas (e.g., hydrogen, methane), with one
intended output, depending on the type of process used (Kumar el al 2018, Reißmann et al 2018).
Different types of hydrothermal processes occur depending on pressure, temperature and
residence time that are crucial reaction parameters: Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC),
Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) and Hydrothermal Gasification (HTG) (Reißmann et al 2018). The
nature and yield of products from hydrothermal technologies depends on factors such as the
feedstock type, catalyst, and process conditions (temperature, pressure). Hydrothermal processes
(HTP) appear to be a promising technology platform for processing wet biomass and residues.
Table 3 shows the typical parameters for the main types of HTP.
Table 3. Typical parameters of the hydrothermal processing options

HTP type Temperature Pressure
HTC – Hydrothermal Carbonization 180–250 °C 2–10 MPa
HTL – Hydrothermal Liquefaction 300–350 °C 5-25 MPa
HTG – Hydrothermal Gasification
Catalytic/low-temperature 350-450 °C 25-40 MPa
Non-catalytic/high-temperature >500 °C 25-40 MPa
Source: Reißmann et al 2018 Kumar el al 2018.
HydroThermal Carbonization (HTC) converts biomass into a value-added product (hydrochar)

at a comparatively low temperature (180–250 °C) and pressure (2–10 MPa). The resulting product,
a solid hydro-coal and bio-char, has carbon content similar to lignite with mass yields varying from
35% to 60% and can be used as a solid biofuel, fertilizer and soil conditioner.
HydroThermal Gasification (HTG) is a process that involves a reaction at high temperature

(above 350 °C) and high pressure (25-40 MPa) and produces a flue gas rich in hydrogen or
methane, depending on the reaction conditions. Hydrothermal gasification entails three main
types: aqueous phase refining, catalytic gasification in a near-critical state, and supercritical water
gasification. Catalytic gasification of biomass in a near-critical state occurs at 350–450 °C and
produces CH4 and CO2 in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst promoting CO hydrogenation to
CH4. Gasification at a lower temperature is desirable for process efficiency and is often carried out
by catalyst that improves the yield and quality of output. Supercritical water gasification (SCWG)
uses water at a supercritical state in the range of 600–700 °C to generate mainly H2 and CO2
with/without a catalyst. The products from hydrothermal gasification include CO2, H2, CO and CH4,
with small amounts of C2H4 and C2H6. (Kumar et al 2018, Reißmann et al 2018).
HydroThermal Liquefaction (HTL), also known as hydrous pyrolysis, is a biomass to bio-liquid

conversion route that involves the thermochemical conversion of biomass in the presence of water
at high temperature (300–350 °C) and pressure (5–20 MPa). Hydrothermal Liquefaction produces
liquid bio crude, along with the gaseous, aqueous and solid phase by-products. The liquid bio-crude
or HTL oil can be used as a bio-fuel and as a substitute for crude oil for chemical products
manufacture (Kumar et al 2018, Reißmann et al 2018). HTL oil produced has low oxygen content
as opposed to other processes like fast pyrolysis. Conditions such as temperature, pressure,
particle size, and reaction times influence the conversion of biomass into bio-oil. The use of
12
catalysts in hydrothermal liquefaction processes is intended to improve process efficiency by
reducing char and tar formation. The exact mechanisms of the HTL process still remain unclear
mainly due to the complexity of the process and the large number of possible intermediate
reactions. Biomass is first broken up into fragments by hydrolysis, and then degraded into smaller
compounds by dehydration, dehydrogenation, deoxygenation and decarboxylation. Some complex
chemicals may be afterwards synthesized by repolymerization. Biocrude oil generated in the
repolymerization process usually contains acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, phenols and
other aromatic compounds (Dimitriadis and Bezergianni 2017, Gollakota et al. 2018, Kumar et al
2018).
HydroThermal Liquefaction is suitable for the production of biocrude from biomass with high
and variable moisture content such as woody biomass, agricultural and forestry residues, industrial
wastes, food wastes, algae, etc. HTL has the competitive advantage of processing not only dry but
also wet biomass, requiring no feedstock drying. Biomass derived biocrude produced by
liquefaction have high heating value, low oxygen content and low moisture content depending on
the type of biomass feedstock and the operating conditions – temperature, solvent type, catalyst,
residence time and biomass-to-solvent ratio. HTL proves to be energy efficient as it entails lower
temperatures than those reached during pyrolysis. The choice of the temperature depends on the
biomass feedstock, solvents, catalysts and other operating parameters. The use of catalyst seems
to be an important factor that could significantly increase the biocrude production and reduce the
solid residue yield. The role of catalyst is mainly to suppress the formation of char, increasing the
yield of liquid products and reducing the condensation and/or repolymerization reactions of the
intermediate products. Biocrude has high viscosity, high corrosive activity, and relative low stability
requiring further upgrade of HTL products. The aqueous phase generated through HTL process can
be treated anaerobically or via catalytic hydrothermal gasification to produce methane-rich or
hydrogen-rich syngas (López Barreiro et al. 2013, Dimitriadis and Bezergianni 2017, Kumar et al
2018).
Hydrothermal processing is now in the transient state from lab-pilot scale (TRL 4-5) to pilot-
industrial scale (TRL of 5-6) with some projects closer to demonstration. More research is
necessary, however, for optimizing the technology and achieving commercial operation.
Technological gaps with respect to various plant components include reactor design for process
development and optimization and the selection of adequate materials to avoid corrosion in the
extreme environment in the reactor. There is a wide range of potential process designs and the
optimal process parameters and other important influencing factors need to be established.
2.3.5 Biomass gasification

Gasification is a thermo-chemical conversion process of biomass into a fuel gas (syngas), at high
temperature (700-1500 °C), by partial oxidation with limited oxygen. The syngas is a gas mixture
of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide as well as light hydrocarbons (ethane
and propane), and heavier hydrocarbons (such as tars), and other gases, such as sulphidric and
chloridric acid, or inert gases (such as nitrogen). Gasification is an intermediate step between
pyrolysis and combustion. Gasification is a highly versatile process, being able to convert any
biomass feedstock into fuel gas. There is a wide range of possible configurations for biomass
gasification, depending on the oxidation agent (air, oxygen or steam), process heating (direct or
indirect), pressure level (atmospheric pressure or elevated pressure), or reactor type (moving bed,
fluidised bed or entrained flow, up-draught and down-draught reactors). The selection of the most
appropriate gasification process depends on the properties of the available feedstock, the final
application of gas and other factors.
The gasification products are strongly influenced by gasification agent, temperature, pressure,
heating rate and fuel characteristics (composition, water content, particle size). Air-based gasifiers
typically produce a gas with a high nitrogen content and a low energy content (4 - 5 MJ/m3), while
oxygen or steam gasifiers produce a syngas with higher CO and H2 concentration and higher
energy content (9 – 19 MJ/m3). Steam increases the H2 content by the water gas shift reaction
13
(Mott MacDonald 2011, IRENA 2012, Molino et al 2016). Fluidised bed gasifiers are more tolerant
to feedstock properties and require less pre-treatment than entrained flow gasifiers, but produce
more tars and light hydrocarbon gases, which need more complex gas purification systems (Star
Colibri 2011). Extremely high temperatures (~ 4000°C) during plasma gasification allow the
complete dissociation of the feedstock into syngas and complete breakdown of tars and other gas
contaminants. This technology is particularly promising for waste gasification (industrial or
municipal waste, hazardous wastes, tyres etc.) producing a chemically inert slag itself that is safe
to handle. Indirect gasification consisting in the separation of the gasification and combustion
processes in different reactors, allows the production of a N 2-free gas without the need for an air
separation unit, making it suitable for synthesis applications.
Gasification gas contains a range of contaminants, such as tars, sulphur, chlorine compounds,
alkali metals, heavy metals and particulates, depending on the feedstock, gasifier design and the
gasification process. The contaminants generally need to be removed, since they can impact on the
operation of downstream processes. Therefore, gas cleaning and conditioning is a crucial step
in biomass gasification facilities. The removal of tars is a particularly challenging issue. The
removal of syngas contaminants could be achieved through primary methods, such as gasifier
design, operating conditions (temperature, pressure), gasifying agent, in-bed catalysts/additive.
Secondary methods are also available, including physical processes (cyclones, filters, scrubbers,
electrostatic precipitators) or through thermal-catalytic processes (thermal cracking, partial
oxidation, catalytic reforming, plasma processes).
The available technologies to purify the synthesis gas, are classified according to the temperature:
hot (T > 300 °C), cold (T < 100 °C), and warm gas cleaning. Several mature hot gas clean-up
technologies could remove complex tars (thermal, catalytic cracking, plasma and physical
separation) and particulate matter (barrier filtration, inertial and electrostatic separation). Hot gas
clean-up technologies could be used for sulphur removal (physically or chemically adsorption),
ammonia (selective catalytic oxidation or thermal catalytic decomposition), alkali (condensation)
and alkali and chlorine (solid adsorption). Cold gas clean-up processes are typically wet processes,
entailing water scrubbing and various chemical and/or physical solvent processes, as well as
biological and chemo-biological processes (Obernberger and Thek 2008, IEA 2009, FreedomCAR
2009, JRC 2013). Temperature reduction allows alkali to condense and agglomerate into small
particles (Woolcock and Brown 2013). Water discharge from wet scrubber, heavily contaminated,
requires chemical and/or biological waste water treatments in order to be recirculated or
discharged. Various cleaning technologies were tested in various systems (Mott MacDonald 2011).
The fuel gas product, including hydrogen, can be used in internal and external combustion
engines, boilers, fuel cells, for heat and power or to produce Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG),
methanol, Fischer–Tropsch liquids and other chemicals. Syngas generated can be used to
produce heat and power directly. Nowadays, biomass gasification is mainly used for efficient heat
and power production and co-firing at small- and medium-scale plants. Syngas can be used in
internal combustion gas engines operating at electrical conversion efficiencies between 30 - 35 %,
in gas turbines (up to 40 % efficiency), in gas and steam turbine combined cycles (up to 42 %), or
in fuel cells (50 - 55 %) (IEA 2009, JRC 2013).
Typical gasification plant capacities range from a few hundred kW for heat production, and from
100 kW to 1 MWe for CHP with a gas engine, and up to 10 MW for gas turbines systems operating
at higher efficiency than a steam cycle. At larger scales (>30 MWe), gasification-based systems
can be coupled with a gas turbine with heat recovery and a steam turbine (combined cycle) in a
Biomass Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (BIGCC) technology, thus offering higher
efficiency (IFC 2017). The BIGCC concept is a promising technology, ensuring higher electrical
efficiency, of 40 - 50 % for 30-100 MW plant capacity, although more complex and costly (JRC
2013). The combined cycle technology based on natural gas is well established technology in many
plants, but the efficiency and reliability of biomass gasification still needs to be proven.
New developments are under way toward large-scale synthesis of biofuels and chemicals:
methanol, ethanol, hydrogen, or synthetic natural gas, hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline, kerosene,
diesel, DME), etc.). Synthesis applications usually require more intensive cleaning, water‐gas‐shift
14
(WGS) reactions, gas reforming, catalytic conversion steps, etc. Several technologies are currently
available on the market. For example, ethanol can be produced from biomass syngas through
syngas fermentation or through syngas thermochemical catalytic conversion, which produces a
mixture of methanol and ethanol. Biomethane production requires methanation of the clean
syngas, followed by a CO2 removal. Syngas can be converted to methanol and then further via
DME to synthetic gasoline or directly via methanol to gasoline. The main processes to produce
biodiesel from syngas are based on the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (IFC 2017, Molino et al 2016,
IEA-ETSAP and IRENA 2015). The Fischer–Tropsch is a well-established process for the production
of synfuels.
Although several projects were implemented worldwide, biomass gasification is still at

demonstration stage, reaching TRL 6 - 7. Further technology development requires
demonstration at scale and proof of reliable, continuous and long-term operation (LCICG 2012, IEA
2012a). The experience acquired from the worldwide application of coal gasification is relevant to
biomass gasification. BioSNG is an unproven technology at full scale, around TRL 4-5, which
requires innovation to integrate various components into a full scale plant. BIGCC is still in the pilot
stage, around TRL 4 - 5, and requires significant R&D before reaching full maturity (LCICG 2012,
IEA-ETSAP and IRENA 2015).
2.4 Algae for bioenergy

Algae currently receive increasing interest as potential source for the production of biomass for
multiple uses. Algae offer several advantages compared to land-based biomass, including high
photosynthetic efficiency and high yield, as well as the possibility to grow on non-fertile land
using a variety of water sources (i.e. fresh, brackish, saline) and additional CO 2 capture potential.
Land-based ponds, both as free standing farms or in combination with land-based aquaculture
systems could reach higher productivities (up to 50 tonnes of dry matter per ha per year). A wide
range of marketable co-products can be extracted from algae, e.g. chemicals and nutrients, along
with the production of biofuels, within a biorefinery concept. One of the most challenging aspects
for commercial production is to mitigate the enormous amounts of water and nutrients required to
grow and process algal feedstocks. Wastewater recycling is essential to minimize freshwater and
chemical nutrients consumption (FAO 2009, van der Velde et al, 2017, Laurens et al. 2017).
Macroalgae (seaweed) are multicellular plants growing in salt or fresh water, in near-shore
marine waters, attached to rocks, dedicated growth structures, like anchored lines/netting, or other
substrates. Different farming systems have also been employed onshore and land-based facilities.
Depending on the species, macroalgae contain different proportions of lipids, proteins and
carbohydrates. Macroalgae can be exploited for production of chemicals with high economic value
and for the production of biomethane and biofuels via various conversion processes (Jiang et al.
2016).
Microalgae could be cultivated on land in open or closed reactors, allowing accurate and
continuous monitoring and control of process parameters. Open Raceway Ponds (ORP) are
inexpensive and easy to operate and maintain, but there are several drawbacks including lower
productivity, poor light utilization, high water evaporation losses and high risk of contamination.
The Photo Bio Reactors are closed systems with controlled conditions, which allow the culture of
single-species of microalgae with low risks of contamination, higher productivity and reduced
contamination, but rely on complex design and require high investment and maintenance cost.
Harvesting microalgae requires different steps and approaches, depending on the features of the
selected strains and desired concentration. The main processes include thickening (flocculation),
separation and dewatering (filtration through a membrane and centrifugation) that increase the
algal concentration from 0.02% - 0.07% (open ponds), or 0.14% - 0.7% (photobioreactors) to 10-
25%, followed by drying.
15
Possible bioenergy pathways from algae include their conversion to biogas, bioalcohols, bio-oil,
biodiesel and bio-hydrogen. These include various processes such as oil extraction, biochemical
(AD, fermentation, etc.) and thermo-chemical conversion (gasification, pyrolysis, hydrothermal
liquefaction) technologies. Algae can produce high amounts of lipids, hydrocarbons and other
complex oils. The extraction of oil can be performed through chemical solvent extraction (dry
biomass, 60 - 98 %) and supercritical fluid extraction (wet biomass 10 - 25 %). Further processing
options include either transesterification to produce FAME biodiesel or hydrotreating the oils to
generate a renewable diesel.
The high content of moisture and carbo-hydrates in macroalgae make them suitable for wet
conversion methods, including anaerobic digestion and fermentation. AD of algae for biogas
production is one of the most viable technologies considering the high moisture (85 – 90 %), high
carbo-hydrates content and low amount of lignin of algae. AD of microalgae does not require a
pure culture nor does a specific compound need to be produced. There are still some technical
issues to be addressed, such as the high salinity and sand accumulation over time (Laurens et al.
2017). The biogas yields (and the adjustment of the C:N ratio) can be increased through co-
digestion of some species of algae with nitrogen rich substrates (such as manure) and
manipulation of the microbial composition of the inoculums. Algae can also be a suitable feedstock
for bio-hydrogen production via photo fermentation or dark fermentation by means of a pure or
mixed culture of hydrogen-producing bacteria or via a combination of dark, photo fermentation and
AD in three stage processes. The integration of algae production with wastewater treatment is a
feasible pathway for the large-scale production of algae, providing opportunities for the treatment
of waste streams and the use of organic substrate such as nutrients (N, P) from wastewater
(Redwood et al, 2009, Murphy et al, 2015, Rocca et al. 2015).
Algae can be suitable feedstocks for bio-oil via thermochemical conversion pathways. The high-
temperature, thermochemical conversion processes of algae include direct pyrolysis of dry algae or
hydrothermal processing (hydrothermal liquefaction - HTL) of algae in water slurries. Pyrolysis
produces bio-oil (or biocrude), bio-char, vapours and an aqueous phase upon condensation. The
bio-oil yields may significantly vary depending on the macroalgae composition and operating
conditions. A major limitation to pyrolysis is the high moisture content (70-80 %) of algae,
requiring significant energy for drying. Hydrothermal liquefaction allows algae to be processed
without drying, using supercritical water at high temperature and high pressure (Demirbas 2010,
Milledge and Heaven 2014, López Barreiro et al. 2013, Rocca et al. 2015).
Hydrothermal liquefaction at high temperature and high pressure is a wet process, better suited
for algae due to the extremely low algae concentration The partial dewatering of algae solutions to
the level of 10-20% dry solids, adequate for HTL, is less energy intensive than pyrolysis that
requires drying to >90% dry solids. The bio-oil (biocrude) produced from HTL is similar to oil
crude, but biocrude is oxygenated, acidic, and contains various contaminants that require
additional processing. The HTl biocrude may be suitable for use as heavy fuel oil, but significant
upgrading is required before it can be used as a transportation fuel through catalytic
hydrotreatment and catalytic cracking. After upgrading, biocrude could be used into a traditional
refinery. Wastewater treatment and recycling potential nutrients is a key element for HTL
processing. Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification (CHG) process carried out at subcritical water
conditions can be also employed as a catalytic upgrading pathway to recover energy and nutrients
from the rich aqueous phase solution and produce methane and carbon dioxide gases. The product
gas can be burned to produce CHP for the hydrothermal processing system (Laurens et al. 2017).
Algae conversion for bioenergy is still at laboratory or pilot-scale, TRL 3-6, with many activities
focussing on algae cultivation harvesting and various processing routes; therefore, algae
production for bioenergy is still far from commercialization. Algae production require process
improvement to enable efficient production at commercial scale. The cultivation of microalgae is
limited to large open ponds or lagoon, while commercial production in Photo Bio Reactors (PBR) is
limited. The existing designs of Open Raceway Ponds and Photo Bio Reactors have been
investigated so far at small/experimental scale, algae production have not been implemented at
the large scale and they are still far from commercialization. Macroalgae are currently cultivated in
16
large open ponds or lagoon in Asia, to produce food and additives for food, pharmaceuticals,
cosmetics and chemical industry. There are also commercial cultures of microalgae for high-value,
low volume food, feed and nutraceuticals in Asia, US, Israel and Australia (LCICG 2012, Milledge
and Heaven 2013, Vigani et al, 2015, Rocca et al. 2015).
2.5 Biorefineries
Biorefining refers to the sustainable processing of biomass into a range of biobased products and
bioenergy, defined as "sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable
products and energy" (IEA Bioenergy Task 42). The goal of a biorefinery is to transform
biological materials into multiple products using a complex combination of technologies and
processes. The biorefinery concept, that that integrates various biomass conversion processes to
produce fuels, power, and value-added chemicals from biomass, is similar to the one of
conventional oil refineries: to produce a variety of fuels and other products (IEA 2012b) and
denotes integrated biorefineries i.e. multi-feedstock, multi-product, multi-process.
Biorefineries integrate production of high-value, low-volume and low-value, high-volume

products that are produced in a variety of processes designed to maximize / optimize the use of
resources and minimize the waste streams. The high-value products enhance the cost efficiency of
the whole refinery, while the high-volume fuels help to meet the energy demand and to reduce the
overall cost. Biorefineries could be a key factor in the transition to a bio-based economy, allowing
efficient and cost effective processing of biomass to a range of products such as food, feed, bio-
based products, biochemicals, and bioenergy (electricity, heat and/or biofuels). Biorefineries can
either derive final, marketable products directly or create intermediate products that can be further
processed into new end products (MEF 2009, JRC 2013).
A variety of concepts are being currently developed with new products and routes still being
identified. Biorefineries include combinations of several thermochemical and biochemical processes.
Thermochemical processing consists on pre-treatment (e.g. drying, size reduction,
torrefaction), conversion (e.g. combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal processing),
cleaning and upgrading (reforming, separation) to final end-product. Biomass can be converted
into liquid or gaseous forms for the production of electric power, heat, chemicals, or gaseous and
liquid fuels. Biochemical conversion processes include a sequence of processes that involve pre-
treatment (hydrolysis, steam explosion), conversion to sugars, photosynthesis and fermentation of
intermediates using biocatalysts, separation purification and final processing. The integration of
such processes makes them able of delivering a number of chemical or material co-products in
addition to heat and power. Several new biorefinery concepts defined rely on the principle of
cascading use, where the highest value products are extracted first and biofuels and bioenergy are
final products.
A classification for the different existing and emerging biorefinery systems is difficult to make and
to achieve general acceptance due to the complexity of multiple possible configurations, used
feedstocks, conversion technologies and final products. A Bioenergy Task 42 developed a
biorefinery classification system that consists in four main features which are able to identify,
distinguish and characterise the different biorefinery systems:
 platforms: intermediates that are able to connect different biorefinery systems and their
processes (e.g., C5/C6 sugars, syngas, biogas, syngas, electricity and heat);
 products: energy (e.g., biomethane, biofuels, electricity and heat) and products (e.g.,
chemicals, polymers, food, and feed);
 feedstocks: energy crops (e.g., oil crops, sugar crops, starch crops, lignocellulosic biomass,
marine biomass) and residues (lignocellulosic residues, oil based residues, organic residues);
 conversion processes: mechanical (e.g., fractionation, extraction, pressing, pretreatment),

biochemical (e.g., fermentation, AD, enzymatic conversion), thermochemical (e.g., gasification,
17
pyrolysis, hydrothermal processing) and chemical (e.g., acid hydrolysis, synthesis,
esterification, methanisation, hydrogenation, hydrolysis).
Figure 1. Biorefinery concepts

Source: de Jong and Jungmaier 2015.
Currently, many different biorefinery concepts are being developed, ranging from simple concepts,
using one feedstock (e.g., vegetable oil) and producing two or three products (e.g., biodiesel,
animal feed, glycerine) based on available commercial technologies. However, other biorefinery
concepts are very complex using many different feedstocks (e.g., algae, grasses or wood) that
produce a broad spectrum of different products (e.g., phenol, fatty acids, bioethanol, biodiesel)
using technologies that are not yet commercial. Biorefineries are usually referred to as of first
generation (based on food crops such as sugar starch or oil crops) or second generation (based on
lignocellulosic, non-food materials, such as agricultural residues, grasses or wood) or third
generation (using algae biomass). The most established type of biorefineries are first generation,
while second generation and third generation refineries are still under development due to
technical or economic challenges (de Jong and Jungmaier 2015.
Table 3 provides an overview of the main characteristics of different biorefineries. The stage of
development of biorefineries ranges from conceptual to large-scale demonstration with the focus
either on chemicals/materials or bioenergy, e.g. bifuels bio-heat and bio electricity as main
products. The deployment of the new biorefineries depends on the technical maturity of a range of
processes to produce biobased materials, biochemicals and energy and on the extent of integration
of different technologies and processes (Van Ree and Annevelink, 2007, Cherubini et al., 2009,
18
Rødsrud et al., 2012, IEA 2012b). The cost effective production of advanced lignocellulosic biofuels
has been a major driver for the development of biorefineries. The economic competitiveness
biorefineries is based on the production of high-value co-products in addition to low-value
bioenergy (JRC 2013). Figure 2 presents the high complexity of various biorefinery concepts, based
on different feedstock, using different processing technologies and their combinations and leading
to different products.
Table 4. Overview of the main characteristics of different biorefineries

Concept Type of feedstock Main technology Phase of Products
development
Conventional Starch (corn, wheat, Pretreatment, chemical Commercial Sugar, starch,
biorefineries cassava) and sugar and enzymatic hydro- oil, dietary
crops (sugarcane, lysis, catalysis, fermen- fibers, pulp and
sugar beet), wood tation, fractionation, paper
separation
Whole crop Whole crop, cereals Dry or wet milling, Pilot plant Starch, ethanol,
biorefineries (rye, wheat, maize) biochemical conversion (and Demo) DDGS*
Oleochemical Oil crops Pretreatment, chemical Pilot plant, Oil, glycerin,
biorefineries catalysis, fractionation, Demo, feed
separation commercial
Lignocellulosic Ligno cellulosic rich Pretreatment, chemical R&D/Pilot Cellulose,
feedstock biomass (e.g., straw, and enzymatic plant (EC), hemicelluloses,
biorefineries grass, wood) hydrolysis, catalysis, Demo (USA) lignin
fermentation, separation
Green Wet biomass: green Pretreatment, pressing, Pilot plant Proteins,
biorefineries crops and leaves fractionation, (and R&D) aminoacids,
(grass, clover, sugar separation, digestion lactic acid,
beet leaf) fibers
Marine Aquatic biomass Cell disruption, product R&D, pilot Oils,
biorefineries (microalgae and extraction and plant and carbohydrates,
macroalgae) separation Demo nutraceuticals
* DDGS - Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles
Source: de Jong and Jungmeier 2015.
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3 R&D Overview
3.1 EU R&D framework programmes
This section presents an overview on the most relevant EU-funded projects in the area of biomass
heat and power. It focuses on the Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation (2014-
2020) and its predecessors: the former Seventh Framework (FP7) and Intelligent Energy Europe
(IEE) programme, as well as SET-Plan flagship projects supporting biomass technologies. The data
on IEE projects was gathered from the IEE projects database.. The info on FP7 and H2020 projects
was collected from CORDIS database (European Commission Community Research and
Development Information Service) and other sources, while the SET-Plan flagship projects were
found in the document on ‘Implementation Plan for the SET-Plan Action 8 on Bioenergy and
Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport’ prepared by the Temporary Working Group (TWG) on
Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels (SET Plan 2018).
The data collection was set up for defined biochemical and thermochemical categories including the
sub-technologies which are used for the production of heat and power from biomass. The sub-
technologies which were presented in section 2 include: combustion, torrefaction, anaerobic
digestion, gasification, pyrolysis, and hydrothermal processing. Furthermore, projects indicated as
bio-refineries were also considered in this analysis, including integrated biomass conversion into a
range of products such as bio-chemicals and bio-materials, energy carriers, heat, electricity, and
fuels. The projects, denoted as support actions for bioenergy, which were dedicated to coordination
and support actions with the general goal of boosting the development and deployment of
bioenergy technology applications. Special attention has been given also to novel marine feedstock
(algae) that can contribute to the enlargement of the feedstock base for bioenergy that involve the
development and tailoring of a number of conversion technologies including integrated biorefineries
for the production of energy, biochemical and bio-materials.
500 100
Millions
400 80
Number of Projects
300 60
EURO
200 40
100 20
- 0
Biorefinery Bioenergy Combustion Anaerobic Algae Gasification Pyrolysis Torrefaction HTL
digestion
EU Funding Total Funding Number of Projects
Figure 3. EU funding for bioenergy technologies and number of projects
The analysis of the EU funded projects revealed that a number of 314 projects on biomass for heat
and power relating to technology development have been identified, totalling 1.4 billion Euros and
receiving 1 billion Euros as funding from the EU, addressing general bioenergy issues under the IEE
programme (IEE 2018), FP7 and H2020 RTD EU programmes (Cordis 2018).
20
These projects addressed general bioenergy issues, biomass combustion, torrefaction, AD, biomass
gasification, pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, algae production for energy purposes and
biorefineries. The number of bioenergy projects and the distribution of funding for different sub-
technology is provided in
500 100
Millions
400 80
Number of Projects
300 60
EURO
200 40
100 20
- 0
Biorefinery Bioenergy Combustion Anaerobic Algae Gasification Pyrolysis Torrefaction HTL
digestion
EU Funding Total Funding Number of Projects
Figure 3. Significant funding has been provided for biorefinery projects, AD, combustion and
gasification. Hydrothermal processing has received less funding, as being a new technology, the
research focussing on lab and pilot scale investigations. Other technologies are new and they are
still at the first stages (algae for bioenergy production). High number of projects was funded to
focus general bioenergy issues, followed by AD, gasification and combustion. There was a large
increase last years in the number and total funding on biorefineries that aimed at developing
various biorefinery concepts. Compared to general bioenergy issues and AD, fewer projects but
with higher value addressed biorefineries.
Gasification Gasification
6% Pyrolysis Torrefaction 6% Pyrolysis
5% 3% 5% Torrefaction
1%
Algae HTL Algae HTL

10% 2% 11% 2%
Anaerobic
digestion
11% Anaerobic Biorefinery
digestion 14%
21%
Biorefinery
Combustion 32%
12%
Combustion
Bioenergy Bioenergy
11%
19% 29%
Figure 4. Share of technology-related bioenergy projects

in terms of EU funds received (left) and number of projects (right)
21
200 200
EU Funding Number of Projects
150 150
EURO [Millions]
# Projects
100 100
50 50
- 0
Bosnia and…
Finland
France
Norway
Austria
Iceland
Turkey
Romania
Latvia
Serbia
Denmark
Germany
Italy
Spain
Greece
Poland
Ukraine
Faroe Islands
Macedonia
Netherlands
Ireland
Hungary
Slovakia
Cyprus
Belgium
Portugal
Bulgaria
Croatia
Estonia
Russian Federation
Czech Republic
Slovenia
Luxembourg
Lithuania
Malta
No Info
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kindgon
Figure 5. Total of the EU funding of the H2020 and FP7 Programmes grouped by country
Gasification
6% Pyrolysis
5% Torrefaction
1%
Algae HTL
11% 2%
Anaerobic Biorefinery
digestion 14%
21%
Combustion
Bioenergy
11%
29%
Figure 4 displays the share of various bioenergy projects in terms of the EU funds received and
number of projects awarded. It is possible to observe that biorefinery, bioenergy and AD projects
respond to around 60% of all EU funded projects. The biorefinery projects received almost 1/3 of
the EU funds, although the number of projects reaches only 13% of the total. Bioenergy projects
are in higher proportion (27% of the total); however, they received less than 20% of all EU funds.
The AD projects correspond to almost 1/5 of the projects and 11% of the total EU funds.
In general, the projects are executed by multiple institutions located in different countries. Figure 5
shows the distribution of the total EU funding related to the H2020 and FP7 Programmes grouped
by country. Germany is the leading country in terms of received funding (16% of the total),
followed by the Netherlands (9%), Italy (7%), UK (7%), Spain (6%) and France (6%). The
remaining European countries received altogether around 36% of the total EU funding. Note that
10% of the destination of the EU funds is not reported in the respective project description
available at the CORDIS portal.
22
3.2 Cross-cutting bioenergy issues
A large number of projects addressed various aspects of bioenergy production, such as biomass
potentials, markets, logistics, and policies, in order to promote the development and large scale
deployment of bioenergy production. A group of projects addressed the development of
cooperation on bioenergy, to establish structural cooperation between national bioenergy research
programmes. They also targeted to support bioenergy technology development and
implementation, policy actions and market strategies and identify and create synergies among
related R&D activities (BRISK, S2BIOM, Biofuels TP, FACCE SURPLUS) and to support the
contributions of biofuel and bioenergy stakeholders to the Strategic Energy Technology (SET)-Plan
(ETIP Bioenergy-SABS). Some projects aimed to encourage and facilitate cooperative research in
biomass across Europe (ERIFORE), or to establish post-graduate level curricula (BioEnergyTrain)
in key bioenergy disciplines. A project aimed to harmonise the calculations of GHG emissions for
electricity and heat from biomass (BioGRACE).
The aspects of whole bioenergy chains were investigated in several projects focussing on the
identification, evaluation and development of whole bioenergy chains to promote the
implementation of sustainable supply chain management practices or to support the sustainable
delivery of non-food biomass feedstock (BIOTEAM, SecureChain, Biomob). Several projects
focused on developing and promoting local supply chains in nature parks (BIOEUPARKS),
identifying, evaluating, initiating and upscaling bio-energy chains (MAKE-IT-BE, GRACE),
developing local supply chains of short rotation crops (SRCPLUS) and promoting efficient biomass
value chains through the use of best practices in the provision of biomass (AGRIFORVALOR,
ENABLING, PromoBio). The issue of logistics was addressed in several projects through the
implementation of biomass logistic centres in the agro-industry (SUCELLOG) for food and non-food
products (AGROinLOG) and through the identification of priority locations of biomass logistic and
trade centres (BioRES) for increasing the demand for woody bioenergy products.
GIS tools have been developed to provide information about sustainable biomass resources and
costs available in Mediterranean countries (Biomasud Plus), to provide information on the
regional supply and demand of wood chips, including information on biomass potential, on current
plants using wood chips (BASIS), as a user-friendly regional energy planning tool (BEN) and as
decision support system which allows both public decision makers and private operators to identify
the most suitable sites for biomass plant installations (BioEnerGIS).
Some projects aimed to identify opportunities for commercialisation of applied research and
improve biomass mobilisation (BIOMOB, BIOPROM) or to contribute to the development and
application of European quality standards and certification schemes for biomass (PELLCERT,
SolidStandards, QUALITY WOOD) in order to develop the bio fuel market and to overcome non-
technical barriers for the implementation of bioenergy. Some projects aimed to demonstrate high-
efficient polygeneration (ENERCOM) or the use of heat (Coolheating, Woodheat, Bio-Heat) and
to promote large scale investment to bring bioenergy close to the market (BESTF, BESTF2).
Few projects focussed to quantify the role of biomass can play to meet the 2020 targets
(BIOMASS FUTURES), to promote a more efficient and harmonized policy regulation framework,
needed to boost the market-pull of bio-based products (STAR-ProBio). Guidelines were
formulated for the development of a European bioenergy trade strategy (BIOTRADE2020PLUS)
and to develop integrated policies for the mobilisation of resource efficient bioenergy value chains
in order to contribute towards the 2020 and 2030 bioenergy targets (BIOMASSPOLICIES).
Several projects aimed at increasing the production, mobilisation and utilisation of biomass (AFO,
greenGain, BIOENERGY FARM uP_running, Woodheat Solutions,
BIOMASSTRADECENTRES), including through the exploitation of biomass from marginal lands
(contaminated, abandoned, fallow land) (FORBIO, SEEMLA). Other projects focussed on the
promotion of best practices (FOREST, BestRES, BioRegions) and the new business models
(Bioenergy4Business, PromoBio). Few projects aimed at developing of platforms of
stakeholders to address societal, environmental and economic challenges related to biomass
23
(BIOREG, BIOVOICES) and for better communication on the various bio-based products and
applications and their benefits.
Several projects addressed bioenergy market aspects, to raise awareness and provide information,
know-how transfer among stakeholders (CODE), to support market implementation and regional
bioenergy initiatives (MIXBIOPELLS, PromoBio, EUBIONET, BIOMASSTRADECENTRES), to
help remove barriers to market uptake (ADVANCEFUEL) to promote cross-border investments
(CROSSBORDERBIOENERGY).
3.3 Cross-cutting bioenergy issues: international projects

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has established Technology Collaboration Programmes to
provide a framework for international collaboration in energy technology R&D, demonstration and
information exchange. IEA Bioenergy facilitates co-operation to develop new and improved
energy technologies and introduce them into the market. A number of 23 parties participate:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States) and the European Commission. IEA Bioenergy
aims to increase knowledge and understanding of bioenergy systems to facilitate the
commercialisation and market deployment of environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and cost-
competitive bioenergy, and provide advice to policy and industrial decision makers. IEA Bioenergy
addresses a full range of bioenergy aspects, including biomass feedstocks, biomass combustion and
co-firing, energy recovery from waste, gasification, direct thermochemical liquefaction, biogas,
advanced biofuels, also focussing on sustainable biomass markets, international bioenergy trade
and the climate change effects of biomass and bioenergy systems (IEA Bioenergy 2018).
IEA Bioenergy Task 43 Biomass Feedstocks for Energy Markets provides analyses and policy-
relevant information on biomass feedstock, biomass markets and socioeconomic and environmental
consequences of feedstock production. Participating countries are: Australia, Belgium, Canada,
Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA. The
Task addresses commercial, near-commercial and promising feedstock production systems in
agriculture and forestry. The primary focus is on sustainable land use and land management of
biomass production. The Task carries out studies on trade-offs, compatibility and synergies
between food, fibre and energy production and the bio-economy. Research priorities include i)
landscape management and design for bioenergy and bio-economy; ii) developing effective supply
chains; iii) governance sustainability of bioenergy supply chains (IEA Bioenergy Task 43 2018).
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), as intergovernmental organisation,

serves as a platform for international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and a repository of policy,
technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the adoption
and sustainable use of renewable energy (RE) toward sustainable development, energy access,
energy security and low-carbon economic growth (IRENA 2018). IRENA carries out RE technology
briefs, cost and benefits studies, provides RE statistics, global atlas of resource potential, etc.
IRENA and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) have collaborated on a joint Project
Facility to support replicable and scalable RE projects in developing countries. ADFD committed
$350 million in concessional loans to RE projects. IRENA developed the Sustainable Energy
Marketplace to scale up investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing and
emerging countries to meet global climate and sustainable development goals. The IRENA Project
Navigator is an online platform providing comprehensive, easily accessible, and practical
information, tools and guidance to assist in the development of bankable projects.
The IEA Bioenergy project on Bioenergy RES Hybrids aims to make a review of the current
status of bioenergy RES hybrids and identifies those areas in the energy system where such
hybrids can play a strategic role. The main scope of this project is to monitor, review and evaluate
information from ongoing R&D&D programs and operating hybrid systems to create a better
understanding of the the current state of bioenergy hybrid technologies. The project plans to
identify promising hybrid solutions and perform a cost and market assessment for selected hybrid
24
processes. The project will finally draft preliminary roadmaps seeking for new renewable solutions
to facilitate transition to energy system towards future sustainable energy system.
In the United States, the Department of Energy's (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office
(BETO) oversees a research, development, demonstration, and deployment program that focuses
on how to improve five technical elements of bioenergy in order to lead to greater use of bioenergy
in the US. The program focuses R&D efforts on feedstock supply, conversion, and the improvement
of power generation technologies. The Conversion Research and Development Program of
BETO supports early-stage applied research in technologies for converting biomass feedstocks into
finished liquid transportation fuels—such as renewable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel—co-products or
chemical intermediates, and biopower. To achieve this goal, BETO is exploring a variety of
conversion technologies that can be combined into pathways, from feedstock to product. The Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) supports technical collaborations to promote
global deployment of US clean energy technologies.
The Bioenergy Systems for Viable Stationary Applications (BSVSA) program provides support
to overcoming the technical and cost barriers involved in the integration of locally-sourced biomass
into stationary energy systems. By delivering clearly-defined cost and technical performance
outcomes, the BSVSA program's research, analysis and demonstration activities will increase
business revenue and market opportunities while reducing energy generation costs. To unlock the
full market potential of the bioenergy value chain in Canada, the program's resources and projects
are planned through to 2018-19. The creation of a robust, next-generation domestic bioenergy
industry is one of the important pathways for providing sustainable, renewable energy alternatives.
Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (Agency for Renewable Resources, FNR) in Germany

coordinates research, development and demonstration projects on renewable energy within the
framework of the funding programme Renewable Resources of the German Federal Ministry of Food
and Agriculture. FNR also manages the part of the Energy and Climate Fund (EKF) which is
earmarked for bioenergy-related R&D. FNR also collects up-to-date knowledge on this topic and
makes it available to scientists, decision-makers and public. FNR coordinates German activities
related to renewable energy at European level, e.g. through participation in EC-funded projects.
The ERA-NET Bioenergy funded by the European Commission under FP6 (2004-2010), is a
network of national funding organisations that support bioenergy projects. ERA-NET Bioenergy has
so far funded ten calls: on clean (small-scale) combustion, biomass gasification gas cleaning, short
rotation coppice, sustainable forest management and optimised use of resources, biogas and
energy crops, small-scale heat and power production from solid biomass, integrated biorefinery
concepts, innovative bioenergy solutions and biobased economy projects. A consortium of nine EU
Member States and Associated Countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands,
Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK) is implementing the ERANET cofund activity entitled
Bioenergy Sustaining the Future (BESTF) that provides funding to collaborative bioenergy
projects that prove at least one innovative step and result in demonstration at a pre-commercial
stage. The purpose of combining the 2 ERA-NETs is to provide additional value compared to
national funding by supporting transnational research and knowledge exchange, and to thus
increase the use of biomass for energy. So far, BESTF and BESTF2 have launched 2 calls and
supported bioenergy demonstration projects that fit into one or more of seven EIBI value chains.
BESTF3 aims to implement a joint programme that demonstrate enhanced bioenergy technologies,
leveraging public-private partnerships to manage the risks and share the financing of close-to-
market bioenergy projects and encourage collaboration across the EU. BESTF3 main call was
launched on 1 December 2015 using the ERA-NET Cofund mechanism to support pre-
commercial bioenergy projects that demonstrate collaboration, innovation and industry focus. A
Joint Call for Proposals has been launched in October 2016 including 11 th Joint Call for Research
and Development Proposals of the ERA-NET Bioenergy and 1st additional Joint Call for Research and
Development Proposals of the BESTF3 on the topic: Bioenergy as part of a smart and flexible
energy system to fund innovative, transnational research, development and innovation projects.
Key elements include novelty beyond the state of the art and industry commitment. Projects may
focus on different bioenergy value chains or energy uses and address the economic, environmental
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and social sustainability. Projects should address solutions that enable full or improved usage of
the biomass feedstock and/or put the focus on residues, by-products and solutions that integrate
the production of different products/intermediates (chemicals, materials, bioenergy incl. biofuels).
The European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI) is one of the industrial initiatives
launched under the SET Plan, which is the technology pillar of the EU’s energy and climate policy.
European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative aims to accelerate key energy technologies for a low-
carbon future under the SET Plan, with risk and investment shared by the EU, Member States and
industry. The EIBI aims to contribute to the commercial availability of advanced bioenergy at large
scale by 2020, aiming at production costs which allow competitiveness with fossil fuels at the
prevailing economic and regulatory market conditions. EIBI further aims to contribute to advanced
biofuels (i.e. sustainable biofuels with a broader material base and/or better end product properties
than biofuels currently on the market) covering up to 4% of transportation energy needs by 2020.

Several projects aimed to promote the development of biogas production and of a biomethane
market (ATBEST, BiogasAction, BIOSURF, GreenGasGrids, ISABEL, Record Biomap, BIO-
METHANE REGIONS), by creating web-based platforms (GERONIMO) to provide access to the
relevant information on technology, financial support, and tools to help farmers plan, invest and/or
upgrade biogas plants, as well as for predicting the techno-economic feasibility for digestion using
various substrates (BiogasIN, FARMAGAS, SUSTAINGAS, BIOPROFARM). Some projects
focussed on the biomethane production and addressed the legal, organisational and financial
barriers for biomethane injection into the natural gas grid and its use in transport (BIOMASTER,
UrbanBiogas, BIO-METHANE REGIONS).
Various project investigated the improvement options for biogas production to optimise the bio-
methanisation and to increase the biogas yield through enzymes of agricultural organic matter in
order to produce energy for decreasing the energy cost (DEMETER, OptiMADMix). Some projects
focussed to develop of small-scale biogas installations that enable on-site treatment of feed left-
overs of farms and various organic wastes from agro-food industry (BioEnergy Farm II,
LEGUVAL, VegWaMus CirCrop). A two-phase (acid/gas) anaerobic process was also investigated,
where the acidogenic and the methanogenic stages are separated to allow optimization of both
stages (PHASESPLIT). While most projects focussed on the development and improvement of
mesophilic anaerobic digesters (OptiMADMix), few projects addressed thermophilic and low-
temperature AD (Lt-AD, 3CBIOTECH, PLASCARB) and studied the microbiology of bacteria and
the effects of various conditions (Waste2bioHy, SMART TANK).
Different projects addressed the AD of various residues, including food waste, brewers' spent
grains, citrus fruit residues, wineries’ effluents, waste from fish farms, residues from food and
beverage industry, animal waste and wastewaters from food and drinks sector, aquaculture or from
slaughterhouses (AD-WINE, BiFFiO, ADAW, FABBIOGAS, Lt-AD, ORION, VicInAqua). Biogas
innovative concepts and approaches for wastewater treatment plants were investigated
(POWERSTEP, LTANITRO). Some projects focussed on the use of AD of crops to produce biogas
(CROPGEN), assessing biogas yield based on several raw materials as substrates, including
cellulose-rich materials (straw, wood, grass) (GR3). They aimed to optimise and demonstrate
innovative approaches to improve biogas yield and energy output and to develop and demonstrate
an automatic monitoring for agricultural biogas plants (AD-WISE, ANAMIX, PHASEPLIT).
Pre-treatment methods were also investigated to enable the co-digestion for municipal, agricultural
and other organic waste to enhance the production of biogas, including biological and thermal
treatments and addressed the issue of enzymatic degradation of biomass (DEMETER,
WASTE2GO, BIOMAN, MICRODE, THERCHEM, VALORGAS). Different biomass pre-treatment
methods were tested to minimise energy losses and better reactor designs were investigated
(OptiMADMix). Pre-treatment methods also addressed valorisation of poultry or pig manure to
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reduce the ammonia emissions or aimed to sanitise sludge for AD and further use in agriculture
(ROUTES). Some projects focussed to develop monitoring plant performance and control systems
for AD plants based on a real-time volatile fatty acid measurement system (OPTI-VFA, AD-
WISE), to control the plant automatically and reacting in real-time to variable loading or toxic
events (SHEPHERD) or to control the use of biogas in biogas engines (CONDIMON).
Many projects addressed the AD of various biomass streams to produce biogas for electricity and
heat (F2W2F, BioROBURplus). Several projects focussed on producing biogas to natural gas
quality to be injected into natural gas grid (Bin2Grid), or biogas upgrading and reforming of
biogas to be used in micro gas turbines or fuel cells (BioROBUR, Prometheus-5, DEMOSOFC)
with the production of hydrogen (BIONICO, BioROBURplus, H2AD, Waste2bioHy) or value-
added chemicals (ENGICOIN). The issue of heat use from biogas plants was also addressed to
increase the efficiency of biogas production (BiogasHeat).
The issues of digestate treatment and valorisation were addressed to produce balanced fertilizers
and obtain liquid fertilizers with high organic matter content, for transforming the digestion
effluents into bio-fertilisers (INEMAD, BIOFERLUDAN). Some projects focussed to develop
processes for converting biodegradable fractions of agri and industrial waste as well as municipal
and animal solid waste into high value-added products, biogas and organic based fertilizer
(3CBIOTECH, BIOWASTE4SP, PHARM AD, WASTE2GO BIOGAS3). Some projects aimed to
demonstrate innovative concepts and design schemes of wastewater treatment (LTANITRO,
BIOWET, PHASEPLIT, 3CBIOTECH) and carbon extraction and nitrogen and phosphorus
recovery (BIOFERLUDAN NUTREC, PLASMANURE, ADD-ON). A project addressed the removal
of micropollutants or pharmaceutical residues from sludge and wastewaters (PHARM AD).
3.4.2 Anaerobic digestion: international projects

The IEA Bioenergy Task 37 Energy from Biogas addresses the technical, economic and
environmental aspects of biogas production and utilisation. Task 37 covers the AD of biomass
feedstocks including agricultural residues (e.g. manure and crop residues), energy crops, waste
waters, the organic fraction of municipal of solid waste and industrial organic wastes. Task 37
addresses the whole biogas chain from feedstock collection and pre-treatment to biogas upgrading,
biofertiliser application and process chain sustainability. Task 37 focuses on: i) sustainable
digestion of substrates, associated reactor configurations and utilisation of biogas; ii) externalities
of biogas systems; iii) technical support to policy makers and to the public. The country
participation includes Australia, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland,
Korea, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom. The work will address:
biogas production from wastes, residues and by-products, international applications of biogas
facilities, reactor configurations and operating parameters, biogas upgrading systems, gas grid
injection processes, and methods of greening of the gas grid and smart grid applications. The
analysis of socio-economic aspects of biogas utilisation include the real cost of biogas systems,
including the benefits and disadvantages such as methane leakage (IEA Task 37, 2018).
Biogas production from wet-waste biomass, wastewater treatment and landfill gas recovery is
expanding in a number of countries. Biogas upgrading to biomethane is increasing, for the use as a
vehicle fuel or for injection into the natural gas grid. Worldwide, biogas is produced primarily by
landfill based plants or small-scale family digesters. Biogas support programmes have been carried
out in low-income countries to develop small, domestic-scale systems to provide biogas for
cooking, as an alternative source to reduce firewood consumption avoid deforestation and decrease
indoor air pollution. Several countries in Asia (China, Thailand, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka and Pakistan) have large programmes for domestic biogas production (REN21 2016,
Kapoor et al 2013, Vögeli et al 2014). China had an estimated 100,000 modern biogas plants and
43 million residential-scale digesters in 2014, generating about 15 billion m3 of biogas, equivalent
to 9 billion m³ biomethane (324 TJ), producing heat and fuel, used primarily for cooking. The
Medium-and-Long Term Development Plan for Renewable Energy requires reaching by 2020
about 80 million household biogas plants, 8000 large-scale biogas projects with an installed
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capacity of 3000 MW and an annual biogas production of 50 billion m 3 (REN21 2016, Jingming
2014). In the last years, modern biogas plants have been built, with the installed electricity
capacity of biogas plants reaching 330 MW in 2015 and 350 MW in 2016 (Laurens et al 2017).
In India, the National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) is being
implemented for the promotion of small-scale biogas plants for producing fuel for cooking. NBMMP
provides for setting up of family-type biogas plants mainly for rural and semi-urban/households,
that generates biogas from cattle dung and other bio-degradable materials. Biogas generation aims
to achieve the following benefits: (i) provide clean fuel for cooking and lighting; (ii) use of digested
slurry from biogas plants; (iii) improvement of sanitation. In 2014, there were about 4.75 million
farm size operational biogas plants, equivalent to a potential of about 12 million family size biogas
plants, which could generate more than 10 billion m3 biogas /year (about 30 million m3/day). India
plans to install 110,000 biogas plants from 2014 to 2019. So far, the installed electricity capacity of
biogas plants reached 179 MW in 2015 and 187 MW in 2016 (NBMMP).
Nepal has one of the most successful biogas programmes, with more than 330,000 household
biogas plants installed under the Biogas Support Program and providing fuel for cooking purposes
(REN21 2016). In Vietnam, the Biogas Program for the Animal Husbandry Sector of
Vietnam started in 2003 and aims at developing commercial biogas plants, which led to 125,000
plants constructed until 2013 and 183,000 biogas plants until 2015. A National Domestic Biogas
and Manure Program has been initiated in 2006 for rural and off-grid areas of Bangladesh, that
resulted in about 36,000 domestic digesters installed by 2015, mainly for generating cooking gas.
It is estimated that about 500–600 commercial biogas units are currently operational in the
country in medium- to large-sized animal farms and generate electricity. There is a plan to reach a
target of 100,000 biogas plants by 2020 and to install at least 130 commercial biogas digester
systems by 2017 with an average capacity of 50 kW. A lower number of domestic biogas plants
have been installed in Sri Lanka, with 6,000 biogas units and Pakistan with a number of 4,000
biogas plants (Kapoor 2013, Bertsch and Marro 2015).
Large volumes of waste are available in Africa, but biogas production is still less developed than in
other regions. Biogas digesters are being installed in several countries (Burundi, Botswana,
Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria,
Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe) (Biogas for Better Life Business
Plan). National programs in Africa are currently implemented in Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Benin, and Burkina Faso (Austin G. and Morris G. 2012). In
Africa, a Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP) is being supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Netherlands and Netherlands Development Organisation. This programme aimed at
developing national biogas programmes in five African countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania,
Uganda and Burkina Faso) for building 100,000 domestic biogas plants to provide access to
energy for a half a million people by 2017. The programme has led to the installation of almost
16000 biogas plans in the five countries (16,419 in Kenya, 13,584 in Ethiopia, 13,037 in
Tanzania, 6,504 in Uganda and 7,518 in Burkina Faso) (Anon 2017). The African “Biogas for
Better Life” initiative aims to provide two million household biogas digesters by 2020 to substitute
traditional cooking fuels (wood fuel and charcoal) and provide clean energy for cooking for at 10
million people (van Nes, W. J. and Nhete 2007).
In Latin America, some agricultural biogas plants and several domestic biogas plants have been set
up for rural households and biogas has also being extracted from several landfills. The Network
for Biodigesters in Latin America and the Caribbean (RedBioLAC) promotes the development
of small bio-digesters in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. Bolivia is
the leader with over 1000 domestic biogas plants installed. Large-scale biogas plants have been
built to use effluents from palm oil mills and large agricultural operations in Colombia, Honduras
and Argentina. Brazil had 127 biogas plants using agricultural and industry residues, biowaste,
sewage sludge, and landfill gas recovery which produced about 1.6 million Nm3/day, (584 billion
m3 biogas/year) representing 3,835 GWh of energy in 2015. The installed electricity capacity of
biogas plants has increased significantly in the last years, reaching 196 MW in 2015 and 450 MW in
2016 (Kapoor 2013, Vögeli 2013, IEA 2017, Murphy 2017).
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In the United States, there were more than 2,100 biogas plants, of which 247 farm-based
digestion plants using livestock manure, 654 biogas recovery plants from landfill sites (US EPA
Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP)). From a number of 15,000 Waste Water Treatment
Plants (WWTPs) in the United States, there were about 1,240 WWTPs operating anaerobic digesters
producing biogas. Most of the on-farm AD plants in the country generated electricity (981 GWh in
2015) to meet the farm needs, and to supply electricity to the grid. The installed biogas electricity
capacity reached 2400 MW in 2015 and 2438 MW in 2016. Almost all of wastewater biogas plants
are installed at large scale facilities, treating from one to hundreds of millions of gallons per day of
wastewater (US EPA 2017).
In Denmark, Lemvig Biogas has been the largest thermophilic biogas plant since 1992. Slurry
from 75 farms and various wastes are co-digested to produce biogas for heat and power. The plant
co-digests cattle and pig manure and slurries with biowaste (fish waste, household waste,
slaughterhouse waste, soft drinks, alcohol, pharmaceutical waste). The plant processes yearly
about 226,000 tonnes of biomass, consisting of 183,000 tonnes of manure and slurries and 43,000
tonnes industrial waste. The produced biogas it converted into electricity and heat using an
Jenbacher 316 gas-engine (836 kW electricity, 968 kW heat). In 2013, a new Caterpillar engine
(1560 kW) was installed. More than 21 million kWh of electricity is generated every year. The
surplus heat from the gas engine cooling that exceeds 18 million kWh is sold to households.
Sønderjysk Biogas Plant Bevtoft (installed in 2016 with € 33 million investment) can co-digest
over 600,000 tons of biomass yearly and has a capacity of 21 million Nm3 of biomethane per year.
The feedstock used includes farm slurry, straw and organic waste from the industrial sector. The
AD process takes place in two steps. The first step is thermophilic, at 52 °C, and the second step is
mesophilic, at 35 °C. The produced biogas is upgraded to biomethane through an amine scrubber
chemical absorbtion process (Puregas Solutions biogas upgrading process). The selective organic
solvents used are highly efficient, resulting in an end product containing more than 99 % methane.
In Australia, covered anaerobic ponds are the most common digester technology used to capture
manure methane at Australian piggeries. Located near Young in New South Wales, Blantyre
Farms, with approximately 22,000 pigs, was the first piggery in Australia to install a commercial-
scale system to generate power from methane from an anaerobic (covered pond) system. The
ponds are covered with a high density polyethylene (HDPE) cover. Biogas is used to produce
electricity. To recover and use waste heat, biogas-fired engines at Australian piggeries are
commonly fitted with heat exchangers. The waste heat is then recovered in the form of water at
70–80˚C, which is used for heating. Future development may involve the upgrading biogas to
biomethane and use it excess for vehicle fuel use. Natural gas grids are not typically located in
close vicinity to Australian piggeries. There has also been increasing interest to combine waste
streams from a range of industry sectors, but relatively large distances between farms and
fragmented supply chains are important barriers for development.
In Brazil, ITAIPU Binacional and the International Center on Renewable Energies – Biogás /
CIBiogás have established a partnership to develop a demonstration biogas plant to digest grass
cuttings, food waste and sewage effluent generated at the Itaipu Binational complex. The residues
digested include: 15 t per month of food waste; 30 t per month of grass; 300 m 3 per month of
sewage to produce 9000 m3 of biomethane per month. The biogas is refined to biomethane with a
patented process developed in Brazil, that integrates water scrubbing and pressure swing
adsorption. The biomethane produced is supplied to over 60 ITAIPU Binacional vehicles. The
demonstration is intended to allow replication across Brazil and to facilitate the development of a
large number of urban residue biomethane facilities.
The waste treatment company Attero in the Netherlands, operates a green gas hub at Wijste
that collects local biogas, combining the refining and injection steps for a number of digesters.
Organic household refuse is separated from the grey waste stream and is digested separately. The
Wijster plant is equipped with three installations for refining biogas to natural gas quality: a
Pressure Swing Absorbtion (PSA) system; a water scrubber; and a membrane installation that, in
addition to green gas, produces pure liquid CO2 for the use in horticulture. A fourth installation at
29
Wijster is used to refine biogas to bio-LNG, a pilot project run by the Iveco Schouten. The biogas is
supplied to the cryogenic installation, which is used to produce green gas to fuel lorries.
The Omnis/CPFL Biogas Project is a R&D project in Brazil that generates biogas from sugarcane
vinasse, a wastewater derived from ethanol production, in a low-rate lagoon-based UASB reactor
with a design throughput of 40 m3 per hour. This low-cost anaerobic reactor (investment $2
million) full-scale R&D facility aims to optimize the biochemical process and assess the quality of
digestate for sugarcane cultivation. The facility is based on a 14,400 m³ lagoon-based UASB
reactor (3 cells), mesophilic; with about 3,200,000 m³ biogas produced per year (533 m³/h).
Biogas is biologically desulfurized in a packed-bed tower and used as fuel in a 1.1 MWe CHP unit to
produce electricity for export to the grid; digestate is used as a fertilizer.
Ringkøbing – Skjern Municipality in Denmark has adopted an energy supply plan aiming to
make it self-sufficient with renewable energy by 2020. The biogas will be produced in 40-60
decentralised farm scale biogas plants, connected by a biogas pipeline to the municipal CHP plants.
The biogas potential is estimated at 30 million Nm3 methane from animal manure and slurry and
30 million Nm3 methane from energy crops. The first stage of the project entailed the
establishment of five decentralised biogas plants, all connected to Skjern District Heating Plant.
The premises for implementing first stage have since changed to ensure better utilisation of the
waste heat in the district heating system. A wood chip fired biomass boiler has also been installed.
Sweden is world leading both in terms of automotive use of compressed and liquefied biomethane.
Since 2012, liquefied biogas (LBG) is produced at the Lidköping Biogas Plant using waste from
the food industry, which is a fuel attractive for long-distance road haulage applications, having a
higher energy density. Today, only the amine scrubbing technology and cryogenic upgrading have
the potential to achieve high purity in one step. The LBG is produced by cryogenic technologies,
such as reverse nitrogen Brayton cycle or mixed refrigerant cycle. Existing biomethane liquefaction
plants are operating in Sweden, Norway, UK, The Netherlands, USA and Philippines.
The biogas digester of the company Biogas Zürich started operation in 2013, built on the former
composting site close to the wastewater treatment plant Werdhölzli, Zurich in Switzerland.
Zurich Werdhölzli is the biggest in Switzerland, composed of a mechanical, a biological, a chemical
treatment and a filtration unit. The sludges from the mechanical (primary sludge) and biological
treatment (secondary sludge) are subjected to AD to generate energy. The biogas plant uses
thermophilic process (>52 °C) for biowaste from households, green wastes from landscape
management and private companies (25 Million CHF investment). The plant produces 12,180 MWh
per year biogas. The raw biogas from both plants (biowaste and sludge) is transported by pipeline
to an upgrading station with a capacity of 1,400 Nm3/h. By removal of trace gases, H2S and CO2,
the biogas is transformed into biomethane which is injected into the natural gas grid.
30
New techniques were created for measurements of key parameters to develop diagnostic
techniques for combustion (TUCLA) in order to enhance the understanding of combustion
phenomena. Computer simulation tools and numerical investigations of the burning were also
developed to facilitate the analysis and design of improved combustion systems (SYNGAS,
VADEMECOM) by means of experimental, theoretical, and numerical simulation approaches.
Research focussed to analyse and model turbulent combustion phenomena (MILESTONE, HPC4E,
HYBURN), to use new high performance computing techniques to run combustion simulations to
design efficient furnaces, engines, etc.
Several projects focused to develop and demonstrate various concepts and approaches for energy
recovery from various waste materials and other biomass feedstock and covered the supply chain
(solid recovered fuels) (ENERCORN). The production of biochar and application to soil was tackled
as a novel approach to establish a significant long-term sink for CO2 (BIOCHARISMA). Some
projects also focussed on developing residential boilers based on liquid fuels combustion
(BIOLIQUIDS-CHP), the utilization of pyrolysis oil from biomass residues (Residue2Heat) and to
integrate catalysts into wood stoves to improve the burning process and reduce emissions
(BIOCAT). Some projects aimed to develop improved low-cost woodchips feeding system
providing appropriate fuel blends for small-scale and medium size heating plants
(BIOCHIPFEEDING).
Some projects focused their work to study of the combustion behaviour of biomass fuels, of the
ash fusion behaviour (Biofficiency, ASHMELT). The issue of biomass and ash composition was
addressed in several projects, investigating the melting ash behaviour to achieve a clear
understanding of the complex release chemistry of alkali metals (ASHMELT), to identify
mechanisms for deposit formation and the behaviour of aerosols from biomass and to developed
simulation tools for aerosol and deposit formation. Several projects addressed the issues of the
pollutant and particulate emissions (BIOCAT, EU-UltraLowDust, BioMaxEff, CYCLOMB) and
focused to develop cost effective dry gas cleaning and particle removal systens based on ceramic
catalytic active filter candles or variable-geometry design systems. Some projects also addressed
the development of low emission small-scale biomass combustion, for a range of residential
biomass heating applications and for high efficiency performance small scale biomass boilers (EU-
UltraLowDust, BioMaxEff).
Co-firing process was tested to achieve higher shares of biomass through advanced co-firing
techniques (DEBCO) to develop and demonstrate innovative approaches to efficient co-utilisation
of low quality biomasses and Solid Recovered Fuels (RECOMBIO). Research also aimed to improve
the performances of combustion power plants by increasing steam temperature and pressure in
new ultra-supercritical power plants (MACPLUS). A project focussed on a power plant concept
based on flexible high-efficiency air-firing and oxygen-firing of fossil fuels with biomass and carbon
capture through demonstration tests at upgrade to commercial scale (FLEXI BURN CFB). Some
projects worked to develop CHP systems with internal combustion engines or gas turbines to use a
variety of bioliquids including pyrolysis oil or to burn hydrogen-rich fuels from coal or biowaste
gasification (BIOLIQUIDS-CHP, GREENEST). Several projects worked to develop hybrid systems
that combine biogas or hydrogen, with PV or concentrated solar or combining a micro gas turbine
and a solid oxide fuel cell to use biogas (HRC POWER, Bio-HyPP).
Several projects focussed to demonstrate cost-effective and high efficiency large scale energy
generation systems using medium-temperature (150-400 ºC) (PITAGORAS) and low-temperature
(30-150 ºC) (LOVE, PITAGORAS, ICARUS) waste heat. Some projects aimed to develop small
scale (1 to 50 kWe) (DeReco, ICARUS, ORC-PLUS) to large scale (such as 100 kWe ORC) waste
heat recovery systems (FOUNDENERGY) and up to large scale district heating (750 kWe ORC)
(SUNSTORE 4). These projects aimed to select the most suitable fluid, to develop with advanced
guidance and control systems, and to achieve optimal integration of thermodynamic cycles in order
to increase the electrical conversion efficiency with advanced guidance and control system (TASIO,
31
FOUNDENERGY). Fundamental research was carried out into thermodynamics and heat transfer
to design and develop new heat exchangers and new anticorrosive materials (UP-THERM) and for
the estimation of the thermophysical and transport properties of nanofluids (NanoORC). Some
projects combined several renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, CO 2 heat pump and
biomass in in new hybrid systems (PITAGORAS, SUNSTORE 4, HRC POWER) to produce
electricity.
3.5.2 Biomass combustion: international projects

Biomass combustion is operational and provides over 90% of the energy generated from biomass.
Biomass combustion can be integrated with existing infrastructure in comparison to other
thermochemical conversion technologies that require further development to reach commercial
operation (i.e. gasification, pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction). Combustion still needs to be
improved and optimised to become cost efficient in comparison to conventional fossil technologies.
The IEA Bioenergy Task 32 Biomass Combustion and Co-firing works on further expansion of
the use of biomass combustion for heat and power generation, with special emphasis on small and
medium scale CHP plants. The Task collects and analyses strategic, technical and non-technical
information on biomass combustion and co-firing applications, in order to increase acceptance and
performance in terms of environment, costs and reliability (IEA Bioenergy Task 32, 2018). IEA
Bioenergy Task 32 is organised by formulating joint projects between participating members and
industry. The country participation includes Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland. The activities focus on:
i) market introduction for expanding the use of biomass combustion at a short term; ii)
optimisation of biomass combustion technology to remain competitive at a longer term.
The IEA Bioenergy Task 36 Integrating Energy Recovery into Solid Waste Management
aims to facilitate exchange of information on technical and non-technical issues related to the
integration of energy into waste management (IEA Bioenergy Task 36, 2018). The Task works in
close collaboration with Task 37 (on anaerobic digestion) and 32 (on biomass combustion and co-
firing) on relevant issues, such as end of waste protocols and life cycle assessment. Task 36
includes initiatives to promote market deployment for sustainable energy generation from biomass,
to stimulate interaction between RD&D programmes, international organisations industry and
decision makers. The participating countries in this Task are France, Germany, Italy and Sweden.
Task 36 examines the technology and trends of waste for energy (gasification, small scale and
waste derived fuels), economics of energy systems and commercial availability. Specific actions
relate to the analysis of recent and future trends to convert solid waste into liquid fuels and other
commodities, including waste feedstocks, technologies, applications and drivers (with Task 33).
Another activity relates to the examination of the role that energy from waste has to play in a
circular economy, including the recovery of materials and by-products from waste.
Programs for renewable energy in the United States in general include the Improved Energy
Technology Loan program, the USDOE Loan Guarantee program, and Advanced Energy Research
Project Grants. All three of these programs are for commercial or research projects that would
either reduce air pollutants and GreenHouse Gases (GHG) or reduce the dependence on energy
imports. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed in 2014 a Clean Power Plan under the
Climate Action Plan. The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) in the United States oversees
a research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) program that focusses on how
to improve five technical elements of bioenergy to lead to greater use of bioenergy in the US. The
program focuses R&D efforts on feedstock supply, conversion, and the improvement of power
generation technologies.
In India distributed/decentralized renewable power projects using bioenergy, wind energy, hydro
power and hybrid systems are being established to meet the energy demand of remote
communities. The main objectives are: supporting RD&D to make such systems more reliable and
cost-effective, demonstration, field testing, strengthening manufacturing base for off-grid
renewable energy, addressing biomass heat and power and industrial waste to-energy projects;
32
biomass gasifiers for rural and industrial applications. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE) has initiated several programmes for the promotion of biomass technologies and biomass
power & cogeneration for promoting technologies for optimal use of biomass for grid power
generation. A total of 288 biomass power and cogeneration projects with a 2665 MW capacity have
been installed, consisting of 130 biomass power projects with a 999 MW capacity and 158 bagasse
cogeneration projects in sugar mills with a capacity of 1666 MW. In addition, around 30 biomass
power projects aggregating to about 350 MW are under various stages of implementation. Around
70 cogeneration projects are under implementation with a capacity of 800 MW.
In India a National Biomass Cookstoves Initiative (NBCI) was launched by MNRE in 2009 to
enhance the use of improved biomass cookstoves and to design and develop efficient, cost
effective, durable and easy to use devices. The initiative stressed the setting up of state-of-the-art
testing, certification and monitoring facilities and strengthening R&D programmes. The project A
New Initiative for Improved Cookstoves: Preparatory Activities for Launch aimed to assess
the status of various types of cookstoves and their suitability, to prepare an action plan for
development and deployment of improved cookstoves. As a part of National Biomass Cookstoves
Initiative, pilot projects were taken up for demonstration of community size cookstoves. As follow
up to the National Biomass Cook Stove Initiative (NBCI), MNRE initiated a new proposal for
promoting the development and deployment of Biomass Cookstoves during the 12 th Plan Period.
3.5.3 Torrefaction
Several projects focussed on the development of a process for large-scale production of torrefied
bioenergy carriers for the use in power plants, as an intermediate energy carrier and in chemical
industry. involving co-firing experiments, addressing process development, optimisation and
characterisation of torrefied biomass, having in view the development of new standards (SECTOR).
The projects focussed on the development of torrefaction and densification technology for a broad
biomass feedstock range including clean woody biomass, forestry residues or agro-residues
(SECTOR, SteamBio).
A project investigated thermal carbonisation, and hydrothermal carbonisation to produce biochar

(EUROCHAR). A project investigated the thermochemical conversion of sewage sludge into biochar
and synthesis gas that is further used to generate electricity via a gas engine (PYROCHAR),
transforming municipal sewage sludge into useful charcoal (or biochar) and synthetic gas (or
syngas). A project aimed to demonstrate a mobile concept enabling efficient pre-treatment of agro-
forestry residues with superheated steam processing at high temperatures, allowing economic
recovery of chemicals (SteamBio). A project aimed to demonstrate scale up of torrefaction
technology using wood waste feedstock, integrated in a large-scale, industrially functional steel mill
(Torero). A project aims at demonstrating at large scale the use of low quality biomass feedstock
to produce an intermediate product with a high calorific value and good transport, storage and
usage characteristics (TORR).
3.5.4 Torrefaction: international projects

In 2013, Topell Energy delivered a total of 2,300 tons of black pellets for a large-scale co-firing
test to the Amer power plant of RWE Essent in the Netherlands to produce green electricity. The
co-milling and co-firing took place at a rate of up to 25%. Critical items addressed during the test
were dust formation, milling properties and burner stability. The trials therefore confirmed that
high quality ‘biopellets’ can be produced and co-fired at large commercial scale with no adverse
effect on milling and burning (Blackwood 2018).
Blackwood’s testing facility located at Prodock in the Port of Amsterdam is used for torrefaction
test work for clients and for Blackwood’s R&D programs. The test facility consists of a test reactor
and a testing lab for standard lab analysis. The test facility is used for determining the suitability
for torrefaction of specific types of feedstock, as well as getting input for feasibility and engineering
studies. Many different types of biomass feedstock have been successfully tested. Besides all kinds
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of woody biomass, other types of tested feedstocks include: straw, PKS, EFB, coconut shells, cocoa
shells, miscanthus, elephant grass and olive residues.
A Dutch paper mill operates a CFB CHP Blackwood installation, which uses paper mill residues
and forest residues to produce electricity and steam for paper production. Due to the low fuel
quality, natural gas was always used as a support fuel. The use of torchips (torrefied wood chips
from forest residues), lead to an improvement of the overall fuel quality, the CFB could operate
without the need for natural gas as support fuel. This has led to a significant cost reduction.
Topell demo plant Duiven, the Netherlands. To develop and show-case industrial scale
torrefaction of biomass, Topell Energy built an industrial scale (7 tons/hr output) demo plant in
Duiven in 2010. From 2011 until 2013 the plant has been improved, driving production volume and
quality towards the design specifications while incorporating fundamental learning into the
installation. In the second half of 2013 and important milestone was reached: the world’s first
industrial scale production of torrefied pellets. The plant has been operational until 2014.
Co-firing tests at Amer power plant. After the proof of concept of the demo plant in 2013, a
large co-firing test was conducted in a consortium with RWE Essent, Vattenfall Nuon and GDF SUEZ
at the 600 MWe Amer 9 power plant in Geertruidenberg, the Netherlands. In total approximately
2,500 tons of torrefied pellets were co-fired at different co-firing rates. The test proved that
torrefied pellets are a superior biofuel compared to regular wood pellets. Torrefied biomass can
replace coal without additional investments as needed for co-firing wood pellets. The co-firing test
was sponsored by the TKI Biobased Economy.
Two co-firing tests with Blackwood pellets were conducted in 2015 and 2016, at the Hanasaari
and Salmisaari power plants of Helen Oy in Helsinki, Finland with torrefied pellets, to produce
green electricity and heat. The torrefied pellets were produced using the torrefaction technology of
Blackwood Technology. During these tests up to 30% of coal was replaced by torrefied pellets,
without the need for special biomass infrastructure. The tests proved that the higher calorific value,
easier grindability and higher durability make Blackwood pellets the ideal coal replacement for
existing coal fired power plants.
In Canada, British Columbia Bioenergy Network (BCBN) funded in 2014 $1 million to

Diacarbon Energy to demonstrate its Torrefaction Bioreactor Technology. BCBN is an industry-led
association that acts as a catalyst for deploying near-term bioenergy technologies and organizing
research for the development and demonstration of sustainable bioenergy capability in BC.
Diacarbon will produce a renewable and sustainable biocoal derived from wood residuals to displace
coal used by Lafarge Canada's cement operations in British Columbia. This BCBN funding
complements $1.1 million from Sustainable Development Technology Canada and $7.0 million from
private investors. The project involves the establishment of a fully automated torrefaction facility
that will process wood residuals and demonstrate the production of biomass-based solid fuels.
Torrefaction is also being developed in the United States. Zilkha Biomass Selma (ZBS) plant
that started the use of pellets in 2015 in Selma, Alabama. This plant is the first full-scale
commercial Black pellet facility in the world, with an annual production capacity of 275,000 metric
tons supplying durable, water-resistant pellets to the bioenergy market. Feedstock is sourced from
the low-value fiber of sawmills and sustainably managed forests in Alabama.
Andritz has built a 1 t/h Torrefaction Demo Plant in Sønder Stenderup, Denmark that
incorporates biomass (wood chip) drying torrefaction, pelletizing. The project is partially funded by
the Danish EUDP, (Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme). The Danish
Technology Institute (DTI), and Drax and Dong are involved as part of the EUDP team. Energy
Research Center of the Netherlands (ECN) is a consultant to Andritz on the design of the
torrefaction technology to be involved in the commissioning and optimization of the demo plant.
Table 5 presents a selection of of torrefaction plants worldwide showing the technology used,
capacity and TRL level.
34
Table 5. Selection of torrefaction plants worldwide
Capacity
Country Developer Technology TRL
(tonnes/year)
Austria Andritz Rotary drum TRL 6-7 8,000
Belgium Torr-Coal B.V. Rotary drum TRL 9 30,000
Belgium CMI NESA Multiple hearth TRL 6-7 Undefined
Canada Airex Cyclonic bed TRL 6-7 16,000
Canada Airex Cyclonic bed TRL 4-5 Undefined
Canada Airex Cyclonic bed TRL 4-5 Undefined
Denmark Andritz / ECN Moving bed TRL 6-7 10,000
Finland Torrec Moving bed TRL 6-7 10,000
France LMK Energy Moving bed TRL 6-7 20,000
France CEA Multiple hearth TRL 1-3 Undefined
Indonesia Hip Lik Green Energy N/A TRL 9 100,000
Ireland Arigna Fuels Screw reactor TRL 9 20,000
Netherlands Horizon Bioenergy Oscillating belt conveyor TRL 9 45,000
Netherlands Topell Energy Fluidised bed TRL 9 60,000
Netherlands Konza Renewable Fuels Rotary drum TRL 6-7 5,000
Spain Grupo Lantec Moving bed TRL 6-7 20,000
Spain CENER Rotary drum TRL 4-5 Undefined
Sweden BioEndev Screw reactor TRL 6-7 16,000
UK Clean Electricity Generation Oscillating bed TRL 9 30,000
UK Rotawave Microwave TRL 1-3 Undefined
US Solvay/New Biomass Energy Screw reactor TRL 9 80,000
US Agri-Tech Producers LLC Screw reactor TRL 6-7 13,000
US Earth Care Products Rotary drum TRL 6-7 20,000
US Integro Earth Fuels, LLC Multiple hearth TRL 6-7 11,000
US River Basin Energy Fluidised bed TRL 6-7 7,000
US Teal Sales Inc Rotary drum TRL 9 20,000
US Agri-Tech Producers LLC Screw reactor TRL 4-5 Undefined
US Terra Green Energy Multiple hearth TRL 4-5 Undefined
US Wyssmont Multiple hearth TRL 4-5 Undefined
Scale and status: Pilot scale: 50 kg/h - 500 kg/h; Demo scale: > 500 kg/h - 2 ton/h; Commercial scale: > 2ton/h).
Source: Cremers et al 2015, ETIP, 2018.
3.5.5 Pyrolysis
Much of the focus has been on developing pyrolysis process, scaling up reactor, improving pyrolysis
oil quality impact on downstream processing focussing on one-step or two-step pyrolysis, catalytic
and non-catalysic pyrolysis for the production of heat and/or power, biochemical and renewable
fuels from pilot, pre-commercial to full scale operation. Several projects aimed to generate process
data of pyrolysis oil production to produce bio-oil and biochar from biomass, to improve the
understanding of fast pyrolysis mechanisms (ENV-BIO), to determine the best operating
conditions, and to improve the process and design of pyrolysis reactors (MICROFUEL, BIO-GO-
For-Production, PYROCHEM). Some projects addressed bio-oil cleaning and improving the
quality of the bio-oil produced and the development of the integrated bio-oil reforming for
heat/power, chemicals (hydrogen, carbon nanotubes, chemicals), synthetic fuels, and biocrude
production (BIOBOOST, BioEcoSIM, PYROCHEM).
The utilization of fast pyrolysis bio-oil from various agricultural and forestry residue streams has
been tested (Residue2Heat) for residential heating applications (20-200 kWth) to provide heat.
Research also focussed (BioEcoSIM) on the valorisation of manure in non-catalytic pyrolysis to
35
convert carbon in manure into syngas and to produce sustainable soil improving biochar (P-rich
biochar). Another area of interest included the use of the resulting intermediate processing streams
for the production of various biochemials (Bio4Products). A project focussed on the development
of a mobile pre-commercial microwave fast pyrolysis prototype to process forest residue and wood
waste to charcoal and bio-oil to be used in boilers, engines and gas turbines (MICROFUEL).
Integrated biomass pyrolysis with gasification, thermo-catalytic reforming, and hydro

deoxygenation processes were investigated for heat and power and for production of fuels (bioliq,
BIOFUEL, PYROGAS, MICROFUEL, TO-SYN-FUEL). Pyrolysis systems using various catalysts
have been investigated (BIOFUEL) to improve the catalytic pyrolysis of biomass by the use of novel
catalysts, with reduced costs, optimization of catalyst selectivity towards desirable high value
products (ECOCAT, BIOFUEL, FLEXI-PYROCAT). A project (BIO-GO-For-Production) focussed
on the development of modular, integrated processes for the production of fuels from bio-oils and
biogas. Several projects aimed the construction and demonstration of full-scale pyrolysis oil plants
to produce electricity, to process steam and pyrolysis oil, and to replace heavy fuel oil in power
plants (EMPYRO, CHP Biomass pyrolysis, Fast pyrolysis).
3.5.6 Pyrolysis: international projects

Fortum, UPM and Valmet started working together since 2014 on a five-year project LignoCat
(Lignocellulosic Fuels by Catalytic Pyrolysis) to develop and commercialize integrated catalytic
pyrolysis technology to produce higher value bio liquids or biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks. The
idea is to develop catalytic pyrolysis technology for upgrading bio-oil and commercialise the
solution. The project LignoCat (lignocellulosic fuels by catalytic pyrolysis). The project is a follow-up
of the consortium’s earlier bio-oil project together with the VTT Technical Research Centre of
Finland, commercialising integrated pyrolysis technology for production of sustainable bio-oil for
replacement of heating oil in industrial use. The LignoCat project is funded by Tekes - the Finnish
Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.
The first of its kind industrial-scale bio-oil production plant has been commissioned in Joensuu,
Finland in November 2013. The plant, which has been integrated with Fortum’s Joensuu CHP
plant, will annually produce 50,000 tons of pyrolysis oil bio-oil from wood-based fuels, in addition
to electricity and district heat from 250 000 solid m3 per year (100 000 dry tonnes). Overall
energy efficiency of the integrated system: 90%. This annual production corresponds to the
heating needs of around 10,000 households. This bio-oil plant, integrated with an existing heat and
power plant, is unique in the world. The investment cost €32 million of which subsidised €8 million
by state.
Table 6 presents a selection of of pyrolyis plants worldwide showing the different technology used,
main product and the TRL level, which shous the different level or development at different
technology developers worldwide.

In the hydrothermal processing, focus has been on both hydrothermal carbonisation and
hydrothermal liquefaction of a wide range of biomass streams and, in particular, to provide
economically attractive and environmentally friendly alternatives to utilisation of wet biomass. A
project (NewCat4Bio) focused on the preparation, characterization and application of
(hydro)thermally stable, homogeneous, and porous metallosilicate catalysts to be used in
hydrothermal processes. Some attempts aimed to recover carbon from waste (NEWAPP,
EUROCHAR, HTC4WASTE) through hydrothermal carbonization for converting organic waste
streams into carbon neutral biocoal and to obtain high-value carbon products.
A wide range of waste streams have been used: green waste, agricultural waste, municipal solid
waste, food and food industry waste, and sewage sludge. The projects aimed to develop new
knowledge about the characteristics and uses of HTC coal and identifying feasible uses. The
36
projects aimed to demonstrate the economic and technological performances of HTC installations.
New projects (HyFlexFuel, Hydrofaction) focussed on advancing and demonstrating
hydrothermal liquefaction conversion from diverse biomass feedstocks, increasing process
integration and product recovery. The activities targeted the better understanding of relation
between feedstock and process conditions, product yield and quality, and the valorisation of
residual process streams. Most of the projects targeted upscaling technology from pilot to
demonstration plant scale. Few projects (Waste-to-Fuel, bioCRACK) focus to transform the
wood, straw or urban waste through liquefaction into bio-oils that is then used for the production of
energy or renewable fuels at higher, demo scale.
Table 6. Selection of R&D pyrolysis plants worldwide
Project Country Status TRL Output

CanmetENERGY Canada operational TRL 1-3 bio-oil
ABRITech Quebec Canada under construction TRL 6-7 bio-oil, other syngas
AgriTherm Canada commissioning TRL 6-7 bio-oil, chemicals
Ensyn Canada operational TRL 6-7 bio-oil, chemicals
Ensyn Renfrew Canada operational TRL 8 bio-oil
Ensyn Quebec Canada under construction TRL 8 gasoline fuels
UDT Chile operational TRL 1-3 bio-oil, chemicals
University of Science
China operational TRL 4-5 bio-oil
Technology China
VTT Ltd. Finland commissioning TRL 4-5 bio-oil
Fortum Joensuu Finland operational TRL 6-7 bio-oil
Valmet Finland operational TRL 6-7 bio-oil
Fortum Finland operational TRL 8 bio-oil
Fraunhofer UMSICHT Germany operational TRL 1-3 bio-oil
Fraunhofer UMSICHT Germany commissioning TRL 4-5 bio-oil
KIT bioliq Germany operational TRL 6-7 bio-oil, other
Pytec Germany idle TRL 4-5 bio-oil (150 kg/h)
BTG Netherlands operational TRL 4-5 bio-oil
BTG EMPYRO Netherlands operational TRL 8 bio-oil, steam, power
Alternative Energy
New Zealand operational TRL 4-5 bio-oil
Solutions
SP ETC Sweden operational TRL 4-5 bio-oil, chemicals
Carbon Trust Pyrolysis UK no status TRL 4-5 bio-oil (30 t/y)
Envergent US idle TRL 4-5 bio-oil
KiOR US idle TRL 4-5 bio-oil
KiOR US idle TRL 1-3 bio-oil
Iowa State University US operational TRL 1-3 bio-oil chemicals
NREL US operational TRL 1-3 bio-oil
University of Idaho US operational TRL 1-3 bio-oil, other
Mainstream Engineering
US under construction TRL 4-5 bio-oil
Co
Mississippi State
US operational TRL 4-5 bio-oil
University
Renewable Oil
US operational TRL 4-5 bio-oil
International
RTI International US operational TRL 4-5 bio-oil
USDA-ARS-ERRC US operational TRL 4-5 bio-oil, chemicals
Virgina Tech US idle TRL 4-5 bio-oil
Source: IEA Task 34, 2018.
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3.5.8 Hydrothermal processing: international projects
IEA Bioenergy 34 Direct Thermochemical Liquefaction focus on the hydrothermal liquefaction
and the upgrading of bio-oil and bio-crude to hydrocarbon fuels through fast pyrolysis. The overall
objective of the Task is to improve the implementation and success of direct thermochemical
liquefaction of biomass for fuels and chemicals, to overcome the barriers to commercialization of
fast pyrolysis for liquid fuel production. The purpose of the Task is to: i) provide support for
commercialization through standards development; ii) to validate applicable analytical methods for
product evaluation; iii) support techno-economic assessment of liquefaction technologies; iv)
facilitate information exchange with stakeholders. Participating countries include: Canada, Finland,
New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States. Pyrolysis
comprises all steps from pre-treatment to bio-oil conversion into a marketable product as fuel, heat
and/or power, chemicals and char by-product. The technology review may focus on the thermal
conversion and applications steps, but implementation requires the complete process to be
considered. Process components as well as the total process are included in the scope of activities,
which cover optimization, alternatives, economics, and market assessment (IEA Task 34 2018).
The world’s first of a kind wood-based renewable diesel biorefinery, UPM Lappeenranta
Biorefinery, has started commercial production in Lappeenranta, Finland in January 2015. UPM
Lappeenranta Biorefinery is based on a hydrotreatment process developed by UPM, and produces
approximately 120 million litres of renewable UPM BioVerno diesel yearly. The UPM BioVerno diesel,
drop-in hydrocarbon is produced out of crude tall oil, a residue of pulp production, in the UPM
Lappeenranta Biorefinery. A big portion of the raw material come from UPM’s own pulp mills in
Finland. UPM has built a € 175 million biorefinery without any public investment grants.
In Canada the National Research Council Canada (NRC) HTL pilot unit is designed and custom
fabricated for testing and demonstrating the technology, and is one of very few in Canada at this
scale. Hydrothermal liquefaction of these bio-feedstocks offers an alternate pathway to produce
bio-crude and liquid fuels from wet organic streams. The NRC seeks industrial and municipal
collaborators to test and optimize the technology for various waste streams and develop
sustainable solutions to valorize low value waste streams to renewable biofuels, energy, and
chemicals. This is especially attractive for industries and municipalities that can make use of waste
residues to which there is a disposal cost.
Table 3 provides a selection of hydrothermal liquefaction plants worldwide, the TRL level and the
main product.
Table 7. Selection of R&D Hydrothermal Liquefaction plants worldwide
Project Project name Country Type Outputs

Licella Commercial demo plant Australia TRL 6-7 bio-oil
Aurora Algae* Demo Australia TRL 6-7 bio-oil
National Research
Canada TRL 4-5 bio-oil (30 t/y)
Council
renewable
Pond Biofuels Canada TRL 4-5
diesel
Steeper Energy Continuous Bench Scale Denmark TRL 4-5 bio-oil
Center for Biorefining
Aarhus University Denmark TRL 4-5 bio-oil
Technologies
diesel-type
Seambiotic Israel TRL 4-5
hydrocarbons
diesel-type
Preem Petroleum Sweden TRL 8
hydrocarbons
diesel-type
Green Star Products US TRL 4-5
hydrocarbons
* idle
Source: IEA Bioenergy Task 34, 2018b
38
The aspects of optimisation and improvement of biomass gasification process were addressed by
several projects, as well as research on gas cleaning, upgrading, reforming process to obtain a
clean syngas. They aimed at up-scaling and demonstration of various gasification technologies
using updraft and downdraft (RENEGAS, FlexiFuel-SOFC, FlexiFuel-CHX), fixed-bed gasifiers
(HiEff-BioPower), (circulating) fluidised-bed gasifiers (UNIQUE, GAS BIOREF), atmospheric or
pressurised reactors, using air or steam gasification, from micro-scale (25 to 150 kW) (FlexiFuel-
SOFC, FlexiFuel-CHX) to larger scale (1- 10 MWe) (HiEff-BioPower). Many projects addressed
demonstration of fuel flexible gasification technologies and to combine the different components
into an integrated system.
Research focus was on the development and demonstration of syngas cleaning technologies using
both chemical and physical methods to the limits required for upgrading to syngas
(GREENSYNGAS). This addressed the control of different gas contaminants, and high temperature
gas cleaning for biomass gasification. Several projects aimed to develop, integrate and prove a hot
gas cleaning system at biomass gasification, and the reliability and performance of hot gas cleaning
systems (UNIQUE, HiEff-BioPower). Research also focussed on gas cleaning to remove tars,
particulate matter and other contaminants at high temperature, to produce gas that is ultra clean
and that can be used for electricity and heat generation (RENEGAS, HiEff-BioPower, FlexiFuel-
SOFC, FlexiFuel-CHX).
Several projects were set to demonstrate biomass gasification based on various concepts at full
scale in several sites, with a capacity ranging from for small power ranges to large scale. In
general, the operation of previous projects proved to be difficult and they were closed down
(CHRISGAS). Various projects aimed to demonstrate the use of a range of feedstocks from urban
and industrial waste (energy crops, solid recovered fuel, derived from MSW, sewage sludge, etc.)
(GAS BIOREF, PHENOLIVE), including gas cleaning, and handling, preparation, and feeding
issues associated. They also aimed at studying, developing and testing the integration of biomass
gasification and biogas engines (PYROGAS), fuel cells (FlexiFuel-SOFC), gas turbines (H2-IGCC)
or gas burners (FlexiFuel-CHX). A project (Ambition) aimed to develop the combination and
integration of a thermo-chemical and a bio-chemical process route - pre-treatment, gasification,
gas cleaning and conditioning and syngas fermentation. In situ high-temperature concentration
sensors have been targeted to develop sensors to measure various properties of the gases
(GASPRO-BIO-WASTE). The environmental risks of a series of inorganic components into the gas
phase, char residue and condensate have been addressed (INORGASS). The aspects of biochars
production and use as valuable product were investigated (EUROCHAR, PYROGAS).
3.5.10 Biomass gasification: international projects

The IEA Bioenergy Task 33 Gasification of Biomass and Waste monitors, reviews and
exchanges information on biomass and waste gasification research, development, and
demonstration to promote international cooperation among and industry. The Task 33 monitors the
current status and identifies hurdles to further development, to eliminate technological barriers to
thermal gasification of biomass and waste. Task 33 conducted information exchange, investigation
of selected studies, promotion of coordinated RD&D among participating countries and industrial
involvement. The Task provides a forum to discuss the technological advances and issues critical to
scale-up, system integration, and commercial implementation. Participating countries: Austria,
Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and USA. The work
programme includes the survey of the current global biomass RD&D programmes, commercial
operations and market opportunities for biomass and waste gasification, and identification of the
technical and non-technical barriers to commercialisation of the technology (IEA Task 33, 2018).
In the United States, research on biomass gasification is supported by DOE's Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). EERE's Biomass Program aims to improve gasification
39
processes of a a range of feedstocks (agricultural products or wastes, wood and other forest
products). The goals of the Biomass Program are to promote the use of diverse, domestic and
sustainable energy resources and to reduce carbon emissions from energy production. The
program's focus in gasification is on improving the processes for producing syngas from
agricultural residues (corn stover and wheat straw) and energy crops (poplar and switchgrass) for
the eventual production of ethanol. The struggle in the United States, as in most places, has been
to move the biomass gasification technology from demonstration to a large scale commercial
facility. Many of the large facilities have been abandoned quickly after operation.
Enerkem (Pontotoc, Mississippi) planed to build and operate a 300 ton per day waste-to
biofuels plant in Pontotoc, Mississippi, using 190,000 tons of unsorted municipal solid waste (MSW)
per year. Enerkem has developed a gasification technology that transforms MSW, forest and agri
residues into transportation fuels, high- value chemicals and electricity. The plant is designed to
produce 10 million gallons per year of ethanol with plans for future expansion that would double
the capacity. Enerkem’s conversion technology has been tested at pilot plant scale since 2003. The
technology is now being applied at Enerkem’s first commercial plant in Westbury, Quebec, Canada.
The process combines gasification and catalytic synthesis and involves heat, pressure, advanced
chemistry and the use of proven catalyst technology.
LanzaTech’s Freedom Pines facility in Soperton, GA is a gasifier with capacity of 20 kg/hr for
the production of jet fuel and chemicals from syngas derived from a variety of feedstocks such as
pine biomass and corn stover. LanzaTech has developed a novel technology that converts syngas
generated from any biomass resource (e.g. forestry residues, municipal solid waste, organic
industrial waste, or agricultural waste) as well as waste gas containing CO or CO 2 from industrial
sources into a range of fuels and chemicals. LanzaTech has demonstrated the production of over
25 new products from gas fermentation, including fuel ethanol or platform chemicals such as 2,3-
Butanediol to be catalytically converted to bio butadiene, used for production of rubber and nylon.
INEOS Bio Cellulosic Plant in Vero Beach, Florida raised $130 million to build and run the plant
in Vero Beach, Florida. The INEOS Bio plant in Florida is designed to produce 8 million gallons of
ethanol every year and 6 MW of electricity. In the fall of 2013 the plant had been finished and was
put online. In January of 2015 the plant had to be shut for a period of time because it started
producing a hydrogen cyanide (HCN). The INEOS Bio gasification process is a two-step, oxygen-
blown technology based on gasification and pyrolysis and converts the prepared, dried biomass
waste into a synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen and CO2 gases.
ThermoChem Recovery International (TRI) operates a four dry tons per day TRI pilot plant in
Durham, North Carolina that uses a steam reforming technology. This plant has tested various
feedstocks, including wood chips, saw dust, rice hulls, grape plant pruning, municipal solid waste,
poultry litter etc. This plant converts this biomass to biofuels and biochemicals. The Durham plant
has seen over 9,000 hours of the steam reforming technology, and over 4,500 hours of biofuels
production. TRI has licensed its technology to Fulcrum Bioenergy, who is building a 10 million
gallons per year biofuel commercial plant in McCarran, Nevada. The commercial operations are
expected to start in the first quarter of 2020. Sierra will be the first commercial-scale plant in the
United States converting municipal solid waste (MSW) to fuels.
GTI Plant in Des Plaines, Illinois Gas Technology Institute (GTI) has tested at the pilot plant in
Des Plaines the Adritz-Carbona technology that produces hydrocarbon drop in fuels. Tests have just
recently finished at this pilot plant. During their runs they used over 300,000 lbs. of biomass to
produce biofuels. By scaling up this technology, they would be able to build a commercial plant
producing 57 million gallons per year of gasoline. After these successful trials, Haldor Topsoe is
now looking for buyers of their technology in order to build a commercial scale facility.
The biomass gasification plant in Güssing, which started operation in 2002, has a fuel capacity of
8 MW and an electrical output of about 2 MWel. The plant consists of a dual fluidized bed steam
gasifier, a two-stage gas cleaning system, a heat utilization system and a gas engine. Wood chips
are converted through gasification into a syngas. The gasification process has operated in Güssing
since 2002 for a CHP plant that has been in operations for more than 10000 of hours. The product
40
gas is delivered at ambient pressure, has a high content of methane, higher hydrocarbons and
tars. After the first eight years, R&D at Güssing focused on gas conditioning and SNG synthesis.
DONG Energy has developed the Dong Pyroneer Plant based on the Pyroneer gasification
technology based on circulation fluidised bed (CFB) that converts biomass to gas at relative low
temperature. The Pyroneer technology is designed for difficult biomass and waste products with
high content of ash and salt. The B4C (Biomass for Conversion) project was to demonstrate the
Pyroneer gasifier in a 12-times up-scaled version by designing, constructing and operating a 6 MW
demonstration plant at Asnaes Power Plant in Kalundborg, Denmark. The 6 MW gasification
demonstration plant was built in 2011 to test and verify the fundamentals of the low temperature
CFB gasification concept to advance toward a commercial scale gasifier (size >50 MW).
The Birmingham Bio Power Plant at Tyseley, Birmingham, is a 10.3 MW biomass gasification
plant using gasification to generate electricity from recovered wood waste since 2016. The biomass
power project is being developed by Carbonarius, a joint venture of O-Gen UK and Una Group
formed in 2010 to develop waste timber gasification facilities. The plant will be developed with a
£47.8m investment by the UK Green Investment Bank and Foresight Group. The plant will generate
electricity by combusting the syngas generated from recovered wood through gasification which
will create high-pressure steam to drive the turbine. The power plant will be supplied with 67,000
tonnes of recovered wood waste a year
A flagship gasification facility in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, UK, is expected to become

operational in 2018. The gasification technology is being provided by Biomass Power Hoddesdon
Limited based in Stafford. The £60 million advanced conversion treatment (ACT) plant, being
developed by AssetGen Partners. Green Investment Bank (GIB) and its partner Foresight Group,
invested £30 million into the project. The Hoddesdon ACT will have capacity to treat over 90,000
tonnes of RDF and will be capable of producing 10MW of power for the National Grid.
Lahti Energy’s Kymijärvi II is a gasification demonstration plant, with a capacity of 160 MW.
Kymijärvi II produces 300 GWh of electricity and 600 GWh of district heat. Waste-derived fuel is
gasified in an atmospheric pressure CFB gasifier, the gas is cooled and cleaned, and the clean gas
is then burned in the boiler. The fuel consists of shredded textiles, wood, paper, card and plastics,
etc.. Since 1998, Lahti Energy has gained plenty of experience in the gasification technology and
its use in energy production. The commercial operation of Kymijärvi II started on 21 May 2012.
The total budget of the project was € 160 million.
Cortus Energy has built an integrated production plant in Köping, Sweden, to run tests for
drying, pyrolysis and gasification of different biofuels in the scale of 500 kW. The project is an up
scaling of previous pilot projects based on the patented WoodRoll® process. During 2015 the
demonstration plant in Köping, Sweden, has been rebuilt and upgraded to a fully integrated
process to operate a fully integrated WoodRoll® process from wet biomass into a clean and
energy-rich syngas, in a continuous flow. Funding comes from the Swedish Energy Agency, Triple
Steelix, Movexum and Cortus. The tests have been completed and the results shall be evaluated
design of the first commercial WoodRoll® plant which will have a capacity of 6 MW syngas.
In 2016 Cortus Energy, Swedish, made a cooperation agreement with Kuni Umi Biomass (Forest
Energy), Japan, to develop the Japanese market for small-scale biomass electricity production.
Cortus Energy and Forest Energy have decided to build a first 2 MW biomass power plant using
Cortus Energy’s “WoodRoll” gasification technology. The first 2 MWe power plant based on Cortus
Energy’s 6 MW thermal gas power WoodRoll facility will provide the basis for future cooperation on
similar 2 MW power plants which could be up to 25 projects over the next five years.
E.ON has demonstrated gasification through the Värnamo Plant (6 MWe, 9 MWheat). The test
program was concluded 1999, including more than 8500 hours of testing and 3600 hours of
operation in total in IGCC. The Industrial partners and Växjö Värnamo Biomass Gasification Centre
have started a project to rebuild the gasification plant to produce a syngas from biomass. The
rebuild of the plant was planned to be finished in 2012 to be followed by a two-year testing
programme. E.ON Sverige planneda Bio2G project in Sweden to build a first of its kind plant, a
reference plant for a 200 MW gas bio-SNG (1.6 TWh/year) 16-24 MWe and up to 60 MW heat of
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district heating based on thermal gasification (investment cost of € 450 million). The fuel demand
was estimated at about one million tonnes wood chips from forest residues (345 MW biomass).
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, has developed a novel scalable technology to
produce methane from CO2, CO and H2 in the DemoSNG (Demonstration Substitute Natural
Gas) project. From the products of biomass gasification, i.e. H2, CO2 and CO, the DemoSNG pilot
plant produces methane and water by means of a nickel catalyst (SNG operation). If green power
is available, it is used for electrolysis and the production of additional hydrogen. The DemoSNG
plant was installed into a standard shipping container and is mobile. The plant will be integrated
and tested in Köping, Sweden into the gas flows of a biomass gasification plant of wood residues.
The honeycomb catalyst can be implemented in various plant sizes. KIC InnoEnergy initiated the
DemoSNG (Demonstration Substitute Natural Gas) project in the amount of EUR 4.5 million.
In India the MNRE is promoting biomass gasifier based power plants for producing electricity
using local biomass such as wood chips, rice husk, cotton stalks and other agro-residues in rural
areas. The main components of the biomass gasifier programmes are: i) distributed/off-grid power
for rural areas; ii) off-grid applications in rice mills and other industries; iii) grid connected projects
up to 2 MW capacities. The focus of the programme is to meet the electrical and thermal needs of
industries and provide electricity for villages for lighting, water pumping and micro-enterprises.
Emphasis is also given for small biomass gasifier power plants up to 2 MW capacities grid
connected. About 150 MW equivalent biomass gasifier systems have been set up for grid and off-
grid projects. More than 300 rice mills and other industries are using gasifier systems for meeting
their power and thermal applications and 70 systems are providing electricity to more than 230
villages. The focus of RD&D activities in India are to the manufacture of: biomass integrated
gasification combined cycle systems, simulators for RE grid-interactive power stations, alternate
fuels and hybrid systems. Error! Reference source not found. provides a selection of RTD
gasification plants worldwide.

Several projects focussed on the understanding fundamentals of algae and gain fundamental
knowledge on aerobic respiration, photosynthesis, and fermentation in organisms (ALFF, BEAL) to
develop and optimize of low input and application-based microalgae culture systems (ALGAE4A-
B), or studying the metabolism of novel microalgae in low temperature bioreactors (MONSTAA).
Several projects aimed to improve algae strains and cultivation techniques (GIAVAP,
SUNBIOPATH) to reduce algal biomass production costs, using selected strains or genetically
engineered microalgae species to make them better suited to specific growth conditions for
different biomaterials. The projects focussed to investigate the molecular basis for efficient light
energy conversion into chemical energy (SOLENALGAE), to increase photoconversion efficiency, to
achieve optimal growth of selected strains in photo-bioreactors, and to improve the biomass yield
(DOP-ECOS, SUNBIOPATH, SOLALGEN, ECO-LOGIC GREEN FARM). Some projects aimed to
develop improved photonic materials that can be used to maximise algal growth (BIOMIC-FUEL)
and a modular, scalable and automated biofilm reactor to produce algal biomass (ALGADISK).
Various cultivation, harvesting and extraction techniques were tested with microalgae species
(OPERATION SWAT, HARVEST). Microlgae harvesting technology, a critical challenge faced by
algae cultivation, has been investigated, including flocculating agents, filtration and ultrasound.
Several solutions have been investigated on the use of nanotechnologies for downstream
processing, production and harvesting of microalgae (CMHALGAE, VALUEMAG). A project
(ALGAEMAX) used acoustic standing waves for harvesting high-quality microalgae biomass from
their water-based growth medium. Few projects aimed to develop and demonstrate the biorefining
processes of the algal biomass into high value products, ingredients and by-products from
microalgae (ABACUS, ALGAECEUTICALS, MAGNIFICENT, SABANA).
While the majority of projects focussed on the use of microalgae, few projects addressed the
cultivation and use of macroalgae (AT~SEA, BIOSEA, GENIALG, MacroFuels). The projects
focussed on full chain on the development and validation of innovative, competitive processes of
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brown, red and green macroalgae to produce high value products and biofuels (ALGAE4A-B,
BIOSEA, MacroFuels). A project aimed to develop advanced technical textiles to demonstrate the
technical and economical feasibility of open sea cultivation of macroalgae (AT~SEA). Anaerobic
digestion to convert the biomass into biogas was considered (ALGAENET, ALL-GAS, DOP-ECOS).
Carbon dioxide and the nutrients released during anaerobic conversion will be used for microalgae
production. The research aimed to develop methods tools for reliable analysis and optimization of
the design and operation of integrated microalgal / bacterial system (DOP-ECOS, SUNBIOPATH,
BIOFAT).
Several projects focussed to develop, upgrade, and scale up production of microalgae using
nutrients from wastewater treatment effluents, as well as to improve the wastewater treatment
process that uses microalgae to remove nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and other materials) from
wastewater effluents (INDALG, IPHYC-H2020, SABANA) and to integrate the microalgae
cultivation into a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (ALGAMATER). The removal of
micropollutants (pharmaceutical residues) by micro-algae cultivation has been also addressed
(PHARM AD) combining biological nutrient removal (nitrogen) with AD. Large-scale cultivation,
harvesting and extraction (GIAVAP, BIOFAT) techniques were tested to microalgae species,
investigating the use of wastewater effluents and nutrients and CO2 capture to stimulate algae
growth (ALGADISK, ALL-GAS). A project addressed algae demonstration production plant using
real flue gas emissions (INTERCOME).
3.7 Algae for bioenergy: international projects

In the United States, the Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO’s) Advanced Algal Systems
Program funds the research and development (R&D) of algae production, logistics, and conversion
to algal biofuels and bioproducts. The funded projects address a range of topics, including algal
biology; algal cultivation, harvest, and processing logistics; conversion technologies; analyses of
high-value co-products, techno-economics, sustainability, and resource availability. Advanced Algal
Systems R&D Programme focuses on demonstrating progress toward achieving high-yield, low-
cost, sustainable algal biomass production and logistics systems. Algal feedstocks include
concentrated algae biomass, fermentable substrates, extractable lipids, secreted metabolites
(alcohols or others), or biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Algal biomass includes
micro- and macro-algae, as well as cyanobacteria. The Advanced Algal Systems performance goal
is to increase the productivity of large-scale algae cultivation and pre-processing while maximizing
efficiency of water, land, nutrient, and power use to supply a stable biofuel intermediate for
conversion to advanced biofuels. The program aims to validate the potential for algae supply and
logistics systems to produce 5,000 gallons of oil (or an equivalent biofuel intermediate) per acre of
cultivation per year at the pre-pilot scale by 2022; this will achieve a modelled plant minimum
selling price of $3.00/gasoline gallon equivalent of algal biofuel (US DOE 2017).
The Sapphire Energy Green Crude Farm, the world’s first commercial demonstration algae-to-
energy facility (Integrated Algal BioRefinery - IABR), was operating in Columbus, New Mexico.
Sapphire Energy was awarded $50 million grant from DOE for a demonstration-scale project to
construct and operate a 120 ha algae cultivation farm and conversion facility to produce renewable
bio-crude. Green Crude Farm integrated the entire value chain of algae-based crude oil production,
from cultivation, to harvest, to extraction of green crude. The target capacity of this plant is 1
million gallons per year. (Laurens et al. 2017).
Muradel developed in 2014 an integrated demonstration plant to convert algae into green crude in
Whyalla, Australia. The $10.7 million plant will produce 30,000 litres per year. This is a first step
toward an 80 million litres per year commercial scale plant. The Murdel’s technology, Green2Black,
uses microalgae produced on site, plant biomass, and organic waste in an energy-efficient
subcritical water reactor that converts the feedstock to crude oil. The demonstration plant was
partially funded through a $4.4 million grant from Australian Renewable Energy Agency. The plant
is the first of its kind in Australia.
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Solazyme (now TerraVia) was awarded $22 million grant from DOE for an integrated biorefinery
pilot project (demonstration of commercial production) in Riverside, Pennsylvania, involving
heterotrophic algae that can convert cellulosic sugars into fuels and other products in a dark
environment. This demonstration plant has a capacity to process daily 13 metric tons of dry
lignocellulosic feedstocks, including switchgrass, corn stover, wheat straw, and municipal green
waste, to produce to produce 300,000 gal yr-1 of purified algal oil, which can then be converted
into FAME biodiesel or renewable (hydrocarbon) diesel. In 2016, Solyzme rebranded itself as
TerraVia, shifting its focus to food and personal care products (Laurens et al. 2017).
In the United States, Algenol (Fort Meyers, Florida), was awarded $25 million from DOE for an
integrated pilot project for algal conversion to ethanol (direct-to-ethanol process) and the delivery
of a photobioreactor system that can be economically scaled-up to commercial production. Algenol
has developed a platform for converting CO2 to fuels (ethanol, gasoline, diesel or jet fuel) at lower
cost and higher efficiency (one tonne of CO2 to 144 gallons of fuel / 8,000 gallons per acre per
year). Algenol uses fully closed and sealed photobioreactors utilizing industrial CO2 emissions to
produce transportation fuels enhanced algae using hydrothermal liquefaction and other conversion
technologies. Algenol Technology is being demonstrated in India since 2015 together with Reliance
Industries at Algae Fuels Demonstration Project located near the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery.
Algenol’s first commercial facility will include phased deployments of photobioreactors on an initial
site of up to 2,000 acres, located on marginal land with access to salt water and CO2 source.
In the United States, Global Algae Innovations (El Cajon, California) aim to increase algal
biomass yield by deploying an innovative system to absorb CO 2 from flue gas using immobilized
carbonic anhydrase, Kauai, HI, 33-acre algae facility ($1 million). Arizona State University
(Mesa, Arizona) develops an atmospheric CO2 capture, enrichment, and delivery to increase
biomass productivity. Demonstrate that Moisture-Swing Sorption (MSS) can capture and
concentrate atmospheric CO2 ($1 million). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland,
Washington) develops a process to produce microalgae directly from CO2 in air, decoupling algal
growth from CO2 sources. It aims to develop and demonstrate AlgaeAirFix™, a novel process that
overcomes current limitations of air-CO2 supply to microalgae cultures ($900k).
In Canada the Algal Carbon Conversion (ACC) Flagship program in Canada promotes algae
production, the conversion of CO2 emissions into algal biomass, renewable biofuels and other
value-added products through integrated algal biorefineries. The ACC program addresses the
scaling-up algae cultivation technologies connected to industrial CO2 emitters, identifying the most
appropriate algae strains for industrial deployment, increasing the productivity and reducing energy
costs of photobioreactors, identifying ways to reduce energy required for processing algal biomass
and assisting in the development of high-value, sustainable products from algal biomass.
In Italy, a pilot plant for CO2 biofixation is underway near the Eni Oil Centre in Ragusa, producing
green diesel. A strain of algae uses CO2 separated from the gas and solar energy to produce a bio-
oil for green refinery. The light collected is conducted by the optical fibres inside 14 photo-
bioreactors. The facility in Ragusa is been developed by Eni based on technology patented by Sun
Algae Technology in co-operation with Eni’s subsidiary Enimed and Compagnia per l’Energia
Rinnovabile in Ragusa. Eni has been carrying out a microalgae demonstration project within its
refinery in Gela (Sicily) with ponds area of around 1 ha using algal species that are capable of
growing on flue gases and waster streams from the wastewater treatment plant of the refinery.
The expected lipid yields are 15-29 ton/ha/y.
EnAlgae project was a strategic Initiative of the INTERREG IVB North West Europe programme
developing technologies for algae production. Three of the EnAlgae pilot facilities were dedicated to
macroalgae (seaweeds) cultivation,, harvesting and conversion into bioenergy, at National
University of Ireland, Galway, Queen’s University Belfast (United Kingdom) and Centre d’Etude et
de Valorisation des Algues (France). The aim was to evaluate offshore macroalgae cultivation
methods, to develop and exchange best practice methods for the use of seaweeds . Six of the
EnAlgae pilot facilities were dedicated microalgae cultivation, harvesting and conversion into
bioenergy at Swansea University (United Kingdom), Hochschule Für Technik und Wirtschaft des
Saarlandes (Germany), Ghent University, Wageningen UR/ACRRES (Netherlands), Plymouth Marine
44
Laboratory (United Kingdom). The activities aimed to explore ways to grow, harvest and use
microalgal biomass in various conditions: microalgal photobioreactors or open ponds, using
wastewater streams or CO2 from anaerobic digesters or from gas turbine power production.
3.8 Biorefineries
Several projects targeted the development of a bio-economy concepts addressing diversity of
processes, feedstocks and expected intermediate carriers and final products. Some projects
focussed on advancing theoretical and experimental knowledge on reaction mechanisms, reaction
engineering of the processing steps (VALOR-PLUS, LIGNINFIRST) processes integration, and
integration of chemical and biochemical routes into biorefining (IProPBio). A project targeted the
establishment of a coherent, well-coordinated and favourable regulatory / standardization
framework for supporting the development of a cutting edge bio-economy and the standardization
process for the concrete development of new value chains based on lignocellulosic feedstocks
(STAR4BBI).
Some projects aimed to develop advanced biorefinery schemes to integrate biomass-processing

sectors (biofuels, conventional fuels, power, pulp and paper, the food and agricultural industries)
with conventional oil refineries (BIOREF-INTEG, SUSTOIL). Several projects aimed to develop
technology and conceptual designs of biorefineries for the synthesis of bio-products, chemicals
and/or materials together with the production of energy carriers, combining biochemical and
thermochemical pathways. The projects aimed to create and demonstrate biorefinery concepts that
can use various and multiple feedstocks and also closed loop integrated biorefineries and
demonstrated the production of several products using various biochemical and thermochemical
processes (BIOCORE, VALOR-PLUS, EUROBIOREF). A number of biological/ biochemical
processes were investigated (PROPANERGY, GLYFINERY, VALOWASTE, SYNPOL, FALCON,
US4GREENCHEM, EnzOx2, LIGNOFLAG US4GREENCHEM), thermochemical (4REFINERY) or
the integration of hybrid bio-thermochemical process (BioCatPolymers, TASAB).
Various projects focussed to develop advanced biorefinery schemes to convert whole oil crops
(SUSTOIL) and non-edible feedstocks (EUROBIOREF, AFORE) using multiple biochemical and
thermochemical processes into energy (fuels, power and heat), food and bioproducts (chemicals
and/or materials). The development of integrated biorefinery using algae was considered to
produce valuable specialties and compounds from microalgae for application in food, aquafeeds and
non-food products integrating a range of processing technologies (D-FACTORY, MIRACLES,
TASAB). Another project addressed the concept of the cascading marine macroalgal biorefinery
(MACRO CASCADE) for the generation of a diversity added-value products.
Several projects focussed to develop advanced and competitive biorefinery concepts using organic
waste streams in order to produce various compounds (AFORE, RES URBIS, VALOWASTE,
VALOR-PLUS), chemical building blocks, biopolymers or additives (BioCatPolymers, SYNPOL,
PROPANERGY, URBIOFIN), and value-added fine chemicals (SUBICAT, SUPRA-BIO). Bio-
based solutions were also investigated to isolate and upgrade natural chemicals from forest
residues or process side-streams to be used for novel value-added applications (AFORE,
EUROBIOREF). Several projects focussed to improve the biorefineries processes and upscalling to
flagship plants (AgriChemWhey, Exilva, PEFerence) and demonstrate in first of a kind
commercial scale flagship plant (BIOSKOH, LIGNOFLAG).
3.9 Biorefineries: international projects

The goal of the IEA Bioenergy Task 42 Biorefining in a future BioEconomy is to contribute to
the development and deployment of integrated biorefinery systems and technologies as part of
sustainable value chains (co-)producing food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials, fuels, power
and/or heat. The participating countries are Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany,
Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands and the United States. The work programme will include: analysis
45
and assessment of biorefining in the whole value chain; biobased products/bioenergy
standardisation, certification and policy activities at national, European and global levels; Analysing
and advising on perspectives biorefining in a Circular BioEconomy. The main activities will consist
in: international and national networking activities; standardisation and certification of biobased
products; policy advice; the role of industrial and SME stakeholders from the bioenergy and biofuel
sectors in the transition to a BioEconomy, and increased co-operation with other IEA Collaboration
Programmes (i.e. IEA-IETS), IEA Bioenergy Tasks, and international organisations (FAO, OECD, EU
ETIP and EERA Bioenergy, etc.) (IEA Task 42, 2016).
Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) in the United States addresses the integrated
biorefineries and distribution infrastructure, RD&D tasks concentrating on demonstrating the
reliability and success of biomass conversion technologies. These tasks focus on taking bench scale
technology and developing it into pilot, demonstration, and commercial scale plants. The BETO’s
main role is to provide financial assistance. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has multiple
programs to encourage industry to either build new biomass refineries or convert existing fossil fuel
refineries. The USDA’s Biorefinery Assistance Program is a loan guarantee program that assists
in the development, construction, and retrofitting of commercial‐scale biorefineries. The USDA
Repowering Assistance Biorefinery Program is more specifically for providing incentives to retrofit
existing power plants. The program can provide up to 50% of the cost to convert biorefineries from
fossil fuel systems to biomass fuel systems.
The Energy Department (DOE) has selected six projects for up to $12.9 million in funding, entitled,
“Project Definition for Pilot and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and
Biopower.” These projects will focuss on the manufacturing of advanced or cellulosic biofuels,
bioproducts, refinery-compatible intermediates, and/or biopower in pilot or demonstration-scale
integrated biorefinery. They will use thermochemical, biochemical, algal, and hybrid conversion
technologies. The AVAPCO ($3.7 million) project will develop a demo-scale integrated biorefinery
that combines AVAPCO’s biomass-to-ethanol process with Byogy’s alcohol-to-jet process to develop
an integrated process that produces jet fuel from woody biomass. The demo facility will also
produce renewable diesel and other bioproducts with another project partner, Genomatica.
LanzaTech, Inc. (Skokie, Illinois) ($4 million) plans to design, construct, and operate an
integrated demo-scale biorefinery that will use industrial waste gases to produce 3 million gallons
per year of low-carbon jet and diesel fuels. Global Algae Innovations (San Diego, California)
($1.2 million) has developed novel technologies that improve several stages of the algae
production process. This project seeks to design a pilot-scale algae biofuel facility with improved
productivity of open pond cultivation and more energy-efficient algae harvest.
In 2017 DOE selected eight projects for up to $15 million DOE funding to optimize integrated
biorefineries. These projects will work to solve critical research and developmental challenges for
the scale-up and reliable operation of integrated biorefineries (IBRs), decrease capital and
operating expenses, and focus on the manufacture of advanced/cellulosic biofuels and higher-value
bioproducts. TRI (Baltimore, Maryland) will study and improve feedstock and residual solids
handling systems targeted to commercial pyrolysis and gasification reactors. TRI’s work will
promote feedstock flexibility and enable the processing of low-cost feedstock to enhance economic
viability. Texas A&M Agrilife Research (College Station, Texas) will work on a multi-stream
integrated biorefinery (MIBR), where lignin-containing waste will be fractionated to produce lipid
for biodiesel and quality carbon fiber. The MIBR will improve IBR sustainability and cost-
effectiveness. White Dog Labs project (New Castle, Delaware) will use the residual cellulosic
sugars in cellulosic stillage syrup to produce single-cell protein (SCP) for aquaculture feed.
Currently, the syrup content is used for biogas production and as the solid fuel for boilers. The SCP
is a higher-value product that could be generated from an existing stream and could enhance the
economic feasibility of IBR. The South Dakota School of Mines (Rapid City, South Dakota) will
demonstrate cost-effective production of biocarbon, carbon nanofibers, polylactic acid, and phenol
from waste streams from the biochemical platform technology. These products will generate
revenue for IBRs and help lower fuel cost. NREL (Golden, Colorado) will leverage and extend state-
of-the-art modelling and simulation tools to develop integrated simulations for feed handling and
reactor feeding systems. The simulation toolkit will be used to aid in optimizing biomass conversion
46
processes and provide correlations to adjust optimal operating conditions based on feedstock
parameters at Red Rock Biofuels’ Biorefinery. Clemson University (Clemson, South Carolina) will
develop analytical tools to identify an optimal IBR process design for reliable, cost-effective,
sustainable, and continuous feeding of biomass feedstocks into a reactor for integrated process
optimization for biochemical conversion. Purdue (West Lafayette, Indiana) aims to develop
computational and empirical models detailing the multiphase flow of biomass materials. Purdue will
characterize physical, structural, and compositional properties of biomass feedstocks, and compare
the results with actual flow behaviour within a biorefinery. Forest Concepts (Auburn, Washington)
proposes to develop feedstock handling modelling and simulation tools based on systematic
analysis. The team will develop and validate a comprehensive computational model to predict
mechanical and rheological behaviour of biomass flow for reliable design of handling systems.
In Australia, the Australian funding for clean energy is primarily federally based and comes under
two key programs. Clean Energy Finance Corporation is an independent Government corporation
that focuses on investment to secure investment in renewable energy, among others. It helps
investment in developing bio-refineries in Australia. Australian Renewable Development Agency
(ARENA) supports projects through early stage R&D to pre-commercial development (2012-2022).
The Queensland Government in Australia is taking an approach for future development in 2016,
the “Queensland Bio-futures 10-year Roadmap and Action Plan”. The action plan envisages a
$1 billion sustainable and export oriented industrial bio-technology and bio-products sector within
10 years. The Government envisages a wide range of products such as sustainable chemicals,
fuels, cosmetics, detergents and textiles amongst others. Currently the largest operating
commercial bio-refineries in Australia include Manildra, in NSW with a capacity of 260,000 liters
of bioethanol per year using waste starch streams. The Sarina is located in Queensland, having a
capacity of approximately 60,000 liters of bioethanol per year and uses molasses. The Dalby bio-
refinery is located in Queensland with a capacity is approximately 85,000 liters per year and uses
starch sorghum and a by-product is the protein enriched distiller grains.
The SMIBIO project addresses the technical-economic and environmental viability of small-scale
integrated biorefineries, processing different kinds of biomass produced in rural and small urban
areas, both in Europe and in CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States).
Different (bio-)conversion processes (lignocellulosic biorefinery and AD biorefinery concepts) are
integrated into a unique modular small-scale biorefinery concept which will be capable of
transforming dry and wet biomass residues by means of different processes to produce a range of
biomaterials and bio products maximizing the use of resources and energy efficiency. Four different
rural/urban small-scale biorefineries (2 in EU and 2 in LAC countries) will be extensively studied,
simulated and modelled under proper and real conditions. The best technical-economic integrated
biorefinery to process the local biomass for each considered region shall be identified.
3.10 Other support programmes

NER 300 is a funding programme for innovative low-carbon energy demonstration projects having
the goal to demonstrate and scale up Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and innovative renewable
energy (RES) technologies at commercial scale (NER 300, 2018). NER 300 is funded from the sale
of 300 million emission allowances from the New Entrants' Reserve (NER) set up for the third
phase of the EU emissions trading system. The NER 300 programme planned to support various
CCS technologies (pre-combustion, post-combustion, oxyfuel, and industrial applications) and RES
technologies (bioenergy, concentrated solar power, photovoltaics, geothermal, wind, ocean,
hydropower, and smart grids).
A number of 38 projects have been selected in 19 EU countries through two calls for proposals
awarded in December 2012 and in July 2014. The cumulative NER 300 funding is €2.1 billion and
about €2.7 billion of private investments. Eight projects on bioenergy were selected in the first call
for proposals with a total funding of EUR 629 million. In the second call for proposals the six
projects on bioenergy were awarded a total funding of €308 million. The projects cover bioenergy,
concentrated solar power and geothermal power to wind power, ocean energy and distributed
47
renewable management (smart grids). The EIB managed to raise only €2.1 billion. Four awarded
NER 300 projects have been cancelled by the end of 2016, resulting in undisbursed NER 300 funds
of at least €436 million. No CCS projects have been funded, and many large-scale bioenergy
projects have failed to reach the final investment decision. Instead, the programme has funded a
number of various smaller scale and technically less mature innovative renewable technologies.
In its proposal for a revised ETS for 2021–2030, the European Commission proposed a follow-up
demonstration programme (SWD(2015) 135 final), the Innovation Fund (previously called the
NER 400). The Innovation Fund was designed to enable highly innovative, low-carbon first-of-a-
kind projects to support innovative low-carbon technologies and processes, especially in the
demonstration phase. The Innovation Fund was endowed with 450 million emission allowances to
support and demonstrate innovative technologies on carbon capture and storage, innovative
renewable energy and low-carbon innovation in energy-intensive industry. The NER 300 and the
Innovation Fund differ from the new European Fund for Strategic Investments. EFSI will work
through financial instruments only, lending to existing projects ready to start within three years.
Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Climate-KIC is a

European knowledge and innovation community, working to accelerate the transition to a zero-
carbon economy. EIT Climate-KIC identifies and supports innovation that helps society mitigate
and adapt to climate change. EIT Climate-KIC brings together partners from business, academia,
and the public and non-profit sectors to create networks of expertise, through which innovative
products, services and systems can be developed, brought to market and scaled-up for impact.
To reach the EU energy and climate objectives, further support is needed for innovative low-carbon
technologies and processes in the demonstration phase, as a crucial step towards
commercialisation and deployment. The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is
an initiative to help overcome the investment gap in the EU which aims to mobilise private
investment in strategic projects. The Commission has identified the expansion of renewable energy
R&D as priority areas of the EFSI. With EFSI support, the EIB Group (the European Investment
Bank the European Investment Fund) and the Commission provide funding for economically viable
projects, with a higher risk profile. It will focus on sectors of key importance. EFSI has a total of
€33.5 billion (€26 billion guarantee from the EU budget, complemented by a €7.5 billion allocation
of the EIB’s own capital) and aims to unlock additional investment of at least €500bn by 2020.
EIB supports projects that make a significant contribution to sustainable growth and employment
in Europe and beyond. Our activities focus on four priority areas, including climate and
environment, supporting the transition to a low-carbon, environmental friendly and climate-
resilient economy. EIB provides $100bn of climate-related projects in the five years from 2016 to
2020 to support COP21 Paris agreement climate goals. In 2017, the EIB financed €16.7 billion in
projects supporting and protecting the natural and human environment. On sustainable,
competitive and secure sources of energy, EIB provides financing on renewable energy: projects on
solid biomass, wind farms, solar, hydropower and geothermal projects.
InnovFin – EU Finance for Innovators is a joint initiative launched by the European Investment
Bank Group (EIB and EIF) in cooperation with the European Commission under Horizon 2020.
InnovFin builds on the success of the former Risk-Sharing Finance Facility. InnovFin Energy
Demo Projects (EDP) and Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Debt tools are managed by the
European Investment Bank. InnovFin has been designed to address the financing bottleneck
identified in the EU’s Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. The InnovFin EDP instrument has
already been amended using unspent NER 300 funds. InnovFin Energy Demonstration Projects
enables the EIB to finance innovative first-of-a-kind demonstration projects at the pre-commercial
stage that contribute to the energy transition, particularly in the fields of renewable energy
technologies, smart energy systems, energy storage, and carbon capture utilisation and storage.
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) provides funding to the use of renewables in the transport sector.
InnovFin financing tools cover a wide range of loans, guarantees and equity-type funding in the
range of €7.5m – EUR 75m. EIB financing is limited to 50% of the total eligible costs of the project.
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4 Impact assessment
4.1 Overview
The Energy Union Strategy (COM(2015) 80 final) has been build based on four interrelated
dimensions designed to bring greater energy security, sustainability and competitiveness. This
includes research, innovation and competitiveness for accelerating the decarbonisation of the
European energy system cost-effectively. The Implementation Plan (IP) of Action 8, Bioenergy and
Renewable Fuels for Sustainable Transport, proposed priority Research and Innovation (R&I)
activities that need to be implemented in order to achieve the strategic targets adopted in the SET-
Plan Declaration of Intent (DoI) agreed in 2017 by the representatives of the European
Commission, SET Plan countries and stakeholders. The priority R&I activities are considered
essential for achieving the SET Plan targets for renewable fuels, bioenergy and intermediate
bioenergy carriers contained in the Declaration of Intent on Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels (2016)
within the context of the EU Climate and Energy Package, the Energy Union and the Paris climate
agreement. The Criteria for their selection include:
 support the development, demonstration and scale-up encompassing the entire TRL range;
 support efficiencies improvements and cost reductions versus the DoI targets;
 boost installing commercial capacity of renewable fuels for transport; and,
 comply with the timeline from now towards 2020 and 2030.
The R&I activities include the following for bioenergy and intermediate bioenergy carriers:
Bioenergy
 #8. Develop high efficiency large scale biomass cogeneration of heat and power;
 #9 Demonstrate high efficiency large scale biomass cogeneration of heat and power;
 #10 Scale-up high efficiency large scale biomass cogeneration of heat and power.
Intermediate Bioenergy Carriers
 #11 Develop solid, liquid and gaseous intermediate bioenergy carriers through biochemical /
thermochemical/ chemical conversion from sustainable biomass;
 #12 Demonstrate solid, liquid and gaseous intermediate bioenergy carriers through
biochemical / thermochemical/ chemical conversion from sustainable biomass;
 #13 Scale-up solid, liquid and gaseous intermediate bioenergy carriers through biochemical /
thermochemical/ chemical conversion from sustainable biomass.
The analysis of the outcomes and goals of the EU projects and international research program and
activities and global trends, discussed in previous sections, led to the following conclusions and
specific recommendations for future priorities on research and development activities for each
conversion technology of biomass to energy analysed in this report.
4.2 Cross-cutting bioenergy issues

A number of 91 projects have been identified as addressing general bioenergy issues, of which 6
projects under FP7, 46 projects under the IEE programme and 39 projects under H2020 RTD EU
programmes. The BIOTEAM (IEE) aimed to assess the sustainability performance of a number of
bio-energy pathways in six countries and check the relevance of alternative biomass pathways. The
project developed a harmonized framework for assessing bio-energy pathways. National market
system assessments (or ‘market maps’) were done for six countries for each bio-energy pathway.
Strategic policy recommendations were issued on how to shape policy instrument packages.
The project BioGrace-II (IEE) contributed to harmonising calculations of GHG emissions for
electricity and heat from biomass. It was a follow-up of the IEE-project BioGrace which harmonises
GHG calculations for biofuels for transport. The BioGrace-II built an Excel-based GHG calculation
49
tool for electricity and heat from biomass, together with a methodological background document,
calculation rules and a user manual.
The mission of BIOPROM (IEE) was to identify and to overcome non-technical barriers for the
implementation of bioenergy facilities in urban areas. The overall aims are the initiation of several
bioenergy projects, communication of best-practice-examples, case studies and success factors, to
stimulate a network and to accelerate the development of renewable energy technologies.
QUALITY WOOD (IEE) project aimed to increase the use of firewood by promoting better fuel
quality management, to improve firewood production and supply chains and to promote the use of
more efficient combustion appliances with less environmental impacts. It aims to disseminate
information on firewood heating with higher efficiency and lower emissions as well as the technical
level of firewood production and combustion equipment.
The AFO (IEE) project aimed to activate private forest owners to supply more woodfuel for
increasing demand. Sub-regional wood supply clusters were established and developed in 5 regions
(France, Slovenia, Latvia and UK), to improve the supply of wood. The project identified the
challenges and the best solutions, e.g. practices, technologies and business models to overcome
them and increase woodfuel supply by encouraging thinning and clearing in undermanaged forests.
The AGRIFORENERGY 2 (IEE) project built on the previous project Agri for Energy and aimed to
stimulate farmers to enter the European bioenergy market, specifically targeted improving
communication between feedstock suppliers and energy producers. It enabled sharing of
knowledge and experience to engender confidence in bioenergy developments. This was to
increase the number of bioenergy investments and the capacity of bioenergy plant installed.
BASIS (IEE) aimed at interacting with bioenergy project developers and investors, providing them
with a comprehensive view on the sustainable supply and competition for wood for wood chips
boilers. BASIS produced a GIS tool to provide in-depth info on the regional supply and demand of
wood chips, including on biomass potential, on current plants using wood chips (more than 4 000
plants larger than 1 MW identified), conversion efficiency, sustainability indicators and information
on the logistic infrastructure. It produced a list of most existing bioenergy plants using wood chips.
Within the project BEN (IEE), a user-friendly regional energy planning tool was developed
describing the real conditions, facilitates planning steps and supports decision-making. The
biomass energy register visualises regional energy sinks and potentials of biomass. Local data was
collected, standardised and transferred into a Geographical Information System (GIS). Based on
this register, the local stakeholders developed regional masterplans for the sustainable use of
biomass including guidance notes for management, technology and financing biomass investments.
BioEnerGIS (IEE) aimed at improving the sustainable energy exploitation of biomass at regional
level developing a GIS-based decision support system which allows public decision makers and
operators to identify the most suitable sites for biomass plants, in terms of energy, environmental
and economic sustainability. The GIS-based DSS BIOPOLE combines supply and demand-side data,
regional legislation, technological options and business plans to produce maps for capability
localiszation. BioEnerGIS explored interest in realizing the plants, the different needs and the
possible finance or laws instruments to encourage a shared action programme.
The objective of the BIOENERGY FARM (IEE) project was to increase the use and production of
bioenergy and biofuels by farmers by providing information to farmers on the possibilities and
feasibility of the available options. Such information was provided by the European Bioenergy
Platform. Farmers are now able to do an online Bioenergy Quick Scan to assess the profitability and
feasibility of bioenergy or biofuels for their farm. The experts have drafted several detailed
business cases for projects that appeared to be feasible in order to support their implementation.
The BIOEUPARKS (IEE) project aimed at creating and promoting local biomass supply chains from
sustainably managed forests and agri residues in nature parks. The project developed and tested a
methodology for the design and management of biomass supply chains in protected areas based on
short chains and small scale installations, respecting environmental and socio-economic
50
sustainability. All five participating parks adopted a participatory approach where objectives and
planning are shared with key local stakeholders in order to avoid and mitigate social conflicts.
BIO-HEAT (IEE) aimed to promote the use of Short Rotation Coppice (SRCs) as a source of energy
for District Heating (DH) in Eastern European countries to set up new regional SRC to DH chains.
Results and success stories transfer has been realized through training activities and the
dissemination and promotion strategy. Specific training structures were developed for each of the
target countries. Energy clusters to establish close collaboration between the biomass suppliers and
the energy producers have been set up in all the participating countries.
The BIOMASS FUTURES (IEE) project aimed to quantify the sustainable role biomass can play to
meet the targets for 2020 and to provide an understanding of bioenergy demand and supply and to
what extend the production and use of domestic and imported biomass can contribute to EU27
energy needs. The project has been carried out to identify sustainable options for bioenergy
development to 2030, and to increase awareness about the opportunities and the risks, and how
these can be addressed. The project made market analysis and of biomass role, and spatial explicit
biomass cost supply patterns, in different scenarios, timeframes and sustainability constraints.
BIOMASSPOLICIES (IEE) aimed to develop integrated policies for the mobilisation of resource
efficient bioenergy value chains to contribute towards the 2020&2030 targets. The project
produced guidelines for data collection to estimate and monitor sustainable biomass supply for
selecting resource efficient value chains. It prepared an outlook of biomass value chains, updated
cost-supply curves, a selection of promising feedstocks and a map of the feedstock-related policy
landscapes . It produced benchmarking policy approaches for their market impact, resource
efficiency, abatement of sustainability risks and competition and policy frameworks.
The BIOMASSTRADECENTRES (IEE) project aimed to create a more transparent market for wood
fuels, and to mobilise the huge potential of biomasse. The consortium has edited a Wood Fuels
Handbook and a Short Rotation Coppices Booklet. The consortium has edited the Guideline Biomass
Logistic&Trade Centres-3 steps for a successful project. The BTC concept was recognised to be of
strategic importance for the sustainable development of biomass sector, therefore measures for
supporting the realization of BLTC were introduced in the Regional Rural Development Plan.
The BiomasTradeCentre II (IEE) project aims at increasing the production and the use of energy
from wood biomass with realization of motivation events that will engage identified target groups
to invest in production of energy from biomass. The aim of the BiomasTradeCentreII project is to
transfer existing good practices in biomass production, biomass trade centres and energy
contracting to all project partner countries. However, the main focus of the project is put on the
quality assurance and quality control.
BioRegions (IEE) fostered the development of bioenergy regions at EU level building on the work
of two most advanced areas by the creation of a comprehensive knowledge platform, which
collected and evaluated positive and negative experiences. It also developed guidelines for using
quality and sustainability criteria that ensure technological maturity of bioenergy ventures and
positive development effects. The project helped to formulation of successful financing strategies
(private and public funding) to define and implement Action Plans to get at least 1/3 of the energy
demand from biomass, encourage and support other regions to replicate the activities.
CODE (IEE) focussed on industry-led assessment of the progress of the CHP Directive in the EU.
The project aimed to raise awareness and provide information through information, know-how
transfer among stakeholders to accelerate the market penetration of cogeneration technologies by
producing a European Cogeneration Roadmap. The potential for cogeneration has been identified.
CODE developed a tool for the assessment of support measures and barriers and a handbook with
Best Practice Cases to conduct an analysis of the financial viability of cogeneration projects.
CODE2 (IEE) aimed to disseminate the lessons learned from the previous CODE project and will
and helped structure and support the development of national and European CHP roadmaps. The
guided roadmap approach and the lessons learned through developing roadmaps with the pilot
Member States will be used for developing a concrete and realisable European Roadmap to 2030 as
51
well as national cogeneration roadmaps for all Member States that provide improvement proposals
in the areas of awareness, policy development and market opportunities.
CROSSBORDERBIOENERGY (IEE) aimed to help SMEs to evaluate bioenergy markets in view of

cross-border investments on five bioenergy sectors: biogas, small scale heating, district heating,
CHP and biofuels for transport. For each sector, criteria for market attractiveness have been
identified. The market attractiveness has been assessed in relation to 50 criteria in 8 categories
with 370 indicators. A GIS tool has been developed to visualise the market attractiveness.
EPIC2020 (IEE) aimed to promote the use of bioenergy potential of ports and surrounding areas.
It assessed the bioenergy potential by identifying the links of biomass and bioenergy flows and
creating know-how on the priorities, obstacles, potentials and best practices in port areas. It
provided way to stimulate the establishment of bioenergy businesses by combining down-stream &
up-stream approaches. EPIC2020 created implementation strategies by developing a vision a road-
map for a symbiotic port development and a framework for public/private partnership agreements.
EUBIONET II (IEE) provided an outlook on the current and future biomass fuel market trends, by
collecting feedback on the CEN 335 biofuel standards from market actors and analysing techno-
economic potential of the biomass fuel volumes. The project aimed to analyse, select and describe
the most suitable trading and business models for small and large scale biofuel supply chains for
heat and power production by taking into account the environmental aspects and sustainability.
EUBIONET III (IEE) evaluated trade barriers and some solutions developed: the project
contributed to the development of Combined Nomenclature codes for wood pellets, price indexes
for wood pellets and wood chips and CEN standards for solid biofuels. Wood fuel price mechanisms
were analysed, sustainability criteria for biomass were evaluated, new unexploited agro-industrial
biomass sources were identified and case studies of biomass heating were prepared. An analysis of
competition and prices of woody biomass use in forest industry and energy sector was carried out.
The objective of FOREST (IEE) was to work directly with businesses in the biomass supply chain,
from farmers and foresters to architects and designers, to develop and consolidate long-term
supply partnerships to increase end-user confidence and encourage greater investments in biomass
heat. The project supported businesses through: 1. creation of a best practice tool-kit; 2.
organisation of business-to-business networking events; 3. development of capacity building to
pilot new supply chain models and partnerships.
The MAKE-IT-BE (IEE) project aimed at delivering agendas for bio-energy promotion in 4 EU
Regions by developing and applying decision-making tools that assist in identifying, evaluating and
initiating bio-energy chains. Bio-energy stakeholder platforms integrating bio-energy into regional
energy programmes. The project delivered bio-energy agendas paving a way for the development
of bio-energy chains addressing biomass supply&markets, bioenergy applications and technologies.
MIXBIOPELLS (IEE) aimed to support market implementation of biomass pellets by identifying

the constraints and drivers and to find promising market concepts for enhancing the market
relevance of alternative pellets for energy use. The project provided market information about
alternative and mixed biomass pellets. A draft for a labelling system for alternative pellets and
combustion systems was developed in close cooperation with the European Pellet Council
considering possible utilisation concepts and the implementation in existing legal frameworks.
The PELLCERT (IEE) project assisted the development of standards and certification schemes for
solid biomass. PellCert developed and implemented an EU certification system for pellets (ENPlus)
to ensure uniform quality for wood pellets. It also addressed environmental aspects, and developed
procedures for the sustainability of pellet production and trade. SolidStandards supported the
implementation of EU standards for solid biofuels by delivering training, implementing standards in
selected companies and collecting feedback on biomass standards from the stakeholders.
The objective of the PromoBio (IEE) project was to provide support to regional bioenergy
initiatives and to facilitate new bioenergy business projects in Eastern European countries. Best
bioenergy practices and successful business models were tested and transferred to the target
regions. The aim is to provide the local stakeholders with the grounds to make informed decisions
52
in developing the bioenergy markets of their region. The project provided concrete supporting
actions to decision makers and companies starting or developing bioenergy business.
In the SolidStandards (IEE) project, solid biofuel industry players were informed and trained in
the field of standards and certification to use their feedback to the related standardization
committees and policy makers. A number of 35 training events were organised for producers and
end-users of solid biofuels aiming at increasing the target groups' ability to implement quality and
sustainability standardization and certification. The consortium worked with selected solid biofuel
companies and to support them in implementing European quality standards.
SRCPLUS (IEE) supported the development of local supply chains of Short Rotation Crops (SRC)
by implementing capacity building measures and regional mobilization actions in local supply
chains. The project started with an analysis of sustainable SRC local supply chains and identifica-
tion of best practises. The project promoted sustainable practices in the SRC supply chains in order
to create and highlight especially the environmental benefits of SRC in comparison to other crops.
The main objective of SUCELLOG (IEE) was to increase the participation of the agri sector in the
sustainable supply of solid biofuels. SUCELLOG supported the creation of solid biofuel logistic
centres in the agro-industry evidencing the synergy existing between the agro-food economy and
the bio-economy and covering the gap of knowledge of agro-food industries. Various facilities form
agriculture can be used in the idle periods to handle and pre-treat feedstocks obtained from
different sources (agri and forestry residues, landscape cleaning, etc.) into quality solid biofuels.
The Woodheat Solutions (WHS) (IEE) project contributed at boosting wood fuel use in England,
Slovenia and Croatia by working with small scale woodland owners, farmers and heat users to raise
awareness of the advantages of wood fuel for heat production, and to implement wood fuel supply
and wood heat production projects. The project addresses the barriers of insufficient co-operation,
information and training to mobilise the biomass potential from fragmented forests and agricultural
land and integrate the two sectors into the energy market as a raw material or energy supplier.
BIOTRADE2020PLUS (IEE) provided guidelines for the development of a European Bioenergy

Trade Strategy that ensures that imported biomass are sustainably sourced and used efficiently,
while avoiding distortion of other markets. Technical, economical and sustainable potentials and
sustainability risks of biomass and bioenergy carriers were assessed, with a focus on wood chips,
pellets, torrefied biomass & pyrolysis oil from major sourcing regions. Technical evaluation of their
production and distribution costs, market prices, actors and sustainability profiles was provided.
The aim of the ENERCOM (FP7) project was to demonstrate high-efficient polygeneration of
electricity, heat, solid fuels and high-value compost/ fertilisers from sewage sludge and greenery
waste mixed to biomass residues. The concept allows achieving high overall energy efficiency by
the use of low temperature heat from the co-composting process and a highly efficient gasification
process. The project aimed to set up a polygeneration demo plant on an existing compost facility,
to recover minerals and nutrients from ash and remove heavy metals and harmful fractions.
The BIOMOB (FP7) project aimed to identify opportunities for commercialisation of applied
research into biomass mobilisation. Regional challenges were addressed by profiling biomass
resources in each region and identifying regional shortcomings between resources and research
capabilities. BIOMOB formulated recommendations to expand local bioenergy systems and
proposed technological and networking processes resulted from nine case studies.
BESTF (FP7) aimed to start large scale investment in close-to-market bioenergy, helping to
achieve the objectives of the European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI) Implementation Plan.
BESTF implemented a collaborative funding call to support bioenergy projects. These projects had
to demonstrate the performance and reliability of all critical steps in a value chain so that the first
commercial unit can be designed and performance confirmed from the demo unit.
BESTF2 (FP7) has established a cooperative funding scheme to support close-to-market projects
focused on the generation of bioenergy. BESTF2 provided financial support to innovative bioenergy
demo projects to facilitate the transfer of applied research to market. Six projects have been
selected for funding and received funding at three levels: national, EC and industry. The BESTF
53
programme supported bioenergy demo projects addressing one of the seven EIBI bioenergy value
chains, are at an proper stage of development and move into demo phase and are industry-led.
BRISK (FP7) aimed to encourage and facilitate cooperative research in thermochemical biomass
conversion and granting researchers access to high-level experimental facilities. Another focus is
on developing advanced measurement methods and procedures in thermochemical biomass
conversion. Thermal gasification and upgrading technologies are being refined to improve flexibility
of the gasifier. Another task is to improve methods for advanced testing and optimisation of
catalytic processes of biosynthetic gas conversion into liquid or gaseous biofuels.
The main aim of S2BIOM (FP7) project was to support the sustainable delivery of non-food
biomass feedstock through developing strategies and roadmaps. The project built up a knowledge
base for the sustainable supply and logistics of biomass (amount, cost, technological pathway
options), for the development of technology and market strategies to support the development of a
resource efficient bioeconomy. This includes bio-based industries as well as energy conversion.
ADVANCEFUEL (H2020) aimed to facilitate the commercialisation of renewable transport fuels by

providing stakeholders with new knowledge, tools, standards and recommendations to help remove
barriers to their uptake. The project examined the challenges of biomass availability and how to
improve supply chains. New and innovative conversion technologies were explored to see how they
can be integrated into energy infrastructure. A decision support tools will be created for policy-
makers to enable a value chain assessment, as well as scenarios and sensitivity analysis.
AGRIFORVALOR (H2020) plans to close the R&D divide by connecting practitioners from
agriculture and forestry to research and academia, associations and clusters, bio-industry, policy
makers; support organisations, innovation agencies and technology transfer liaisons in multi-actor
innovation partnership networks. Research results and good practices on valorization of biomass
sidestreams from agro and forest will be shared and matched with the specific needs, potentials
and dedicated innovation support applied, to further deploy selected topics.
AGROinLOG (H2020) will evaluate the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of the
Integrated Biomass Logistic Centres (IBLC) for food and non-food products. The project is based on
three agro-industries in the fodder (Spain), olive oil production (Greece) and cereal processing
(Sweden) sectors that are willing to deploy new business lines in their facilities to open new
markets in bio-commodities (energy, transport and manufacturing purposes) and intermediate bio-
products (transport and biochemicals).
The Ambition (H2020) project will develop a long-term joint European Community Research and
Innovation Agenda on the integration of biofuels production and surplus electricity valorisation.
AMBITION targets the challenge of system flexibility by integrating two energy carriers, e.g.
electricity and biofuels. The project targets a set of aspects of the integration challenges in line
with the priority areas of the SET plan Integrated Roadmap. AMBITION improves the material and
energy efficiency of the conversion processes and reduces capital and operation costs.
Amicrex (H2020) plans to develop an integrated process design for future industrial
implementation, where by-products from agro industrial processes (e.g. carrot peels) can be
valorised by recovering high- value nonpolar components (e.g. carotenoids, well recognized natural
pigments and widely used in the food and cosmetic industries) through a microwave intensified
microemulsion extraction process.
This BESTF3 ERA-NET Co-fund will bring together a number of national&transnational organi-
sations for promoting greater use of bioenergy. It follows two previous BESTF ERA-NET Plus
initiatives to kick-start large-scale investment to achieve the objectives of the European Industrial
Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI) Implementation Plan and the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan.
BESTF3 will implement an integrated action to promote the development of bioenergy
demonstrators and providing a financial support to projects that are close to commercialisation.
BESTF ERA-NET will implement a joint programme for bioenergy demo projects to demonstrate
bioenergy technologies, leveraging public-private partnerships to manage the risks.
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BestRES (H2020) aims to identify best practices business models for renewable electricity
generation in Europe taking into account new opportunities and synergies coming along with
changing market designs in line with the EU target model. Business models investigated shall make
use of the aggregation of various renewable sources, storage and flexible demand. The improved
business models will be implemented during the project in real-life environments, depending on the
market conditions, to proof the soundness of the developed concept.
Bioenergy4Business (H2020) supported and promoted the substitution of fossil fuels used for
heating, by bioenergy sources (industrial waste, forest biomass, straw and other agri-biomass).
Results of the project include information about market potentials, capacity building/training,
decision-support tools and communication activities targeted at relevant stakeholder, tools to
support the assessment, planning and implementation of such projects, dissemination of best-
practice business models and of the information about best practice support measures and policies.
BioEnergyTrain (H2020) project addresses the creation of new post-graduate level curricula in
key bioenergy disciplines, and a network of tertiary education institutions, research centres, and
industry stakeholders. The project will foster European cooperation to provide a highly skilled and
innovative workforce across the whole bioenergy value chain, closely following the
recommendations of the SET-Plan Education Roadmap.
The overall goal of the Biomasud Plus (H2020) project is the improvement, dissemination and
market development of the Biomasud label to promote the sustainable use of the Mediterranean
solid biofuels in the domestic sector. A GIS tool providing information about biomass resources and
costs was updated and upgraded with info about agro-industrial residues and pellets production
and producers. Biomasud Plus will develop new and review the existing Biomasud label analytical
limits and sustainability tools along the value chain, including the GHG calculation procedure.
BioRES (H2020) aimed to introduce an innovative concept of Biomass Logistic and Trade Centres
(BLTCs) that will help increasing the demand for bioenergy (firewood, wood chips, wood pellets,
and wood briquettes). BioRES identifies locations for new BLTCs, assesses regional potentials for
the production and use of bioenergy, and initiates stakeholder dialogues involving producers and
users of bioenergy. The innovative concept for BLTCs builds upon the results of previous and on-
going EU programs, e.g. BIOMASS TRADE CENTER II, FOROPA, SolidStandards and BIOREGIONS.
Biovalue (H2020) project aims to build a novel biomass scanner for the measurement of biomass
that will be based on its 1st generation solution for the pulp and paper industry. The new solution
will analyse various types of biomass. Manex will build and test a full scale demonstrator at a trial
customer and analyze the biomass on a moving conveyor belt in realtime determining the most
important key parameters (i.e. moisture content, calorific value, ash content and unwanted items)
to high precision. Accurate knowledge of biofuel quality will be available in real time.
The BioVill (H2020) project will develop regional bioenergy concepts in Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia,
Macedonia and Romania up to the investment stage in order to become “bioenergy villages”. This
will increase the market uptake of bioenergy on the basis of cooperation with partners from
countries with established bioenergy markets (Austria, Germany). The individual biomass value
chains will include the production and distribution of heat and electricity. The concepts include
technical and non-technical aspects for each target village.
BRISK II (H2020) aims to establish a centre of excellence in the field of 2nd and 3rd generation
biofuels via the uniting of leading European research infrastructures. BRISK II Networking Activities
will consolidate the knowledge in the field. Joint Research Activities will yield an improvement in
the characterisation of feedstocks for thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes, at
micro-scale and macro-scale. Enhanced techniques will lead to significant gains in process flexibility
and reliability. New biorefining approaches are intended to explore novel process combinations.
DIABOLO (H2020) aims to strengthen the methodological framework towards more accurate,
harmonised and timely forest information; enable the analysis of sustainable biomass supply
derived from multipurpose and multisource national forest inventories; and facilitate near real-time
forest disturbance monitoring. DIABOLO will make innovative use of existing field-collected data
55
and EC space-based applications of EO and satellite positioning systems with reference to INSPIRE
and GEOSS, and global monitoring systems such as REDD+, FLEGT and UNFF.
The objectives of this EcoBioMass (H2020) project are to optimize, demonstrate and
commercialize the EcoBioMass system, an automated system for harvesting and processing small
diameter trees. EcoBioMass automatically cuts tree stems into pre-specified lengths and bundles
them together for forward transport. In relation to existing solutions, the system increases the
efficiency of small diameter tree harvesting.
The goal of ENABLING (H2020) is spreading of best practices and innovation in the provision
(production, pre-processing) of biomass for the bio-based industry. In particular, ENABLING aims
at creating appropriate conditions for the development of efficient biomass to bio-based products
and processes value chains. Upscaling biomass production and pre-processing would enhance three
types of impact: a) meet higher demand in bioenergy and BBI; b) reinforce-ment of biomass
supply for the BBI benefits smaller BBI players; c) job-creation from biomass and BBPs linkages.
ERIFORE (H2020) will establish open access bioeconomy research infrastructure enabling scientific
discoveries to be transferred to new business models, novel products and services. ERIFORE will
coordinate, complement and update major European research infrastructure to enable the full
potential of forest biomass in balance with diverse uses. The research infrastructure will focus on
topics supporting Circular Forest Bioeconomy concepts, including fundamental teaching, knowledge
sharing to high level research labs and large scale piloting facilities.
ETIP Bioenergy-SABS (H2020) aims to support the contributions of biofuel and bioenergy
stakeholders to the Strategic Energy Technology (SET)-Plan. The project will assist the European
Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP), to prepare the transition to a European Technology and
Innovation Platform Bioenergy (ETIP Bioenergy). Key elements are to enable contribution to the
SET-Plan activities and strategy on RES integration, technology cost reduction and upscaling;
defining priorities, strategies, investment decisions and programmes; identification of technical and
non-technical barriers; assistance in defining research programmes and financial instruments.
The objective of FACCE SURPLUS (H2020) is to strengthen the European Research Area in
support of different integrated food and non-food biomass production and transformation systems,
especially by organising, implementing and co-funding with the EU a joint call for transnational
research projects on the topic of sustainable and resilient agriculture. This topic falls within the
scope of the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) of the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture,
Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE–JPI).
FORBIO (H2020) will demonstrate the viability of using land for non-food feedstock production
without interfering with the production of food or feed, recreational and/or conservational
purposes. FORBIO will develop a methodology to assess bioenergy production potential on
available “underutilised lands” (contaminated, abandoned, fallow land, etc.). FORBIO will provide
multiple feasibility studies in selected locations to set the basis for building up local bioenergy value
chains that meet the highest sustainability standards and improve efficiency and sustainability.
The objective the GRACE (H2020) project is to demonstrate the upscaling of crop production of
miscanthus and hemp genotypes matched to end use and their suitability for marginal, contamina-
ted and unused land. Another aim of the project is to demonstrate the upscaling of promising
biomass valorization chains with tailored genotypes. Valorization options were tested and demons-
trated at precommercial scale including their performance and environmental and economic profile.
The aim of greenGain (H2020) is to strengthen the energy use of regional and local biomass from
the maintenance of areas and landscape elements. The scope of the biomass used will be any
material produced from nature conservation and landscape management, but not from energy-
crops. The project will show strategies to build up reliable knowledge on local availability of these
feedstocks and know-how on issues from logistics to storage and sustainable conversion pathways
for the transformation of these feedstocks to renewable energy (heat and energy products).
InnoPellet (H2020) project aims to develop a self-supporting biofuel pellet producing system for
treating communal sewage. Previous development led to the completion of a prototype. InnoPellet
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plans to commercialise the units and pelleting services to wastewater companies. The InnoPellet
system offers an economical solution of sewage sludge treatment for wastewater companies. This
technology is a self-supporting machinery for drying and pelleting sewage sludge without external
need of fossil fuel or any other additional material.
MOBILE FLIP (H2020) aims at developing and demonstrating mobile processes for the treatment
of underexploited agro and forest based biomass into products and intermediates. Process concepts
have been designed around the key technologies: pelletizing, torrefaction, slow pyrolysis,
hydrothermal pre-treatment and carbonisation. Four mobile process lines have been designed and
are under way to be tested: hydrothermal pre-treatment, torrefaction, slow pyrolysis, pelletizing.
SecureChain (H2020) promotes the implementation of sustainable supply chain management

practices in six EU regions to better integrate local SMEs into biomass supply, processing and
bioenergy production. This aims to increase biomass mobilisation and reduce the transaction costs
for market uptake of efficient systems. Complete LCA of pilot supply chains evaluates the environ-
mental and socio-economic impacts; a risk assessment is carried out to several supply chains.
The aim of the SEEMLA (H2020) project is the reliable and sustainable exploitation of biomass
from marginal lands (MagL), which are not used for food or feed production and are not posing an
environmental threat. The aim of the project is to define MagL to develop and optimize cropping
systems for special sites. The project will focus on three objectives: the promotion of re-conversion
of MagLs for the production of bioenergy through the involvement of farmers and foresters,
strengthening of local small scale supply chains and the promotion of plantations on MagLs.
The SYSTEMIC (H2020) project aims to turn biomass waste from AD value chains into valuable
products while reducing water pollution, GHG emissions and creating jobs in rural areas. The demo
plant will allow innovative combinations of modules to elaborate possible optimizations for
increasing the production quantity and quality of new products. The SYSTEMIC industry-driven
consortium will validate for the first time the technical and economic viability of a fully integrated,
multistep approach in an operational environment.
uP_running (H2020) project aims to set the path for the development of the bioenergy utilisation
of agrarian pruning and plantation removal (APPR) wood from vineyards, olive groves and fruit tree
plantations. uP_running goal is the mobilisation value chain actors for the utilization of APPR woody
biomass. For that purpose, uP_running incorporates a set of straight actions aimed to reshape the
sectors perception, to provide evidences of real success and replicable models to follow, as well as
to promote the take-off for the utilisation of APPR biomass residues.
WASTE2FUELS (H2020) aims to develop next generation biofuel technologies converting agrofood
waste (AFW) streams into high quality biobutanol. WASTE2FUELS aims at the development of novel
pretreatment methods, enlarging current available biomass for biofuels production. It targets the
development of new routes for biobutanol production via ethanol catalytic conversion through the
development of genetically modified microorganisms and biofilm reactor systems for enhancing
conversion efficiencies of fermentation.
The objective of CoolHeating (H2020) is to support the implementation of small modular

renewable heating and cooling grids. This will be achieved through knowledge transfer and mutual
activities of partners between countries with different experience on renewable district heating and
cooling. Core activities, besides techno-economical assessments, include measures to stimulate the
set-up district heating systems as well as capacity building about financing and business models.
BIOREG (H2020) will create a platform of stakeholders who are able to influence and develop their
regions towards bio-based industries and products. Demonstrator case studies regions have set up
renewable wood waste-based systems at different stages of the value chain including different
sources, pre-sorting, sorting, collection, recycling and treatment (to materials, biochemicals or
biofuels) as well as the different gradings and regional wood waste composition in each country.
BIOVOICES (H2020) aims at engaging relevant stakeholder groups voices (policy makers, resear-
chers, business community and civil society) to address societal, environmental and economic
challenges related to bio-based products and applications. The platform developed by BIOVoices
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builds on the concept of Mobilisation & Mutual Learning Platforms and methods developed
previously in European projects with the objective of delivering an Action Plan addressing the
challenges of raising awareness of and engaging with the citizens on bio-based products.
BIOWAYS (H2020) intends to meet the need for better communication of bio-based products and
applications and the benefits they bring focusing on promoting bio-based industries. BIOWAYS
proposes a wide range of integrated, high-level activities and tools with added value for
communication programmes. Tools being developed include an innovative online collaboration
platform and social network, an accessible library of bio-based products, training materials, social
hack days, co-creation workshops, an eConference, BarCamps and thematic Charettes.
The main objectives of EFFORTE (H2020) are to develop techno-economically feasible

methodology to predict trafficability prior to forest operations to increase forest growth and
productivity of tree planting and stand management and to develop and pilot modern Big data
solutions that increase productivity and decrease negative environmental impact. New knowledge,
improved methods and technical development are combined with better transfer of information
from different sources (e.g processes, geo data from LiDAR scanning, weather data etc).
FibreNet (H2020) will train young professionals with multidisciplinary view to develop sustainable
bio-based fibre products with tailored properties for different application fields in both academic
and non-academic sectors. The project proposes a training and research network which provides
and develops knowhow, methods and tools in functionalization, characterization, numerical
modelling and production of bio-based fibre products at multiple length scales.
GreenCarbon (H2020) goal is to develop new scientific knowledge, capability, technology, and
commercial products for biomass-derived carbon materials. This will be accomplished through
research and training programmes for early-stage researchers. The programme covers all aspects
from precursors (biomass) to processing (thermochemical conversion, porosity development,
chemical functionalisation) and application (e.g., CO2 capture, heterogeneous catalysis and
chemicals from biomass) enabling a unique design of engineered sustainable BC materials.
The aim of the ICRI-BIOM (H2020) project is to establish a new centre of excellence in the
Lodzkie Region, Poland, by creative and collaborative efforts, i.e. TEAMING with Max Planck Society
(MPS), Germany, as the internationally leading institution. The planned International Centre for
Research on Innovative Bio-based Materials (ICRI-BioM) will focus on design, synthesis,
characterization and practical implementations/applications of advanced materials, exemplified by
biomaterials, bio-products, and multifunctional smart polymer systems.
STAR-ProBio (H2020) aims to promote a more efficient and harmonized policy regulation
framework, to promote the market-pull of bio-based products. This will be achieved through a fit-
for-purpose sustainability scheme, including standards, labels and certifica-tions for bio-based
products. STAR-ProBio will integrate scientific, engineering, social sciences and humanities-based
approaches to formulate guidelines for a common framework promoting the regulations and
standards to support business innovation models in the bio-based sector.
WeBio: Web Platform to manage Biosource Potentials for Renewable energy production
is a Climate-KIC project that will develop a matchmaking platform to take advantage, in a
systematic and optimized manner, of all available resources over a territory. WeBio hence offers to
give information to biomaterials, and to energy producers, local authorities and investors. For that
latter, the problem is not so much accessing the resource as reaching critical quantities of biowaste
to make its conversion into energy a profitable activity.
Horizon scanning the European Bioeconomy (Biohorizons) is a Climate-KIC project focused

on mapping the bioeconomy to identify areas for growth, opportunity and innovation. Demographic
and climatic changes are putting the world’s resources under increasing pressure. The biorefining
has the potential to offer new and sustainable sources . However, the bioeconomy market is in its
infancy and it is still unclear how its research & commercial outputs can be best put into practice.
The Climate KIC project ForValor – Improve the European forest value chain will develop an
innovative tool to take stock of regionally available assortments and qualities of wood in the forest
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based on latest remote sensing and ground truth data. The project will explore the information
needs of key players in the forest chain on present and desired future forest data. Together with
key players, availability and gaps of existing data will be surveyed and, data requirements on
future timber volumes and qualities will be explored.
WoodPickER Climate KIC project analyses the feasibility of a sustainable forest management
model in a pilot area. The model integrates advanced sustainable forest exploitation technologies
with short rotation forestry and the best biomass valorization options. Engaging stakeholders and
analyzing technical, environmental and economic feasibility of the model, WoodPickER allows policy
instruments (RuralDevelopmentPlan) to get better value-for-money, generating positive economic
outputs and employment opportunities, while reducing GHG emissions and increasing carbon sink.
MuBiGen (Municipal Bioenergy Generation) Climate-KIC project aims at creating a potential

business model for an integrated value chain, in which cities produce their own marketable and
storable energy carriers and biomaterials from unused urban grass cuttings. The project will
demonstrate the potential positive climate impact and prepare the exploitation of the business idea
in two cities. Next a European network, which transfers the business idea to other European
municipalities, will be prepared for a successful implementation of the business idea.
Based on optical/radar satellite data, FOREST (Fully Optimised and Reliable Emissions Tool)
Climate-KIC project provides solutions for sustainable forest management and carbon stocks
enhancement. FOREST provides forest owners with forest management services. Through the use
of optical and radar data, in situ measurements and software (based on the ORCHIDEE model), the
project will provide info on the size and structure of forest areas.

4.3.1 Anaerobic digestion: EU and SET Plan projects
A number of 68 projects have been identified as addressing the research on biomass combustion,
of which 30 projects under FP7, 12 projects under the IEE programme and 26 projects under
H2020 RTD EU programmes. The FABBIOGAS (IEE) project aimed at promoting and valorisation
and efficient integration of residues from food and beverage industry for biogas production.
FABbiogas established an information base on the use of residues for biogas production and maps
of biogas plants and waste streams. FABbiogas results comprise the set of tools and guidelines
needed for creating a European reference standard on industrial waste use for bio-energy.
BioEnergy Farm II (IEE) focuses on micro scale biogas plants using manure and feed left-overs
of farms in order to open the market for micro-scale digestion. A portal to inform the farmers about
micro-digesters was made. An online quick scan allows farmers to make a pre-feasibility study. The
project prepared a detailed offline feasibility tool to be used by the trained experts. A guidance
document for policy makers enables them to improve the conditions for biogas production. A offline
feasibility tool can be used to perform the scan providing data as input for the business plans.
The aim of BIOGAS3 (IEE) was to promote the sustainable production of renewable energy from
biogas from agricultural residues and food and beverage industry waste at small-scale. The project
aimed to develop a sustainable model for small-scale AD, including an energy demand
management model. The project developed business models for funding opportunities, detailed in a
handbook and a program to evaluate the sustainability of new small scale biogas plants.
The GERONIMO (IEE) project built a user-centered web-based platform which provides farms with
access to relevant information technology, tools and financial support on farm energy efficiency
and RES. GERONIMO II-BIOGAS quantified the biogas potential from dairy and pig farms and to
capacitate them to draw up business plans and strategies for investment in biogas facilities. The
project aimed to transfer best practice of pro-biogas policies, schemes and incentives to EU regions
to create regional frameworks that remove the barriers that are preventing the uptake of biogas.
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GERONIMO II-BIOGAS (IEE) worked closely with dairy and pig farmers to quantify the biogas
potential on their farms and to capacitate them to draw up robust business plans and strategies for
investment in biogas facilities. The project aimed to transfer best practice in the area of pro-biogas
policies, schemes and incentives from frontrunner regions to other EU regions to create pro-biogas
regional frameworks that remove the barriers that are preventing the uptake of biogas.
FARMAGAS (IEE) promoted AD of agricultural wastes in European farms, through know-how

dissemination and knowledge transfer to farmers in New Member States. The project used the
relevant and country specific information and training materials on biogas production at farm level,
based on tools and guidelines developed in the project AGROBIOGAS. Training and dissemination
activities were performed in local farms.
GreenGasGrids (IEE) aimed at leveraging market development for biomethane through know-how
transfer from forerunner to starter countries, finding solutions to market barriers and bring
together business partners. The project focuses on the issues of trade, technical standards,
legislation and sustainability. Biomethane strategies were targeted to provide decision-makers in
starter countries with technical and legislative advice to introduce cost-efficient support measures.
The BiogasHeat (IEE) project addressed the problem of how to efficiently use the heat from
biogas plants. A set of different policy, best practice, field tests and project implementation
measures were developed. New and existing plants in emerging European biogas markets are
targeted with concrete solutions to efficiently use the heat to be proposed and demonstrated.
SUSTAINGAS (IEE) has focussed at promoting sustainable biogas supply by positioning

sustainable biogas products from organic farming. A tool to describe the economic interaction
between biogas and organic food production has been established including criteria for sustainable
organic biogas production for the analysis of sustainability performance of organic biogas plants.
The GR3 (IEE) project promoted the use of grass and other herbaceous residues as a resource for
biogas. A biomass quality web tool for predicting the suitability for digestion of grass residues and
a calculation web tool for evaluating the techno-economic feasibility and profitability of using grass
residues were developed. The project brought key market actors together and provided them with
technical, investment and legislative advices and info on best practices.
BIOPROFARM (IEE) addressed the existing barriers in regional context for biomethanisation. It
identified administrative, technical barriers and financial barriers in various countries and proposed
the necessary specific legal incentives for biogas development. It conducted an awareness
campaign by participation on exhibitions and seminars after the identification of the important
regional stakeholders to promote biogas production.
The objective of the SOLROD (IEE) project was constructing a CHP biogas plant using: seaweed
collected from beaches, organic waste from the local industry and manure from local pigs and
cattle farms. This contributed to solve problems with aquatic pollution and the reduction of CO 2
emissions by replacing fossil fuels by 40 ktonnes. Biomass treated in the biogas plant (digested
biomass) can be used as biological fertilizer which is a more efficient fertilizer than other non-
treated biological fertilizers, and as substitute of chemical fertilizers on farmland in the area.
BiogasIN (IEE) aimed to develop a sustainable biogas market in Central and Eastern Europe. The
project was designed to address the main bottlenecks for the development of new biogas plants,
including complex permitting procedures and inadequate financing mechanisms. The objective was
to create awareness on the feasibility and the benefits of biogas production and use and to increase
the confidence in biogas production.
BIOMASTER (IEE) goal was to prove that biomethane for transport can be an operational and
viable option in spite of the regulatory and fiscal barriers. BIOMASTER focussed on setting up a
waste-to-wheel partnership, set-up of networks to involve local stakeholders, to address the
potential sources of biomethane, potential for production and use, available distribution modes,
and legal, organisational and financial barriers. A key goal was to focus on grid injection, to bridge
the knowledge and operational gaps fragmenting the biomethane chain and to foster dialogue.
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BIO-METHANE REGIONS (IEE) aimed to stimulate the market development of AD, with emphasis
biomethane production, through independent advice to potential developers, regulators and
decision makers. The region developed action plans and strategies for moving forward with the
overall objective to establish AD, bio-methane to gas grid and bio-methane as a transport fuel as
viable and attractive options to investors, waste and energy companies and governments.
The objective of UrbanBiogas (IEE) was to promote the use of the fraction of organic urban waste
for biogas production to inject biomethane in the gas grid and to use it in transport. The objective
was to prepare five cities for the production of biomethane. Support activities were organised: city
Task-Force meetings, training courses, promotional campaigns, study tours and consultation
events. The network of partner cities was used to promote the concept beyond the target cities.
The CONDIMON (FP7) project aimed to develop a sensor system for monitoring oil quality in
biogas engines. The prototype sensor system will contain a novel corrosion sensor measuring
permittivity, conductivity, viscosity, temperature and moisture to be integrated in a programmable
logic controller (PLC) data acquisition system. An algorithm using all measured parameters
provides decision support on the maintenance of the generators.
The THERCHEM (FP7) project aims to address the thermochemical pre- and post-treatment
process for the AD of brewers' spent grains. This will increase the yield and decrease the size of the
AD plant. The project has optimised the conditions (temperature, pressure and duration) for the
pre-treatment of brewers' spent grains with sulphuric acid. A post-treatment trickle bed has been
designed to remove unwanted hydrogen sulphide gas by converting it into hydrogen sulphate.
PHASEPLIT (FP7) aimed to develop a decentralized wastewater reactor for electricity and heat, for
food and drink industry. Phaseplit is based on two-phase AD process, separated acidogenic and the
methanogenic stages. This allows optimization of both stages, maximizing the benefits. The project
performed tests on lab and pilot scale. This will maximize COD removal from wastewater in the
food and drink and for wastewater with high content of organic matter (sugar, fats and proteins).
The project VALORGAS (FP7) aimed to overcome the challenges related to collection, handling,
pre-treatment and the AD of food waste to recover a gaseous fuel. The project set out to evaluate
the efficiency and yield of food waste collection scheme. It addressed the anaerobic microbial
interactions to achieve stable operating conditions at high loading rates and efficiencies. This
product may be used for heat and power production and as a fuel for vehicles.
The BioROBUR (FP7) project plans to develop a fuel processor for the direct reforming of biogas
and test on a PEM-grade hydrogen production unit. The project adopted an autothermal reforming
route, based on easily-recoverable noble-metal catalysts. The project proposes adoption of a
multifunctional catalytic wall-flow trap based on transition metal catalysts, coupled to the ATR
reformer and the adoption of a coke growth control based on periodic pulses of air/steam for an
on-stream regeneration of the catalysts.
The OPTI-VFA (FP7) project aims at developing a prototype of a novel monitoring and control
system based on online volatile fatty acid (VFA) measurement in AD plants. The prototype uses
infrared light to detect changes in VFA concentrations within the digester, and control is achieved
through a user-friendly software interface. Lab testing measuring online VFA concentrations was
followed by pilot testing.
The SMART TANK (FP7) project was set to develop an autonomous thermophilic digester. The
project reviewed the thermophilic ADs, and studied the effects of various conditions on metabolic
rates of the bacteria. Sensors and actuators that could be used to monitor and control these
conditions were identified. The project built a mobile prototype and then a permanent prototype for
testing and process optimisation.
The BiFFiO (FP7) project proposes to mix the waste from fish farms and manure from agriculture
in a reactor for the production of biogas. The BiFFiO project aims to develop a novel technology for
handling mixed waste for energy production, and further use of the digestate, using a three-stage
system of pre-treatment, biogas reactor and fertilizer recuperation.
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The ADAW (FP7) project addresses AD of slaughterhouse waste for biogas production. The project
aims at improving biogas yields by using a saponification pre-treatment by unifying saponification
and sterilisation and/or pasteurisation processes. It also aims improving biogas yields by selecting
specific bacteria and by advance control system for real time monitoring.
The BIOMAN (FP7) project addresses biogas production from manure and straw by improving
physical and enzymatic pre-treatment. After chemical characterisation of several substrates with
high lignocellulose content, measurements were performed to assess potential biomethane
production. Substrates were analysed before and after tests on different handling equipment,
different enzymatic treatments and ultrasound.
The MICRODE (FP7) project will address the issue of enzymatic degradation of biomass by using
an inter-disciplinary approach to study and compare natural and engineered digestive ecosystems.
The project will provide insight into diverse microbial lineages and uncover core enzyme for
biomass degradation. Relevant genes identified from reconstructed genomes and/or transcriptome
data for isolates will be cloned and characterized in detail.
The ATBEST (FP7) training network will develop innovative research and training for the biogas
industry in Europe. The aim is to establish long-term collaborations and develop structured
research and training relevant to industry and academia along the biogas supply chain.
The AD-WISE (FP7) project developed a novel approach for monitoring AD plant performance,
with a real-time system that measures single volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration to determine
AD efficiency. An in-line real-time sensor is used by specifically designed software to advise the
biogas plant operator on how to optimise the plant operation. A prototype was installed at an
industrial-scale AD plant for extensive testing.
INEMAD (FP7) aims to develop strategies to better integrate nutrient and energy flows in
agriculture and reconnect livestock and crop production farming systems. INEMAD has assessed
nutrient management at the farm level, current policy and potential strategies for processing of
farm wastes. INEMAD will analyse improvements options for biogas plants, valorisation options for
the digestate, improve the management by the use of optimisation models.
The AD-WINE (FP7) project aimed to develop an anaerobic treatment system of wineries’
effluents. The project focused on the evaluation of the viability and application of high performance
AD. A prototype of a digester will be developed and followed by a theoretical and calculation model
for the AD process. The design and operation parameters of the treatment technology will be
optimized.
The project BIOWET (FP7) was launched to investigate several ways to use biological waste for
electricity production. These consist in AD of wastewater and solid waste, bio-hydrogen production
from industrial wastewater and electricity production using fuel cells. The project is fostering
sharing of ideas and information among partners and to young and experienced researchers in this
and related fields.
The focus of the 3CBIOTECH (FP7) project was gaining better understanding of the microbiology
of low-temperature AD and characterise microbial communities underpinning novel and innovative,
low-temperature, anaerobic waste conversion, including municipal wastewater treatment and
biorefinery applications. The work will include organic acid-oxidizing, hydrogen-producing
syntrophic microbes and hydrogen-consuming methanogens.
The goal of the F2W2F (FP7) project was the demonstration of a closed cycle organic waste
treatment system to increase the use of organic waste as input for a closed-loop process for crop
production. The proposed integrated system covers organic waste pre-treatment, anaerobic
digester for digesting the waste, creating biogas for CHP, liquid effluent as fertiliser and digestate
separation.
The PLASMANURE (FP7) project aimed to reduce the ammonia emissions from pig waste by
developing a cost-effective optimized plasma-catalyst reactor for manure waste, with direct
economic benefits by reducing costs of ammonia removal (pH control, stripping-scrubbing
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sequences, etc.). The technology could enhance existing treatments by facilitating the oxidation of
ammonia from pig manure into nitrogen gas and water vapour.
The ROUTES (FP7) project investigated ways to process and to sanitise sludge for further use in
agriculture. One process involved a thermal pre-treatment at 135 °C, followed by AD. One
technique for minimising sludge production was the use of a SBBGR biofilter, which was able to
produce granular biomass and microbial electrolytic cells. An innovative wet oxidation process
proved to be a suitable alternative for disposal of the sludge to incineration.
ORION (FP7aimed to develop a small automatic user-friendly digestion unit for on-site treatment
of between 100 and 5000 tonnes per year organic waste. This will provide a practical solution to
the agro-food industry and the waste-processing industry to dispose of relatively small amounts of
organic waste and create energy. The different modules (hydrolysis, digestion, combustion, control
systems and active surfaces for bacteria) of the AD system were designed and tested.
ANAMIX (FP7) was dedicated to study and improve biological generation of chemicals and energy
carriers from organic residues generated by agro-industrial activities. The goal was to identify and
verify the biochemical driving forces for the establishment of specific production processes in mixed
microbial environments. Valuable and realistic products are hydrogen, methane rich biogas,
solvents like ethanol and butanol, or the generation of electricity in so called microbial fuel cells.
LEGUVAL (FP7) project targeted the valorisation of co-products and by-products of processed
legumes production by extraction of the protein fraction and use of the leftover biomass as
additives and as a source of biogas by AD. Methods to process materials have been investigated
and various by-products have been identified.
The NUTREC (FP7) project focuses on the recovery of ammonia (N) and phosphorus (P) from
wastewater, in particular from biogas production (rich in N and P) and leachates (rich in N) from
landfills. NUTREC wishes to improve and optimize a new, innovative technological process for
recovering ammonia, and extending such process for the recovery of phosphorus from diverse
wastewaters, and transforming the nutrient-rich by-streams into useful fertilisers.
PLASCARB (FP7) will integrate AD with innovative, low temperature microwave plasma processing
and carbon morphology and purification. The project will transform the biogas using innovative low
energy microwave plasma to split biogas methane into high value graphitic carbon and renewable
hydrogen. The project carried out continuous operation at pilot scale where mixed food waste was
used to generate biogas, which will then be transformed into a range of high value carbon
materials.
The LTANITRO (FP7) project provides a new approach for the treatment of wastewater. The
innovative microbiological process involves the anammox bacteria that ‘shortcut’ the conventional
nitrogen removal of treatment plants, producing revenue by biogas production.
BIOWASTE4SP (FP7) aimed to develop biotechnological processes for converting biodegradable

fractions of African and Mediterranean agri and industrial waste as well as municipal and animal
solid waste into food, feed, value-added products for nutraceuticals and healthcare, biogas and
fertilizer. Integrated processes combine sugar conversion from various materials into proteins with
biogas and fertilizer production done in co-digestion of municipal solid waste and manure.
WASTE2GO (FP7) project aimed to develop and verify technologies that can transform MSW into a
source of sustainable, high-value chemicals. Novel enzyme-based systems have been developed to
digest, or breakdown, MSW. These enzymes are now produced in large volumes to facilitate small-
scale digestion trials. The project introduced two novel engineering systems to extract valuable
chemicals at every stage of the digestion process.
BIOFERLUDAN (H2020) targets the development of an on-site recovery process, cost-effective

and reliable treatment for the digestate. The project aims to implement a new process to obtain
liquid fertilizers with high organic matter content, in form of humic substances, recovering them
from the digestate. It will constitute a business and improvement opportunity for biogas plants.
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The aim of the Waste2bioHy (H2020) project is to investigate fundamentals of microbial
communities involved in fermentative/electrogenic bioprocesses. The project aimed the
development of a cascade two-step BioH2 production, combining dark fermentation and microbial
electrolysis cell. Several waste streams were evaluated for coupling dark fermentation and
microbial electrolysis cell processes to maximize H2 recovery. Several inocula were evaluated and
selected and characterized for dark fermentation and microbial electrolysis cell processes.
The ADD-ON (H2020) project will scale up current pilot equipment to demonstrate at industrial
scale of a nitrogen-control technology that capable to remove over 60% of nitrogen from several
organic waste materials. This enables broader utilisation of high-nitrogen organic waste such as
chicken manure in biogas production and chicken manure can replace maize silage as biogas
feedstock.
The objective of Bin2Grid (H2020) concept was to promote segregated collection of food waste as
energy source, conversion to biogas, and its upgrading to biomethane. Strategies will be defined
for establishing efficient network of food and beverage waste collection methods and practices.
Particular attention will be given to advanced biogas to biomethane upgrading techniques for
purification and technical requirements for its usage through local filling stations.
The project Bio-HyPP (H2020) aims to develop a full scale technology demonstrator of a hybrid
power plant using biogas, a micro gas turbine (MGT) and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The demo
plant aims to prove the concept, followed by detailed characterization and optimization of system
integration. The MGT and SOFC have to be optimized by a multidisciplinary design approach using
numerical and experimental data. An integrated control system has to be developed to achieve a
reliable operation of the coupled subsystems.
BiogasAction (H2020) aim to serve as vehicle for the development of the European biogas sector
and thereby contribute to the EU 2020 targets by focusing on removing non-technical barriers to
widespread production of biogas/biomethane from manure and other waste. Central driver is the
cooperation between different policy levels at EU, national and regional level. The project will boost
local biogas development in conjunction with replication efforts & promotion at broad EU scale.
BIOGASTIGER (H2020) is a modular compact biogas plant in a transportable container

construction. All components are standardized and industrially pre-manufactured in series, tested
for quality before delivery and on site installed and commissioned with short assembly times. This
concept leads to the best cost to efficiency ratio, to the highest flexibility and stable energy supply
on request.
BIONICO (H2020) will develop, build and demonstrate a novel reactor (100 kg/day) concept, at a
real biogas plant, integrating H2 production and separation in a single vessel. The methane will be
converted to H2 at a lower temperature. Direct conversion of biogas to H2 is achieved in a single
step. BIONICO will demonstrate the membrane reactor at a larger scale, with more than 100
membranes implemented in a single fluidized bed membrane reactor. BIONICO process will
demonstrate to achieve an overall efficiency up to 72% due to process intensification.
BioROBURplus (H2020) builds upon the previous FCH JU BioROBUR project (direct biogas
oxidative steam reformer) to develop a pre-commercial fuel processor delivering 50 Nm3/h H2 from
biogas from landfill gas, AD of organic waste, or wastewater-treatment sludge. The energy
efficiency of biogas conversion into H2 will exceed 80%. The process will entail increased heat
recovery, a tailored pressure-temperature-swing adsorption (PTSA) and a recuperative burner
capable of exploiting the low enthalpy gas to provide heat.
BIOSURF (H2020) focusses on the development of a biomethane market by promoting collabora-

tion of national registries. BIOSURF aims to increase the production and use of biomethane, by
removing non-technical barriers. BIOSURF will perform a value chain analysis for biofuel for
transport, electricity, heating & cooling. It will analyse, compare and promote biomethane regis-
tering, labelling, certification and trade practices, to promote cooperation cross border markets.
The objective of DEMETER (H2020) is to increase the yield of this industrial fermentation process,
improve the product recovery process, and reduce overall product cost while increasing the
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productivity. DEMETER will demonstrate the efficacy of a C1-LC4 enzyme previously developed,
that will be tested on lab and small pilot-scale, obtaining insights for scale-up. The effect of
enzymes will be quantified, using 5 commonly used biomass substrates. The improved
fermentation and downstream process will be scaled up and demonstrated in a 15 000 L pilot plant.
The DEMOSOFC (H2020) objectives are the demonstration and analysis of an innovative solution
of distributed CHP system based on SOFC, for low capacity distributed CHP. Another objective is
the demonstration of a distributed CHP system fed by a biogenous CO2 neutral fuel: biogas from
AD in a real industrial installation. DEMOSOFC will prove the high performances of such systems:
electrical efficiency, thermal recovery, low emissions, plant integration, economic interest for best
use of renewable fuels in a future of decreasing incentives.
The ENGICOIN (H2020) project aims at the development of three new microbial factories (MFs),
integrated in an organic waste AD platform, based on engineered strains exploiting CO2 sources
and solar radiation or H2 for the production of value-added chemicals (TRL 3 to TRL 5). This
includes: produce lactic acid from biogas combustion flue gases or CO 2 from biogas purification;
produce PHA bioplastics from biogas combustion flue gases and carbon from the AD; produce
acetone from CO2 from biogas purification.
The overall aim of the H2AD-aFDPI (H2020) project is the development and field trials for a novel
micro-scale technology for the disposal of organic effluent based on a hybrid of Microbial Fuel Cells
(MFC) and AD (TRL6/7). H2AD-aFDPI aims to prove commercial viability for efficient removal of
organic content from waste streams; slurry; and post-AD liquors. The project seeks to develop
sensing for automated/remote control of system operation and optimised biogas yields.
HOMEBIOGAS (H2020) develops and markets advanced biogas systems that reduce waste
management fees, energy cost and environmental footprint by converting organic waste to biogas.
The project aims to offer an affordable (€10,000), high performance biogas solution to specific
needs that will convert organic waste (100 kg per day) into clean energy (120 kWh per day),
generating important savings (over €5,000 per year). HOMEBIOGAS TG6 has been demonstrated
at TRL6 through the development and trial of two large (200-250 kg per day) pilots.
The main ISAAC (H2020) project objective consists on the construction of a communicative model
oriented to spread balanced information, based on environmental and economic benefits of
biogas/biomethane. Actions will focus on reducing the fragmentation between stakeholders to
reach the minimal facility dimension, increased biogas/biomethane penetration . The project will
propose a participatory process model to reduce social conflict and to include all actors in decision
making process and a normative proposal on the participatory process.
ISABEL (H2020) aims to remove the obstacles and to promote community biogas by bringing out
its societal relevance. ISABEL employs modern marketing research to understand the needs and
cultural diversities of the communities, fuses Social Innovation to reposition Biogas from an
economic bio-fuel carrier to a social good, to come up with new community concepts and to build a
stronger and wider community engagement in support of biogas.
The Lt-AD (H2020) project proposes a novel low-temperature (4 - 20°C) AD solution for
wastewater at ambient temperatures for the Food and Drinks sectors. The Lt-AD technology has a
compact design and produces negligible sludge volumes and effluent at urban wastewater standard
(< 125 mg/L COD) without post-aeration and requires no heat input or biogas recirculation. This
Phase 2 project will allow the installation and commissioning of a demonstrator plant.
In the NTPLEASURE (H2020) project, an integrated separation-nonthermal plasma (NTP)-catalyst

system will be developed to enable the biogas utilization. The system will be based on selective
capture of CO2 from biogas with ultra-thin SAPO-34 zeolite membranes (~1 μm) and subsequent
NTP-assisted catalytic CO2 methanation on Ni- and/or Co-based catalysts supported on 5A zeolite
membrane (~3 μm). The design combines CO2 capture and methanation at ambient temperature.
The OptiMADMix (H2020) project aims to deliver a methodology to improve mesophilic AD' design
and control, reducing energy consumption and maximising biogas production. It will provide a
numerical framework to optimize the digester performance. The complex relationships between
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hydrodynamic and microbiological processes will be simulated, and coupled CFD/AD modelling will
be used to monitor and control the hydraulic and biochemical performance, to improve digester
control, eliminating environmental and financial costs whilst maximising biogas output.
The project POWERSTEP (H2020) aimed to demonstrate innovative concepts at full scale to
design energy positive wastewater treatment plants. The project planned 6 full-scale case studies:
enhanced carbon extraction (pre-filtration), innovative nitrogen removal processes, power-to-gas
(biogas upgrade), heat-to-power concepts (CHP unit, steam rankine cycle, heat storage concepts),
and innovative process water treatment (nitritation, membrane ammonia stripping).
Primary objective of the Prometheus-5 (H2020) project is the development of a decentralized (on
or off grid) power generation unit to convert the fuel (LPG/NG/Biogas) into electrical and thermal
power through a PEM fuel cell, with intermediate production of H2. The nominal capacity of the
power system is 5 kWe and 7 kW of thermal energy and electrical efficiency above 35%.
The objective of Record Biomap (H2020) is to establish innovative process and technology
solutions along the biomethane supply chain (pre-treatment, digestion, gas conditioning/digestate
utilisation) and to support their development up to market uptake. The project enabled knowledge
transfer from science to market and policy decision-makers through building up a biomethane plat-
form for networking. The project contributes to identify financing sources bringing together stake-
holders for the development of cost and efficient biomethane production at small-medium scale.
The SHEPHERD (H2020) project will improve an existing prototype of on-line microbial respiro-
meter for monitoring the activity of the microbial population in activated sludge for wastewater
applications (TRL 6 to TRL 8). The integration with existing hardware sensors and SCADA systems,
allows the automatic control the plant within design operating parameters and reacting in real-time
to variable loading or toxic events. The project aims to take the technology forward, automate the
process to a higher degree and demonstrate the solution in a large-scale pilot.
VegWaMus CirCrop (H2020) aims to develop commercial mushroom and vegetable production in
an integrated food to waste to food system. The project objective is closing loop between biogas
production from food wastes and reuse of output. Mushroom and plant crop cultivation is
performed through energy- and resource-intensive process, generates waste and the high CO2
footprint. The unit will investigate and demonstrate full utilization CO2, heat and digestate from AD.
VicInAqua (H2020) aims to develop a sustainable combined sanitation and recirculating

aquaculture system for wastewater treatment and reuse in agriculture in the Victoria Lake basin
area. The concept is to develop and test a novel self-cleaning water filters consisting of a highly
efficient particle filter as well as a membrane bioreactor as principal treatment unit within a
combined treatment system where the nutrient rich effluent water will be used for irrigation and
the surplus sludge will be co-digested with agricultural waste and wastewater to produce biogas.
The PHARM AD (H2020) project will address use of AD for the removal of pharmaceutical residues
not only in conventional treatment of sludges, but also on the novel application of AD to the direct
treatment of waste waters rich in these pollutants (e.g. hospital or industry). It will also try to
combine pharmaceutical residues removal by AD with biological nutrient removal (nitrogen) by
micro-algae cultivation, thus addressing one of the drawbacks of AD: the lack of nitrogen removal.
The VERBIO (SET-Plan flagship) project, supported by the NER300 and recognised by the SET-
PLAN as a flagship initiative, aims to demonstrate an innovative AD technology to produce
biomethane from straw. The plant in Schwedt/Oderand has a capacity of 16.5 MW, using 40000
tonnes/yr of straw. Biomethane can be purified to natural gas quality and fed into the gas grid. The
raw material (straw) is fermented to produce raw biogas, containing impurities that are removed in
the next steps The resulting biomethane with a purity of 99% is then fed into the natural gas grid.
The GoBioM (Biomethane supply chain technological optimization) project is a funded by the
Regional Operational Program-European Regional Development Fund FESR Emilia-Romagna Italy
and a SET-Plan flagship project on biogas upgrading optimization to biomethane. GoBioM objecti-
ves include: optimize the up-grading technology; build optimal supply chain; analytical protocols
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for biomass characterization and process control; optimize pre-treatment; exploiting CO2 for algae
cultivation; analyze the environmental, social and technical-economic sustainability.
BioMethER (Biomethane Emilia-Romagna Regional system) is a SET-Plan flagship project

cofinanced by the EU LIFE program and the Emilia-Romagna Region. BioMethER aims at boosting
the biomethane value chain by building two demo plants for biomethane production for grid
injection. This refers to the realization, optimization and operation of a demo plant for landfill
biogas upgrade and direct injection in the gas grid at the HERAmbiente site in Ravenna. A demo
plant for biomethane production from AD of wastewater treatment sludge will be designed,
optimized and made operational at the IREN Rinnovabili site of Roncocesi.
ChainCraft SET-Plan flagship has developed a platform technology, based on mixed culture
fermentation, to produce biobased chemicals. The use of food waste for medium chain fatty acids
production is investigated at a demo plant facility, processing 40 t food waste/day, by ChainCraft in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands (SET-Plan flagship project). Volatile fatty acids from microbial
degradation are converted to medium chain fatty acids: caproate, which is a potential valuable
platform chemical that can be further converted into chemicals and biodiesel.
The demonstration plant Cosyma (Container-based System for Methanation) of PSI (SET-Plan
flagship project), Switzerland, has the goal to investigate the technical and economic viability of
different power-to-gas technologies since 2016. Methane is produced from biological waste and
sewage sludge in AD plants and fed into the natural gas grid. PSI technology allows increasing the
methane yield by adding H2 to the raw biogas and letting the CO2 react with the H2 in a fluidised
bed reactor, with a nickel catalyst.
ARIES Climate KIC project aims to bridge the gap between small biogas production units and
larger gas distribution networks. The project addresses biogas upgrading of biomethane, and the
definition of a sustainable integration of biomethane production units in farms (often remote and
without nearby access to natural gas network). The solution will integrate financial and
environmental dimensions of sustainability. Local reuse of biogas will then be privileged when
possible, and cost-benefit analysis will be conducted for different sizes of production units.
The Biogas2Market Climate-KIC project addresses business opportunities for sustainable biogas
production. Conventional biogas production chains, including the cultivation of raw materials,
leakage conversion and storage systems; lead to the emission of GHG , such as methane and
nitrogen oxide.Significant financial governmental support is still required to make the traditional
biogas production market competitive.
Biogas, Energising the Countryside (Biogas ETC) is a Climate-KIC project and intends to make
the use of agricultural waste gases a useful resource for biogas production and economically viable
at remote locations for small-scale producers. The project develops a low-cost small-scale gas
conversion device to be installed on farms that will accelerate Europe’s transition towards a
decentralised supply of sustainable energy.
Fugitive Methane Emissions from hard-to tackle sites and sources (FuME) Climate-KIC
project seeks to improve the detection and quantification of fugitive emissions by developing a
Methane Measurement Service. FuME will develop three products. The Methane Impact Assessment
and Sensor Placement Tool will allow the forecast the quantity and distribution of emissions. A
Methane Measurement Service will provide a calibrated sensor network for the continuous and
accurate monitoring of fugitive methane emissions. A third product Methane Boundary Fence Leak
Detection Instrument, based on a diode laser system will increase the accuracy of detection levels.
The VERBIO (SET-Plan flagship) project, recognised by the SET-PLAN as a flagship initiative,
received €22.3m funding from the NER300 programme. It aims to demonstrate an innovative AD
technology to produce biomethane from straw. The plant will have a capacity of 25.6 Mm 3 of biogas
containing 12.8 Mm3 of methane from the use of 70000 t/year of straw. The process comprises
biomass pre-treatment by steam and enzymes, production of biogas by anaerobic fermentation,
and biogas post-treatment that will be fed into the grid. VERBIO is to be built as an extension to an
existing ethanol-biogas plant in Schwedt, Germany, to produce biogas.
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Kalmari farm in Laukaa, Finland, is an example of small scale farm-based biogas production in
Finland from cow manure, by-products and energy crops (grass silage). The first biogas reactor
with CHP started in 1998. Biogas has been upgraded to vehicle fuel since 2002. Raw biogas is used
in a converted engine with 25 kW electric capacity. Biogas is upgraded to biomethane and
pressurized to 270 bars using a high pressure water scrubbing unit. The farm project has also
given a trigger for a company, Metener, that provides complete biogas systems and carries out
development of biogas upgrading for automotive use from small low cost to larger scale plants.

4.4.1 Biomass combustion: EU and SET Plan projects
A number of 41 projects have been identified as addressing the research on biomass combustion,
of which 21 projects under FP7, and 20 projects under H2020 RTD EU programmes. BIOCAT (FP7)
project investigated ways to integrate a catalyst into wood stoves to improve the burning process
and reduce emissions. It tested various catalytic materials and involved simulating the behaviour of
a small-scale stove in the laboratory. The team developed methods to assess and optimise the
performance of an integrated catalytic system. Prototypes were created and tested and the BIOCAT
has produced a number of new heating appliances with little or no carbon emissions.
The EU-UltraLowDust (FP7) project aimed to demonstrate ultra-low emission, small-scale novel
biomass combustion technologies, for the whole range of residential biomass heating applications.
This included a new ultra-low emission pellet and woodchips combustion boiler, a new stove
technology based on optimised air staging and an automated control system and a new ESP
system for logwood boilers, stoves as well as boilers for non-wood biomass. The project aims at
the development of recommendations for future emission limits.
The ASHMELT (FP7) project aimed to promote the use of wood pellets by developing a guide on
fuel quality and to advance the testing methods and help overcome operational problems due to
ash-related issues. Different applied methods to determine chemical and physical fuel properties
were reviewed and used to determine the ash content under specified conditions. The ASHMELT set
up quality specifications to describe different grades of wood pellets and are the basis for the
development of a European standard.
The main objective of the ENERCORN (FP7) project was to design, develop, construct and
demonstrate a grid connected 16 MW high energy efficient power plant in Spain 100% fuelled with
corn stover. The project objective was to demonstrate the plant high operation availability, its
overall economic and technical feasibility, and to encourage the development of further similar
biomass power plants.
The BIOLIQUIDS-CHP (FP7) project focused on new CHP systems using a variety of bioliquids
including pyrolysis oil. The project developed an internal combustion engine using pyrolysis with
oil-resistant engine parts and a second one with a generator, exhaust gas cleaning system, heat
unit and control system. The project also developed an external combustion engine compatible with
any heat source with a temperature range of 50 to 1000 °C. Modified design of the micro gas
turbine combustion chamber enabled a reduction of emissions using biodiesel and vegetable oil.
The BIOCHIPFEEDING (FP7) project developed a new woodchips feeding system for small-scale
heating plants that will overcome all current drawbacks. The project proposed a new system based
on a gripper, equipped with sensors to screen the fuel quality in terms of particle size and moisture
content. Intelligent software that communicates with the feeding system can map locations of low-
or high-grade woodchip.
The GREENEST (FP7) project focused on a new approach based on a high pressure air-steam gas
turbine cycle, with the ability to burn H2-rich fuels. The goal is to investigate the fundamentals of
ultra-wet combustion to develop the technology for a prototype combustor which is capable of
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burning natural gas, hydrogen and fuels from coal or biowaste gasification at low NOx emissions.
Research includes the combustion process, the aerodynamic design, acoustics and control.
The SYNGAS (FP7) project aimed at numerically characterizing the burning behaviour of premixed
syngas and biogas combustion and developing large eddy simulation (LES) techniques to facilitate
the study and design of combustion systems. The project will carry out numerical investigations of
the development of syngas premixed flames, influence of high-pressure and diffusion effects and
develop a turbulent reacting flow model.
The HRC POWER (FP7) proposes a concept relying on a hybrid system that combines a number of
RES technologies. This hybrid renewable converter (HRC) is heated either by micro-combustion
that generates high temperature heat from biogas or hydrogen, or by concentrated solar radiation,
which shall be converted into electricity. The work focus on simulation, design and developing and
testing novel materials (silicon–carbide) for advanced building blocks for high temperatures.
The BioMaxEff (FP7) project aimed at the demonstration of ultra-low emission and highest
efficiency performance small scale biomass boilers under real life operation. The project addressed
with a natural draught log wood boiler and a product series of a 10 to 26 kW (and 60 kW), and a 6
to 12 kW pellets boiler. The pellets boilers were demonstrated solely or in combination with
modular components, such as a flue gas heat exchanger and an electrostatic precipitator.
BIOCHARISMA (FP7) addressed the application of biochar to soil as a novel approach to establish
a significant long-term sink for carbon dioxide. The production of biochar and its application to soil
is expected to deliver immediate benefits through improved soil fertility and increased crop
production. The capacity of Mediterranean soils to store and sequester C due to addition of biochar
produced from vegetation residues and urban wastes.
The FLEXI BURN CFB (FP7) project aimed to develop and demonstrate a power plant concept that
allows flexible high-efficiency air-firing of fossil fuels with biomass and oxygen-firing with carbon
capture which provides the potential for an almost 100% CO2 reduction. The project conducted
demo tests at a first-of-its-kind 30 MWth air-oxygen-flexible CFB pilot and validation tests at the
world’s first and largest supercritical once through CFB (460 MWe Lagisza in Poland) for the
upgrade to commercial scale FLEXI BURN power plant.
DEBCO (FP7) aimed to demonstrate and assess, on a long term basis, the advanced and
innovative co-firing techniques for higher shares of biomass up to 50% more through research,
large-scale demonstrations and long-term monitoring of the key co-firing concepts. The project will
allow a long-term monitoring and assessment of different fuel supply chain scenarios, fuel qualities,
and advanced co-firing techniques.
MACPLUS (FP7) project aimed to increase the performances of combustion power plants by
increasing steam temperature and pressure in new ultra supercritical power plants (350-370 bar,
700/720°C minimum), and hence increase the severity of fireside operating conditions. Full-scale
prototypes of the critical components, able to withstand co-combustion and high temperatures, had
to be realised and installed into an industrial plant for testing.
PITAGORAS (FP7) investigated a cost-effective and high efficiency large scale energy generation
system using medium (150-400 ºC) and low (30-150 ºC) temperature waste heat. An Organic
Rankine Cycle for heat and power system will be developed together with waste heat recovery and
energy storage. The concept will be demonstrated in two cities: Brescia (Italy) and Graz (Austria).
Solar thermal energy (10,000 m2) will be added as support energy system in the city of Graz.
The objective of the SUNSTORE 4 (FP7) project was to demonstrate a concept of a large scale
100% RES system for district heating (28,000 MWh) in Marstal, DK. This is based on 55 % solar
energy and 45 % bioenergy, including a CO2 heat pump and biomass ORC unit. The plant
comprises: 15 000 m2 solar system, CHP system with a 4 MW thermal oil boiler and a 750 kWel
ORC; 75 000 m3 pit heat storage, 1.5 MWth CO2 heat pump, supplementing the existing demo
plant (SUNSTORE 2) with 18 300 m2 solar thermal and 10 340 m3 pit storage.
The LOVE (FP7) project sought to develop cost-effective technologies for converting low-
temperature (less than 120 °C) waste heat sources into electricity. The project defined a
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methodology for optimal integration of thermodynamic cycles. Two 100 kWel ORC prototypes were
integrated into 2 pilot cement plants, including newly designed components (radial inflow turbine,
finned tube of polymeric gas–liquid heat exchangers). A detailed techno-economic assessment for
low-temperature waste heat recovery was done.
The FOUNDENERGY (FP7) project was set up to reuse the waste heat from foundry industry by
developing a cost effective Waste Heat Recovery system for Power Generation, based on ORC
process, to produce electrical energy. The project aimed to develop a cost-effective and low-
maintenance Waste Energy Recovery Boiler (WERB) suited to the extreme environment, a Waste
Heat Recovery System (WHRS) with an advanced guidance and control system and then the
integration and optimization of WHRS prototype and the ORC.
The project ICARUS (FP7) developed a 5 kW ORC prototype that provides cost-effective heat
recovery and generates electricity from low-temperature waste heat of 60-120 °C. It developed
thermodynamic models to evaluate the most suitable working fluid in terms of efficiency and
operating pressure. The main result of the project is a design for a 20 kW ORC absorption system.
The UP-THERM (FP7) project developed an innovative heat engine that is a viable alternative to
conventional heat engines. The system is based on an external combustion engine and a novel
heat converter, based on the use of working fluids changing phase. Fundamental research into
thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics has been done to select the suitable fluid. UP-
THERM planned to produce and test a 1-3 kWe engine CHP prototype to prove its viability.
DemoCLOCK (FP7) aimed to demonstrate the technical, economic and environmental feasibility for
implementing packed bed based high temperature high pressure Chemical Looping Combustion in
large-scale power plants. The tests were done on a medium sized (500 kW) fixed bed reactor inte-
grated in an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant at Elcogas to convert raw
syngas to energy. The packed bed reactor technology opens possibilities of using multiple fuels.
The project Bio-HyPP (H2020) aimed to develop a full scale technology demonstrator of a hybrid
power plant using biogas as main fuel in lab environment, combining a micro gas turbine (MGT)
and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The focus of the technology demonstration plant is to prove the
functional capability of the plant concept, followed by detailed characterization and optimization of
the integration of both subsystems.
The project Biofficiency (H2020) will investigate how to handle ash-related problems in order to
increase steam temperature up to 600°C in biomass CHP plants, in pulverised and fluidised bed
systems. The goal is to deepen the understanding of fly ash formation, to improve current pre-
treatment technologies, as well as to contribute to the field of biomass ash utilisation. The project
addresses current bottlenecks in biomass combustion, namely enhanced deposit formation,
corrosion and ash utilisation by a variety of new, promising technologies.
The CYCLOMB (H2020) project aims to upgrade and scale-up an integrated solution for biomass
combustion, achieving 96-99% PM emission reduction, combining flue gas recycling and cyclone
variable geometry. Recirculation of flue gases provides the biomass boiler with high combustion
efficiency (95%) and reduces boiler emissions from 150 mg/m 3 of typical boilers to 80 mg/m3. By
using a variable-geometry, ≥96-99% PM reduction is achieved, with emission levels below 20
mg/m3. The PM cyclone-technology solution will be optimized for medium-scale (200 kW-5 MW).
The HPC4E (H2020) project aims to apply the new High Performance Computing (HPC) techniques
to energy applications, going beyond the state-of-the-art in the HPC simulations for different
energy sources including efficient combustion systems for biomass fuels. The next generation of
HPC systems will be able to run combustion simulations required to design efficient furnaces,
engines, clean burning vehicles and power plants.
HYBURN (H2020) will be developing advanced laser measurement techniques for use in high-
pressure combustion test facilities and using them to acquire the data necessary to develop robust
predictive analysis tools for hydrogen-enriched natural gas combustor technology. This data will be
analysed in close collaboration with the simulation and modelling teams and used to rigorously test
and validate combustion models and predictive analysis tools currently under development.
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The MILESTONE (H2020) project aims to establish a new multi-scale framework to analyse and
model turbulent combustion phenomena based on a new way to describe turbulence using so-
called dissipation elements, which are space-filling regions in a scalar field allowing to capture its
small-scale morphology and non-universality. The project will create new datasets using numerical
simulations and provide new analysis methods to develop and validate combustion models.
The RECOMBIO (H2020) project deals with development and demonstration of innovative
approaches to efficient co-utilisation of low quality biomasses and Solid Recovered Fuels produced
from municipal solid waste. Different technologies, such as circulating and bubbling fluidised beds
(CFB, BFB), are incorporated to demonstrate the highly efficient utilisation chain for the intelligent
co-utilisation of low quality biomass and SRF. RECOMBIO proposed to perform a number of
demonstrations of relevant SRF production and utilisation technologies.
The overall objective of Residue2Heat (H2020) is to enable the utilization of ash-rich biomass and
residues in residential heating applications (20-200 kWth). In this concept, various agricultural and
forestry residue streams are converted into a liquid energy carrier at a scale of 15-30 MWth using
the fast pyrolysis process. The fast pyrolysis bio-oil is distributed to a large number of residential
end-users. Residue2Heat will perform the modification of existing condensing boilers and low
emission blue-flame type burner to enable the use of the fast pyrolysis bio-oil.
The main objective of START (H2020) is to carry out investigations on a prototypical reverse flow,
ultra-compact, combustor engine designed by GE-Avio. This will validate the developed
technologies and designs by means of full combustion tests and high fidelity numerical simulations.
(CFD) will help the design of innovative combustors for addressing the target of SFC reduction
faced with the increase of engine cycle efficiency. The validation of innovative additive
manufacturing components at TRL5 will positively contribute to reduce costs and weights.
The TUCLA (H2020) project aims to develop non-intrusive laser-diagnostic techniques with high
spatial and temporal resolution for the measurement of key parameters such as species
concentrations and temperatures. The project will use the diagnostic techniques to provide
experimental data and enhance the understanding of combustion phenomena. Studies will be
carried out on three flame structures: in laminar and turbulent flames; in biomass gasification; and
combustion improvement by electric activation.
VADEMECOM (H2020) plans to apply experimental, theoretical, and numerical simulation approa-
ches for the development of combustion technologies. New-generation simulation tools will be
developed to increase the fidelity of numerical simulations. Experimental data will be collected to
disclose the nature of the interactions between fluid dynamics, chemistry and pollutant formation
processes. Experiment and numerical simulations will be tied together by Validation and
Uncertainty Quantification techniques, to allow the application of the developed approaches.
The MefCO2 (SET-Plan flagship) project addresses methanol synthesis high CO2 concentration-
streams as an input and H2 from water hydrolysis using surplus energy. The demo technology
might use biomass combustion and gasification system streams. The process will contribute to the
mitigation of exhaust carbon dioxide, stabilisation of electric grid by the consumption of the electric
energy at its peaks and the production of methanol as a versatile chemical for further conversion.
Avedøre Power Plant, Unit 2 is a SET-Plan flagship project that aims to build a CHP plant,
having two units generating electricity and district heating in Copenhagen. Unit 2 is a multi-fuel
plant using biomass. By generating both electricity and heat, the plant utilises up to 94% of the
fuel’s energy. In addition to this, Unit 2 is one of the most efficient power plants in the world.
The objective of the DeReco (H2020) project is to develop and commercialise a small scale (1 to
50 kW) Waste Heat Recovery System (WHR). The WHR-system is based on the Clausius Rankine
Cycle (CRC) or alternatively on the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). WHR-systems can be adapted to
different kinds of heat sources, and in the power generation through biomass combustion as well
as in the geothermal and solar thermal energy.
The NanoORC (H2020) project aims at developing a general model for the estimation of the
thermophysical and transport properties of nanofluids, to evaluate their potential for Organic
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Rankine Cycles (ORC). The addition of nanoparticles to fluids (nanofluids) can enhance their
thermal properties, making them an optimal solution for their use in ORC. The novelty of the
project lies on the use of group contribution methods to develop a generalized model that will be
integrated as a property library into simulation software.
The TASIO (H2020) project aimed to develop solutions to recover the waste heat using waste heat
recovery systems based on ORC. A WHRS will be developed and tested to recover and transform
the thermal energy of the flue gases into electricity. It is planned to design and develop a direct
heat exchanger to transfer heat directly from the flue gas to the organic fluid of the ORC system
and to develop new heat conductor and anticorrosive materials. These aspects will be completed by
the design and modelling of a new integrated monitoring and control system.
The Exergyn Drive (H2020) addresses the use of low-grade waste heat of <120ºC, usually 80º-
95ºC from power production and its conversion into power. It can be produced at low-cost and can
be sold profitably to a mass-market on a compelling commercial basis (3-year payback). This
project will allow Exergyn to reach TRL9 and to be ready to produce and comercialise up to 35 x
10kW Exergyn Drives™ per month. The closest competitor-technology is the ORC.
Carbon-neutral, Low Emission Gas Turbine using Steam Injection (Clean-GT) Climate-KIC
project aims to develop ultra-wet gas turbines as a commercially viable tool for domestic and large
scale power generation. As well as increasing turbine efficiency, this innovative technology has the
potential to be driven by alternative fuels and reduce carbon emissions significantly. There is a
growing necessity and demand for power produced from a variety of new energy sources, including
wind power generated hydrogen, syngas from gasification, and biofuels.
4.4.2 Torrefaction: EU and SET Plan projects

A number of 5 projects have been identified as addressing the research on biomass torrefaction, of
which 3 project under FP7 and 3 project under H2020 RTD EU programmes. The SECTOR (FP7)
project aimed to achieve market introduction of torrefaction bioenergy carriers (solid pellets), by
taking the technology to pilot scale and beyond. The project focus was the development of
torrefaction and densification for a broad feedstock range (clean woody biomass, forestry residues,
agro-residues). The project focussed on the development, quality assurance and standardisation of
dedicated analysis and test methods. Torrefied materials and the process have been optimised and
characterisation tests were conducted to evaluate the necessity for new standards.
The PYROCHAR (FP7) project aimed to develop an economically and environmentally sound
solution for the treatment and disposal of their sewage sludge from small municipalities. The
PYROCHAR process has been developed a process to convert the sewage sludge into useful
charcoal (or biochar) from pyrolysis and synthetic gas (or syngas) which is converted into
electricity via a gas engine. The system dries the dewatered sludge and then uses pyrolysis to
convert it into char and gas by-products.
The objective of SteamBio (H2020) is to demonstrate a mobile concept enabling pre-treatment of

agro-forestry residues through superheated steam processing. A mobile demo unit (500 kg/h) will
be operated at different locations to torrefy different agro-forestry residues to allow for seasonal
fluctuations in the composition of the materials being valorised. The torrefied biomass fractions
(solid and liberated volatiles) will then be validated as green building blocks in commercial chemical
production and bioenergy use.
Torero (SET-Plan flagship project) will demonstrate a cost-, resource-, and energy-efficient
technology concept for producing bioethanol from wood waste feedstock, fully integrated in a
large-scale steel mill. Wood waste is converted to biocoal by torrefaction and biocoal replaces
coal in a steel mill blast furnace, carbon monoxide in blast furnace exhaust gas is microbially
fermented to bioethanol.
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The TORR project concerns a torrefaction plant in Vägari, Estonia, for the production of 160
kt/year of bio-coal from local woody biomass. The project includes a biomass gasification CHP unit
to provide heat and power. The technology will use cheaper, low quality feedstock to produce an
intermediate product with a high calorific value and good transport, storage and usage
characteristics in energy and liquid fuels production and chemical industry. The operational phase
will start in 2019. The project is funded by the NER300 funding programme, having a total
investment of €25 million.
4.4.3 Pyrolysis: EU and SET Plan projects

A number of 16 projects have been identified as addressing the research on biomass pyrolysis, of
which 8 projects under FP7 and 8 projects under H2020 RTD EU programmes. The ENV-BIO (FP7)
project aimed to develop advanced thermochemical processes (combustion, gasification and
pyrolysis) for energy valorisation of biomass. The actions proposed will lead to the development of
advanced technologies that are efficient, cost effective and environmentally sound. Marketing
opportunities of thermochemical technologies and the environmental assessment were examined.
The PYROGAS (FP7) project relies on integrating biomass pyrolysis and gasification for heat and
power. The feedstock is converted through pyrolysis into biochar that is then separated as a
valuable product. The mixture of condensable gases from pyrolysis is introduced to a fluidised bed
to convert a second feedstock to a gas through gasification process of this feedstock to power
internal combustion engines to produce power & heat.
The MICROFUEL (FP7) project aims at developing a mobile pre-commercial microwave fast
pyrolysis prototype to process forest residue and wood waste on location to bio-oil and charcoal.
Bio-oil is usable as alternative to fossil fuels in boilers, engines and gas turbines. The prototype
produced bio-oil and biochar in batch mode from wood chips. Continued development is expected
to deliver optimised materials and systems, monitoring and control.
BIO-GO-For-Production (FP7) addresses the application of nanocatalysis to sustainable energy

production in fuel syntheses. BIO-GO develops advanced nanocatalysts to realise modular,
integrated processes for the production of fuels from bio-oils and biogas. Principal objectives are to
develop new designs, preparation routes and methods of coating nanocatalysts on innovative
micro-structured reactor designs, enabling compact, integrated catalytic reactor systems.
Biomasses and plastics were used for production of fuels in the BIOFUEL (FP7) project. Production
of bio-oil will be carried out by one-step and two-step pyrolysis systems using various catalysts.
The variance of the composition of bio-oil will be assessed from the point of the composition and
fuel characteristics. Catalytic gasification of biomass/plastics and biomass-derived tar were
investigated using steam as a gasification agent. Different techniques for production of bio-fuel and
chemicals from biomass and plastic wastes as renewable sources were investigated.
BioEcoSIM (FP7) will valorise livestock manure to produce sustainable soil improving products (P-
rich biochar). The project will combine superheated steam drying and non-catalytic pyrolysis to
convert carbon in manure into P-rich biochar and syngas, with electrolytic precipitation of struvite
and calcium phosphate and selective separation and recovery of NH3 by gas-permeable membrane.
Energy required in-process will be generated through combustion of syngas.
BIOBOOST (FP7) developed conversion methods to produce bio oil, biochar or slurry from
biomass. BIOBOOST investigated the conversion of residues and waste to intermediate energy
carriers by fast pyrolysis, catalytic pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation. The project aims to
perform techno-economic, social and environmental assessments of the entire supply chain. The
use of energy carriers is investigated in applications of heat/power, synthetic fuels & chemicals and
biocrude for refineries. Promising pathways were demonstrated over the whole chain.
The objective of ECOCAT (H2020) project is to investigate and improve the economics of the
catalytic pyrolysis of biomass by reduction of catalyst-related operating costs and optimization of
catalyst selectivity. To address the shortcoming associated with the use of zeolites as catalysts, an
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experimental procedure will be developed for the systematic study of mesoporosity through
assessment of catalyst performance, such as activity, selectivity, coke suppression and
deoxygenation.
The FLEXI-PYROCAT (H2020) project goal is to develop a fully flexible, integrated pyrolysis and
catalyst technology to treat waste plastics to produce high value hydrogen, carbon nanotubes,
chemicals or gasoline, through control of the waste pyrolysis process conditions and the use of
novel designable catalysts. Extending the project to include biomass wastes further maximises the
flexibility of the technology enabling a range of polymeric waste materials to be assessed for the
production of high value products
Heat-to-Fuel (H2020) project will combine FT and APR technologies for the efficient production of
next generation biofuels. Heat-to-fuel aims will be met thanks to the diversification of the
feedstock for biofuels production, reducing the supply costs and upgrading the efficiencies of
promising and flexible conversion. The large organic wastes (from HTL or other streams) can be
treated with APR to produce H2. Both dry and wet organic wastes can be integrated, with mutual
advantages, i.e. steam production for gasification, HTL and APR preheating; FT heat cooling.
PYROCHEM (H2020) aims to improve the understanding of fast pyrolysis mechanisms and the
process and design of reactors. It will use integrated experimental and computational approach to
provide molecular-level insights into pyrolysis chemistry by following the fate of 13C labelled
biopolymers. Empirical and mechanistic models will be combined to develop a new kinetic model of
fast pyrolysis. This project will facilitate the commercialization of fast pyrolysis via the optimization
of bio-oil yields and quality.
The overall objective of Residue2Heat (H2020) is to enable the utilization of ash-rich biomass and
residues in residential heating applications (20-200 kWth). In this concept, various agricultural and
forestry residue streams are converted into a liquid energy carrier at a scale of 15-30 MWth using
the fast pyrolysis process. The fast pyrolysis bio-oil is distributed to a large number of residential
end-users. Residue2Heat will perform the modification of existing condensing boilers and low
emission blue-flame type burner to enable the use of the fast pyrolysis bio-oil.
Bio4Products (H2020) will apply a short thermal treatment at elevated temperature enabling the
fractionation of biomass, keeping the key chemical functionalities in separate, depolymerized
fractions. The process will be demonstrated in a 3 t/d demo-plant. Bio4Products will demonstrate
the use of the resulting intermediate processing streams for the production of wood preservation
products, furanic resins, phenolic resins and roofing material as cost-effective alternatives for fossil
resources (30-100% substitution).
TO-SYN-FUEL (H2020) will demonstrate the conversion of organic waste biomass (sewage sludge)
into biofuels. The project implements an integrated process combining Thermo-Catalytic
Reforming, with H2 separation through Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), and hydro deoxygenation
(HDO), to produce gasoline and diesel substitutes and H2. This project will be the platform for
deployment of a later commercial facility processing up to 2100 tonnes/y of sewage sludge into
210,000 litres of liquid biofuels and up to 30,000 kg of green H2.
The bioliq® (SET-Plan flagship project) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is based on
thermochemical processes for production of chemical energy carriers from biomass (cereal straw or
forestry residues). The pilot plant was built in 2005 with support by the BMEL, the FNR and the
state of Baden-Württemberg. The process entails the use of fast pyrolysis for energy densification;
pyrolysis char and oil are mixed to obtain a slurry (biosyncrude). Syngas production is achieved at
pressures up to 80 bar by entrained flow gasification. The integrated process chain allows the
production of biofuels, and synthesis gas and bulk chemicals.
The Empyro is a SET-Plan flagship project with the aim to build and demonstrate a 25 MWth
polygeneration pyrolysis plant to produce electricity, process steam and fuel oil from woody
biomass employing the BTG-BtL pyrolysis process. Oil is the main product; non-condensable
pyrolysis gases are combusted to generate steam and power. The project also aims at developing
and demonstrating the recovery of acetic acid from the aqueous organic acid solution that is
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produced through pyrolysis. The EU Empyro project was successfully concluded in 2015. The
Empyro pyrolysis plant is operational and produces pyrolysis oil on a daily basis.
The CHP Biomass pyrolysis project involves the construction of a full-scale pyrolysis oil plant
using 100,000 t wood chips, linked to the existing Jelgava CHP plant in Latvia. The plant capacity
of bio-oil is about 40,000 t (160-180 GWh of fuel). The devolatilized compounds are condensed
into bio-oil and the remaining solids, including sand and fuel char, are returned to the FB boiler to
produce heat and electricity. The bio-oil will replace heavy fuel oil. The operational phase will start
in 2020. The project is funded by the NER300 programme, with a total investment of €3.9 million.
The Fast pyrolysis project aims the construction of a full-scale pyrolysis oil plant 130,000 t
woodchips, at the Pärnu CHP plant in Estonia. Annual output of pyrolysis oil is expected to be
50,000 t (about 200-220 GWh) fuel, that will replace heavy fuel oil in power plants. The
devolatilized compounds are condensed into bio-oil and the remaining solids, including sand and
fuel char, are combusted together with non-condensable gases to produce heat and electricity. The
operational phase will start in 2020. The project is funded by the NER300 funding programme for
innovative low-carbon technologies. The total funding investment is € 6.9 million.
4.4.4 Hydrothermal processing: EU and SET plan projects

A number of 7 projects have been identified as addressing the research on biomass torrefaction, of
which 5 project under FP7 and 5 projects under H2020 RTD EU programmes. NEWAPP (FP7)
proposed to create a continuous system to obtain high-value carbon from waste (green waste,
agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, waste from food industry). NEWAPP targeted the upgrade
of turning waste into new resources using HydroThermal Carbonization (HTC) process as
alternative to the use of wet biomass. NEWAPP analysed the potentials of wet biomass streams for
HTC and perform testing for heat recovery and efficiency for tailor-made HTC products. The project
developed new knowledge about the characteristics and uses of HTC coal.
The EUROCHAR (FP7) project aimed to test the effectiveness of transforming biomass into
biochar, for carbon sequestration and large-scale removal of GreenHouse Gases (GHG) from the
atmosphere with great potential for carbon sequestration. The project performed tests on different
biochar production methods, conducting field trials and modelling the impact of this strategy.
EUROCHAR tested two different methods to create biochar: gasification or thermal carbonisation,
and hydrothermal carbonisation, obtaining biochars with no toxicity to plants. Biochar was
produced from different agricultural products for subsequent detailed analyses and a set of
coordinated field studies.
Heat-to-Fuel (H2020) project will combine FT and APR technologies for the efficient production of
next generation biofuels delivering higher fuel qualities and reduced GHG reductions. Heat-to-fuel
aims will be met thanks to the diversification of the feedstock for biofuels production, reducing the
supply costs and upgrading the efficiencies of promising and flexible conversion. The large organic
wastes (from HTL or other streams) can be conveniently treated with APR to produce H2. Both dry
and wet organic wastes can be integrated, with mutual advantages, i.e. steam production for
gasification, HTL and APR preheating; FT heat cooling without external utilities.
The objective of HTC4WASTE (H2020) project is to demonstrate, at full scale, the Hydrothermal
Carbonisation (HTC) technology as a flexible organic waste recovery technology, suitable for
converting organic waste streams into carbon-neutral biocoal, fertility products, water, and energy.
A full-scale HTC installation will be built to demonstrate its economic and technological
performance across a range of waste streams with difficult characteristics. The demo will target at
least three market applications (sewage sludge, food waste and animal by-products and spent
mushroom compost) on a commercial scale (10000 tonnes/year).
The Hydrofaction (H2020) project aims to develop the Steeper Energy Aps (SEA) innovative
hydrothermal liquefaction technology platform: HydrofactionTM. The project will bring Hydrofaction
to market via testing, scale-up and demonstration. Hydrofaction oil can be burned in CHP
applications, used a substitute for low-sulphur marine diesel or may be upgraded to diesel or jet
75
via traditional petroleum refineries. The scaled demo plant, about 100 times larger than SEA’s
current pilot facility or 5000 tonne capacity.
The objectives of HyFlexFuel (H2020) project include advancing and demonstrating HTL
conversion from diverse biomass feedstocks and increasing heat integration and product recovery.
The project also aims at understanding of relation between feedstock and process conditions vs.
product yield and quality and efficient valorisation of residual process streams. The project will also
target the quantification of technology gaps of a full-scale production plant and the techno-
economic and environmental performance potentials, risks and benefits potential.
The NewCat4Bio (H2020) project focused on the preparation, characterization and application of
(hydro)thermally stable, homogeneous, and porous metallosilicate catalysts. Non-hydrolytic sol-gel
routes will be applied since they produce materials with high homogeneity and they allow the one-
step functionalization of the oxides surface. The project will focus and demonstrate the synthesis of
alumosilicates, and then broaden the work to Zr-, Ti-, Nb-, and Ta-doped silicates. Advanced
analytic techniques will be used for the characterization of heterogeneous catalysts.
The bioCRACK pilot plant (SET-Plan flagship project) with a biomass capacity of 100 kg h−1 is
based on the liquid phase biomass pyrolysis in vacuum gas oil and converted into gaseous, liquid
and solid products. The process generated pyrolysis gas, pyrolysis oil, biochar, gasoil and
kerosene, naphtha and vacuum gas oil. The bioCRACK process is the first technology for direct
biomass liquefaction integrated in an oil refinery. This process has so far been practised in pilot
scale, the next step would be a demo plant. The BioCRACK gasoil, kerosene and naphtha were
used in hydrogenation to produce gasoline and diesel.
Waste-to-Fuel (W2F) process from the plant in Gela (SET-Plan flagship project) is able to
transform the organic part of urban waste through liquefaction into bio-oils that are used for the
production of energy or fuels. One tonne of organic matter produces up to 150 kg of bio-oil. The
aqueous phase is treated to be used for irrigation or industrial purposes and biogas. The
construction of a green refinery will lead to the conversion of the Gela refinery in a biorefinery
(750k tonnes/year). The conversion will make use of the Eni proprietary ecofining technology, that
enables the production of green diesel. The Gela plant is planned to start operating in 2018.
4.4.5 Biomass gasification: EU and SET Plan projects

A number of 19 projects have been identified as addressing the research on biomass gasification,
of which 14 projects under FP7 and 5 projects under H2020 RTD EU programmes. The
GREENSYNGAS (FP7) project key goal was the development and demonstration of a novel,
advanced syngas cleaning technologies using both chemical and physical methods in order to
reduce impurities from the gasifier’s product gas to limits the requirements for upgrading to syngas
in the production of vehicle fuels. The first used physical removal of tars and another utilised
catalytic reforming of the tar contaminants. A third system employed oxidative thermal treatment.
The ENV-BIO (FP7) project aimed to develop advanced thermochemical processes (advanced
combustion, gasification and pyrolysis) for the energy valorisation of biomass. The actions
proposed will lead to the development of advanced technologies in the use of biofuels that are
efficient, cost effective and environmentally sound. Marketing opportunities of thermochemical
technologies and the environmental assessment were examined.
The UNIQUE (FP7) project aimed to develop a compact, multi-functional reactor delivering high-
purity syngas for small to medium-scale power plants. Fluidised-bed gasification was integrated
with hot gas cleaning and conditioning in one system fitted with novel catalytic filters, which
remove tars, particulate matter and other chemicals, proved in laboratory- and pilot-scale tests.
Using tar-reforming catalytic filter systems, UNIQUE manufactured commercial-size catalytic
ceramic candle filters tested at bench scale, removing more than 99 % of particulate matter.
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The PLAGASMIC (FP7) project developed and tested a microwave plasma reactor for converting
animal waste to biogas. The prototype microwave plasma reactor uses multiple of low-energy
microwave sources to gasify animal manure and produce syngas. An electrocoagulation filtration
system was incorporated into the reactor to remove waste products from the remaining liquid after
gasification.
The INORGASS (FP7) project researched the distribution and environmental risks of a series of
inorganic components into the gas phase, char residue and condensate, from sewage sludge
gasification. An experimental study had to be performed on bench scale, including advanced and
complimentary chemical analyses, both on-line and off-line (GC-TCD, FTIR, ICP-AES, X-ray
microfluorescence, X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis).
The GASPRO-BIO-WASTE (FP7) project developed an instrument able to analyse biomass and
waste gasification processes over a broad temperature and pressure range. Several in situ high-
temperature sensors able to measure various properties of the produced gas were developed. The
sensors form part of a lab-scale gasification process analyser, along with a gravimetric analyser
and a gas refinery unit. The refinery unit tests different kinds of gas treatments for their ability to
reduce or remove dangerous components from the gas before entering the power generator.
EUROCHAR (FP7) aimed to test the effectiveness of biomass conversion into biochar, for carbon
sequestration and GHG removal from the atmosphere. The project performed tests on different
biochar production methods, conducting field trials and modelling the impact . EUROCHAR tested
two different methods to create biochar: gasification or thermal carbonisation, and hydrothermal
carbonisation, obtaining biochars with no toxicity to plants. Biochar was produced from different
agricultural products for subsequent detailed analyses and a set of coordinated field studies.
The GAS BIOREF (FP7) project aimed to demonstrate the use of a range of feedstocks (solid
recovered fuel, derived from MSW and biomass from energy crops) to electricity and heat in a
Bubbling Fluidized Bed gasification plant. The project aims to demonstrate coupling of two different
fuel supply chains (energy-crops and SRF), in a medium-scale co-generation plant (fuel input 13.5
MW).
The POLYSTABILAT (FP7) project aims to demonstrate a novel gasification plant using a fuel
(Stabilat) derived from a Municipal Solid Wastes recycling plant. The produced gas will be cleaned
in a novel high temperature gas filter and combusted in a gas boiler coupled with a 0.5 MWe steam
turbine. The integrated facility will provide a sustainable solution for the treatment of MSW and
generate energy.
PHENOLIVE (FP7) intends to revalorize the residue generated by the olive oil process (wet olive
pomace) by extraction of polyphenolic compounds using pulsed electric field as an alternative to
conventional chemical extraction techniques based on the use of organic solvents. Steam
gasification of the resulting solid waste will recover electricity and heat for the whole process.
The PYROGAS (FP7) project relies on integrating biomass pyrolysis and gasification for heat and
power. The feedstock is converted through pyrolysis into biochar that is then separated as a
valuable product. The mixture of condensable gases from pyrolysis is introduced to a fluidised bed
to convert a second feedstock to a gas through gasification process of this feedstock to power
internal combustion engines to produce power and heat.
This RENEGAS (H2020) project deals with an advanced downdraft gasification system using bio-
waste to produce clean and high quality synthetic gas using a syngas cleaning and cooling which
ensures that its product gas is ultra-clean that can be used for electricity and heat generation. The
project will develop a feasibility study and business plan as a roadmap for scaling-up and market
replication, by addressing policy and market analysis and local feedstock analysis, production
scale-up and sales strategy development.
Biomasses and plastics were used for production of fuels in the BIOFUEL (FP7) project. Production
of bio-oil was carried out by one-step and two-step pyrolysis systems using various catalysts. The
variance of the composition of bio-oil was assessed from the point of the composition and fuel
characteristics. Catalytic gasification of biomass/plastics and biomass-derived tar were investigated
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using steam as a gasification agent. Different techniques for production of bio-fuel and chemicals
from biomass and plastic wastes as renewable sources were investigated.
The POLYSTABILAT (FP7) project aims to demonstrate a novel gasification plant using a fuel
(Stabilat) derived from a Municipal Solid Wastes recycling plant. The produced gas will be cleaned
in a novel high temperature gas filter and combusted in a gas boiler coupled with a 0.5 MWe steam
turbine. The integrated facility will provide a sustainable solution for the treatment of MSW and
generate energy.
The UNIfHY (FP7) project aims to obtain continuous pure hydrogen production from biomass by
integration of advanced biomass steam gasification and syngas purification processes. UNIQUE
coupled gasification and gas conditioning technology, water-gas shift and pressure swing
adsorption system. The result will be two prototype units up to 500 kg/day. The project aimed to
achieve conversion efficiency in hydrogen above 70%, a reduction of the gas conditioning cost to
30% of a standard system, investment cost savings more than 50%, and a hydrogen production
cost below 4€/kg.
The H2-IGCC (FP7) project aimed to provide and demonstrate technical solutions for the use of
gas turbines in IGCC plants, able to use hydrogen-rich syngas derived from a pre-combustion CO2
capture process. The project addresses the issues of combustion, hot gas path materials, the
aerodynamic performance, and system analysis. The project also looks into turbine fuel flexibility,
which will be demonstrated to allow the burning of back-up fuels, such as natural gas.
HiEff-BioPower (FP7) planned to develop a highly efficient biomass CHP technology for a capacity
of 1 to 10 MW, consisting of a fuel-flexible fixed-bed updraft gasifier, a novel compact gas cleaning
system and a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). The technology will be able to use a wide fuel range
(wood pellets, wood chips, SRC, agro-pellets, fruit stones/shells). The system consists in fuel-
flexible updraft gasification with ultra-low particulate matter and alkali metal concentration, an
integrated high temperature gas cleaning and a SOFC system which tolerates certain tar amounts.
The FLEDGED (H2020) project will deliver a process for bio-based dimethyl ether production from
biomass, combining a flexible sorption enhanced gasification process and DME synthesis process.
The primary aim is to develop a highly intensified and flexible process for DME production from
biomass and validate it in industry. The plant will be able of producing syngas with tailored
composition by adapting the SEG process parameters, which allows coupling with an electrolysis
system for converting excess renewable electricity into a high value liquid fuel.
The FlexiFuel-SOFC (H2020) project aims at the development of an innovative, efficient and fuel
flexible micro-scale biomass CHP consisting of a small-scale fixed-bed updraft gasifier (5 to 150
kW), a compact gas cleaning system and a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). This entails an up-draft
gasification with ultra-low particulate matter and alkaline concentrations, which reduces the need
for gas cleaning, an integrated gas cleaning for dust and HCl removal, desulphurisation and tar
cracking as well as a SOFC system. This is expected to reach high gross electric (40%) efficiencies.
The FlexiFuel-CHX (H2020) project aims at the development of a new fuel flexible and highly
efficient residential biomass heating (TRL of 5) technology (20 - 130 kW) focused on highly
efficient and fuel flexible residential heat production at almost zero CO and OGC emissions, by 50%
reduced NOx emissions (compared with conventional boilers) as well as ultra-low PM emissions
below 13 mg/MJ. It is based on the UleWIN wood chip and pellet boiler concept consisting of a
fixed-bed updraft gasifier directly coupled with a Low-NOx gas burner and a hot water boiler.
The Guessing gasifier (SET-Plan flagship project) is based on the Fast Internally Circulating
Fluidized Bed (FICFB) gasification system, developed by the Institute of Chemical Engineering
(Technical University of Vienna) and by AE Energietechnik in Austria. The pilot plant has a fuel
capacity of 8 MW and an electrical output of about 2 MWel. The plant is based on high-temperature
gasification in dual-fluidised bed to synthesis gas and downstream processing including different
routes to gases, liquids and chemicals (e.g. methanation, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis).
The Gaya (SET-Plan flagship) project aims to demonstrate a pathway for gasification and
methanation of residues (e.g. wood, straw) to produce biomethane. This involves a catalytic
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process that converts synthesis gas into methane at around 400°C. Gaya is a cutting-edge
technology platform, with the goal to enable the production of biomethane through biomass-to-gas
concept, which can be transmitted via the current networks or can be used directly for Natural Gas
Vehicles (NGV). The plant has a €47 million budget, including €19 million as subsidies from ADEME.
The GoBiGas (Gothenburg Biomass Gasification) (SET-Plan flagship) project, started in 2005,
based on a 32 MWth dual fluidized bed (DFB) gasifier (150 dry tonnes of biomass/day), and
Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) synthesis, producing up to 20 MW of biomethane. It is a first‐of‐its‐
kind plant the production of advanced biofuels from woody biomass (methane). A research
program with a 2–4‐MW (10–20 dry tonnes of biomass/day) DFB gasifier was established in 2007
at Chalmers University of Technology. The project has acquired experience from around 10,000 h
of operation of the demo plant and more than 25,000 h of operation of the research gasifier.
The Ambition (SET-Plan flagship) project aims to develop an innovative concept, which include
pre-treatment, gasification, gas cleaning and conditioning and syngas fermentation. Biomass pre-
treatment will be based on non-hazardous catalysts and/or green solvents to enable the reduction
of the production of fermentation inhibitors and the need of hydrolytic enzymes for hydrolysis. The
project will adapt the gasification technology for improved high-added-value carbon utilization and
proper H2/CO ratios for downstream syngas processing. The final goal is the combination and
integration of a thermochemical and a biochemical processs into an overall process design.
AMBIGO is a SET-Plan flagship initiative based on thermochemical conversion (gasification) for

producing 3 000 m3/h of SNG from waste in Alkmaar. Gas from gasification (MILENA technology)
has already been tested on a smaller scale at ECN in the Netherlands (25 KW and 0.8 MW) and in
India (4 MW). Through washing the gas with a scrubbing oil, tar particles will be removed and used
as fuel in the gasification process (OLGA technology), already tested on a smaller scale at ECN in
the Netherlands (5 KW and 0.8 MW) and in France, Portugal and India (4 MW each). The energy
carriers (mainly CO and H2) are converted, in a several stages, to methane (ESME technology).
The aim of the COMSYN (SET-Plan flagship) project is to develop a new BTL concept based on
distributed conversion of biomass residues to intermediate liquids in small-to-medium scale (10-50
kt/y) units. The process involves gasification in dual fluidized bed, gas filtration, steam reforming of
tars and hydrocarbons and conversion to hydrocarbons suitable for gasoline, diesel and jetfuel
production through Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The primary conversion will be integrated with heat
and power production, resulting in 80 % efficiency of biomass utilization. The produced FT-wax will
be transported to a large-scale oil refinery, which will be converted into biofuel refinery.
The Ajos BTL (NER 300) project is based on gasification of forest biomass and through FT-
synthesis. The project is funded by the NER300 funding programme for innovative low-carbon
technologies. The plant is located in Ajos, Finland and it will produce up to 225 000 tons of biofuels
and use approximately 1.8 million tons of biomass annually. The operational phase will start in
December 2018. The total funding investment is EUR 88.5 million.
The Bio2G project, funded by the NER300 funding programme, aims to demonstrate the large-
scale production of 200 MWh renewable gas in Landskrona or Malmö, Sweden, for injection in the
gas grid using forest residues, stumps, fuel wood, recycled and short rotation wood. Gas
production is based on pressurized fluidized bed gasification with oxygen. Cleaned gas, obtained by
breaking down hydrocarbons chains, in a tar reformer at high temperature, is converted to
methane in adiabatic reactors. Excess heat is used to provide electricity for the plant and heat to
district heating. The operational phase will start in 2020. The total funding investment is €203.7m.
GoBiGas (Gothenburg Biomass Gasification Project) of Göteborg Energi, Sweden, is a first of a

kind plant for industrial scale SNG production. The Project will demonstrate the large-scale
conversion of low-quality wood into SNG by indirect gasification at atmospheric pressure, gas
cleaning, methane production, pressurization and injection into the gas network. The plant uses
~0.5 Mt/year forestry feedstock, including pulpwood and forest residues to produce 160 GWh/year
of SNG. The GoBiGas facility has started in 2014. GoBiGas will receive €58.8m funding under the
NER300 programme. In a bid to reduce the financial impact, the plant was put up for sale in 2017;
no other investor was found and the owner decided to terminate the project in advance in 2018.
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Table 8. Selection of R&D gasification plants worldwide
Project Owner... Project name Country TRL Outputs
Synthesis Demo
Bio SNG Guessing Austria TRL 6-7 576 t/y SNG
Guessing
0.1 Mwel power
SynCraft CraftWerk Schwaz Austria TRL 4-5
+0.5 MWth
CHP
0.15 Mwel power
urbas Energietechnik Demonstrationsanlagen Austria TRL 6-7
+0.3 MWth heat
URBAS
Synthesis Enerkem 375 t/y ethanol +475
Enerkem Canada TRL 4-5
Sherbrooke m3/y methanol +SNG
Helufsholm CCG -
EP Engineering ApS Denmark TRL 4-5 0.4 MWe power
phase A
Sindal District Heating Dall Energy CHP plant 0.8 MWel power
Denmark TRL 8
Company in Sindal +5 MWth heat
Volter Kempele Ecovillage Finland TRL 4-5 0.03 MWel power
Pressurized FB for
VTT Finland TRL 4-5 0.5 MWth heat
synthesis gas
Dual fluidized-bed
VTT Finland TRL 4-5 0.35 MWth heat
steam gasification pilot
GDF Suez +
Gaya France TRL 1-3 0.1 t/y SNG
consortium
CHP Agnion Biomasse
Agnion Technologies 6.1 MWel power
Heizkraftwerk Germany TRL 4-5
GmbH +32.5 MWth SNG
Pfaffenhofen
CHOREN Industries
CHOREN plant Freiberg Germany TRL 4-5 53 t/y FT liquids
GmbH
0.125 MWel power
Wegscheid Demo Wegscheid Demo Germany TRL 6-7
+0.23 MWth heat
0.33 MWel power
SEK Koblenz KSV Koblenz Germany TRL 8
+0.39 MWth heat
ZAB Balingen KSV Balingen Germany TRL 8 (0.46 MWth heat
ECN MILENA Gasifier Netherlands TRL 4-5 200 m3/h clean syngas
HoSt CFB Tzum Netherlands TRL 6-7 3 MWth heat
Chalmers Technical Centre for Indirect
Sweden TRL 4-5 4 MWth heat
Univ. Gasification of Biomass
PEGB SP ETC Sweden TRL 4-5 1 MWth heat
Goteborg Energi AB GoBiGas Sweden TRL 8 11,200 t/y SNG
Cortus Energy AB Probiostal Sweden TRL 8 6 MWth heat
Emamejeriet (Ema 0.04 MWel power +0.1
Emamejeriet AB Sweden TRL 8
dairy) MWth heat
Vaexjoe Vaernamo
6 MWel power +8 MWth
VVBGC AB Biomass Gasification Sweden TRL 6-7
heat+1,000 m3/h syngas
Center AB
Synthesis TUBITAK
TUBITAK Turkey TRL 4-5 0.2 MW SNG
MRC Kocaeli
Advanced Plasma 0.06 MWel power +4
BioSNG pilot plant UK TRL 4-5
Power Ltd kg/h SNG
Go Green Fuels Ltd GoGreenGas UK TRL 8 1,500 t/y SNG
Southern Research Tech dev lab & pilot 0.002 t/y FT liquids
US TRL 4-5
Institute plant +alcohols+power
INEOS New Planet INEOS Plant Vero 6 Mwel power +3.469
US TRL 4-5
BioEnergy Beach m3/h ethanol
Source: ETIP, 2018.
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4.5 Algae for bioenergy: EU and SET Plan projects
A number of 32 projects have been identified as addressing the research on algae production for
energy production, of which 12 projects under FP7 and 20 projects under H2020 RTD EU
programmes. The AT~SEA (FP7) project aimed to develop advanced technical textiles to
demonstrate the technical and economical feasibility of open sea cultivation of macroalgae.
AT~SEA targets the development of innovative offshore textile products to stimulate bio-energy
production from seaweed by enabling open sea large scale cultivation and harvesting.
The ALGAENET (FP7) project investigated the use of sunlight to enhance biogas production from
AD processes. Sunlight was used in the production of microalgae and an anaerobic bioreactor will
be used to convert the biomass into biogas. Carbon dioxide and the nutrients released during
anaerobic conversion will be used for microalgae production. A multi-disciplinary approach was
used on the cultivation and harvesting of microalgae, and the production of biogas and hydrogen.
DOP-ECOS (FP7) focussed on bioprocesses that couple a photobioreactor, where microalgae use
sunlight to produce biomass, and an anaerobic digester, where bacteria convert biomass into
biogas and recover nutrients. It aims to optimize the design and operation of integrated microalgal
/ bacterial system and to develop the methods and tools for their reliable analysis and
optimization.
The SUNBIOPATH (FP7) project aims to improve the biomass yield of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
and Dunaliella salina green microalgae. Researchers investigated the photochemistry and sunlight
capture process and biochemical pathways and mechanisms that influence ATP synthesis. Optimal
growth and photoconversion efficiency of selected mutant strains in photo-bioreactors was
assessed. The project will help provide new solutions for the valorisation of microalgal biomass,
through genetic engineering of chloroplast and biomethane production.
The SOLALGEN (FP7) project aimed to build a low-cost light collection and distribution system for
increasing algae production. Research focused on a light/optical system, which was installed on
both the photobioreactor and open pond units. Hybrid open pond photobioreactors were developed
that exploits the advantages of both methods of algal cultivation and parallel experiments were
conducted in order to determine the impact on production unit yield.
The ALGAEMAX (FP7) project used acoustic standing waves for harvesting high-quality microalgae
biomass from their water-based growth medium. ALGAEMAX designed and built two prototype
ultrasound flow cells which were validated on a small scale using models and synthetic particles
and then tested under different conditions with real algal cultures.
The GIAVAP (FP7) project was established to improve and genetically transform algae to reduce
algal production costs. The project genetically engineered seven microalgae species to make them
better suited to specific growth conditions for the commercial production of biomaterials and
improved the production of fatty acids, carotenoids and high-value proteins. Large-scale
cultivation, harvesting and extraction techniques were adapted and applied to microalgae species
and algal biomass and purified bioproducts were tested in various model systems.
The OPERATION SWAT (FP7) project objective was to develop an algae harvesting technology
that would yield 95 % recovery at 40 % lower costs. The project studied the characteristics and
particle size of seven microalgae species to identify the correct filters and investigated 20 different
flocculating agents to improve the filtration. Two prototype systems were designed and installed in
different microalgal production facilities. The final prototype, operated continuously, could remove
97% of suspended solids.
The HARVEST (FP7) network provides training opportunities for young researchers in key aspects
of molecular biosciences and biophysical sciences. This network brings together major EU centres
with expertise in a wide range of disciplines (in molecular biology, plant physiology, biochemistry,
biophysics and systems biology). It aims at deeper understanding photoregulatory mechanisms in
photosynthetic organisms and exploitation of knowledge.
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The ALGADISK (FP7) project investigates the ways of producing microalgae for CO 2 capture and
biomass production. The project aimed to develop a modular, scalable and automated biofilm
reactor to produce algal biomass. It identified several algal species that can be grown on a coated
surface with higher yields and lower costs. A successful biofilm growth of selected microalgae was
achieved in the lab-scale reactor and a harvesting technology for biofilms was designed and tested
at lab-scale.
BIOFAT (FP7) was a demo project for microalgae cultivation (10 ha), with a target of 100 tons/ha
to develop the concept of algorefinery. The project included two stages: process optimization in
two pilot facilities, 0.5 ha each, in Italy and Portugal and scale-up to a 10 ha demo facility. The
project built and operated photo bioreactors for inocula and raceways for algae production. Pre-
concentration and centrifugation were tested for harvesting followed by extraction by mechanical
cell disruption and conversion to diesel by trans-esterification and to ethanol through fermentation.
ALL-GAS (FP7) was established to demonstrate the production of biofuels from microalgae at large
scale (10 ha site). Several processes were investigated: oil extraction and digestion of residual
algae together with wastewater solids to produce biogas. Wastewater and nutrients were re-used
to stimulate algae growth. The biogas was purified and compressed to serve as vehicle fuel. To
reach the enhanced algal yield, additional CO2 was used from the biomass combustion (sludge from
wastewater treatment, digestate from residual algae and wastewater solids) needed for drying.
The ECO-LOGIC GREEN FARM (H2020) project addresses a production plant integrating algae
cultivation in photobioreactors with a syngas CHP as a source of carbon for the microalgae
photosynthesis. Market application includes biomass for combustion and for AD, food supplements,
pharmaceutical /cosmetics products and fertilizers. The work includes a pilot line for microalgae
production, including photobioreactor for research on bio-lighting algae and continues with pilot
production, performance verification and market replication.
The CMHALGAE (H2020) project aimed to create a bio-based and re-usable Cellulose Magnetic
Hybrid (CMH) nanomaterial for downstream microalgae processing. The CMH nanomaterial will be
capable of combined flocculation, dewatering and cell disruption of microalgae and can be removed
and re-used. The techno-economic feasibility of this technology will be demonstrated in two model
systems. This CMH nanomaterial would be able to achieve a critical cost reduction in microalgal
downstream processing and advance large-scale microalgae production towards commercialization.
The PHARM AD (H2020) project will address the threat of micropollutants in the form of
pharmaceutical residues (PR). The approach include the investigation of the efficacy of AD for the
removal of PRs in conventional treatment of sludges, but also on the novel application of AD to the
direct treatment of wastewaters rich in these pollutants (e.g. hospital or industry). It will also try to
combine PR removal by AD with biological nutrient removal (nitrogen) by micro-algae cultivation,
thus addressing one of the drawbacks of AD: the lack of nitrogen removal.
The MONSTAA (H2020) project will develop new varieties of microalgae from Arctic and Antarctic
environments and study their metabolism in low temperature bioreactors. The research outcomes
will be: genome-scale characterization of new varieties of microalgae; development of novel
bioprocesses for high yields of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates in cold climates predictive
metabolic models for maximizing yields of products in non-model varieties of microalgae.
The BIOMIC-FUEL (H2020) project aim the development of improved photonic materials that can
be used to maximise algal growth in order to radically transform the algal biofuel sector. The
specific objectives are: to explore the in vivo light field, optical properties and photosynthetic
efficiency of a range of coral species from different light regimes; understand the nanophotonic and
structural properties of corals underlying the optimised light modulation; and apply the biophotonic
insight to design novel photonic materials for the improved growth of microalgae.
The project ALGAE4A-B (H2020) seeks to exploit the microalgae diversity, as a source for high-
added-value biomolecules in aquaculture and cosmetics. The project will combine both basic and
applied multidisciplinary research in the fields of –omics technologies, biochemistry and applied
biotechnology. The project aims to develop and optimize of low input and application-based
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microalgae culture systems, develop of -omic resources for both microalgae and fishes; develop of
downstream processing of high value added products from microalgae; develop, formulate and in
vitro evaluate a new range of cosmetic and nutraceutical products for aquaculture.
The ALGAECEUTICALS (H2020) project will combine both basic and applied research in the fields
of –omics technologies, biochemistry, applied and enzyme biotechnology in order to exploit
microalgae resources for the development: natural UV sunscreens, based on algae mycosporine-
like aminoacids; algae-based nutraceuticals as functional foods and food supplements; algae-
derived proteases with applications in cosmetic and food industry.
The SOLENALGAE (H2020) project aims to investigate the molecular basis for efficient light
energy conversion into chemical energy, to increase microalgae production combining the
investigation of the principles of light energy conversion with bio-technological engineering of algal
strains. The high algae growth potential has not been exploited yet, since biomass yield obtained
up to now is relatively low, with high production costs. The main limitation is the low light use
efficiency, reduced from the theoretical value of 10% to 1-3%.
IPHYC's patented WWT process uses microalgae to remove nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.)
from wastewater effluents. The process has been validated by I-PHYC in field trials at Wessex
Water’s Avonmouth WWT plant. The INDALG (H2020) project aims to prove its technology &
develop its process to commercial readiness by building a commercial demonstrator for wastewater
treatment and optimising its process, to develop methods of recovering value from algae.
AlgaEnergy (H2020) reached a semi-industrial scale with the start of the first phase operations in
Spain, which captures flue gas a combined cycle plant. The objective of the INTERCOME project is
to validate the process in real environment developing AlgaEnergy’s production facilities from TRL7
to TRL9, overcoming the current barriers to commercialization. The project’s objective is turning a
demonstration production plant into a commercial industrial facility, which is called to be the
European Flagship of microalgae production facilities.
The BEAL (BioEnergetics in microALgae) (H2020) project aims to: characterize and compare the
photosynthetic regulation modes by biophysical approaches; use genetic and biochemical
approaches to gain fundamental knowledge on aerobic respiration and anaerobic fermentative
pathways; and investigate and compare interconnections between respiration, photosynthesis, and
fermentation in organisms. The acquired knowledge will allow exploiting the microalgae diversity in
a biotechnological perspective, and remove constraints on microalgae growth.
The ALGAMATER (H2020) is a robust, flexible, cost-effective, and eco-friendly wastewater

treatment system, currently at a prototype stage (TRL7). In pilot tests, Algamater demonstrated
decreased energy costs in wastewater treatment by more than 60% and lowered operational costs
by more than 40% compared to traditional wastewater treatment plants. This project will upgrade,
scale up and integrate the Algamater components into a full-scale wastewater treatment plant
capable of demonstrating our game-changing technology at an industrial level.
The ECO-LOGIC GREEN FARM (H2020) project addresses integrating algae cultivation in
photobioreactors with a syngas CHP as a source of carbon for microalgae photosynthesis. The work
includes a pilot line for microalgae production, including photobioreactor for research on bio-
lighting algae and continues with pilot production, performance verification and market replication.
Market application includes: biomass for combustion and AD; food supplements for human/animal
use; pharmaceutical/cosmetics products; fertilizers.
The overall objective of BIOSEA (H2020) is the development and validation of innovative,
competitive and cost-effective upstream and downstream processes for the cultivation of 2
microalgae (Spirulina platensis and Isochrysis galbana), and 2 macroalgae (Ulva intestinalis and
Saccharina latissima) to produce and extract at least 6 high value active principles at low cost (up
to 55% less than with current processes) to be used in food, feed and cosmetic/personal care as
high-added value products.
The overarching aim of ALFF (H2020) is to train researchers and technologists targeting the
development of superior mass algal cultivation and biocontrol strategies. ALFF tackles: the
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identification, taxonomy and utilisation of algal symbionts and pathogens; inter- and intra-species
signalling and chemical ecology in aquaculture and natural environment; and harnesses state of
the art genomics, molecular, and biochemical techniques to characterise these interactions.
ABACUS (H2020) aims at the development of a new algal biorefinery for high-end applications.
ABACUS aims to demonstrate biorefining processes allowing valorizing up to 95% of the algal
biomass into high value ingredients and by-products. ABACUS focuses on optimizing cultivation
steps and mastering production by online monitoring and automated control of photobioreactors
with the development of specific sensors for the relevant parameters (light, PO2, PCO2, nutrients).
VALUEMAG (H2020) project aims to provide groundbreaking solutions for microalgae production
and harvesting for aquatic/marine biomass integrated bio-refineries. Production-cultivation and
harvesting objectives are achieved by using magnetic nanotechnologies. Magnetic microalgae
(MAGMA) are immobilized onto a soft magnetic conical surface (SOMAC) that allow optimum
cultivation, enhance biomass productivity and lower costs of biomass production. Biomass is
directly utilized for the production of molecules, using supercritical CO2 extraction and a new
selective magnetic separation method for precise selection of value-added products.
The overall objective of the MAGNIFICENT (H2020) project is to develop and validate a new value
chain based on cultivation and processing, to transform microalgae into valuable ingredients for
food, aquafeed and cosmetics applications. Optimization will be done: upstream, cultivation related
processes via adaptation and selection of algae varieties, improvement of growing conditions and
target product concentration in the cell; and downstream process (separation, extraction,
purification) to maximise the production of compounds of interest.
MacroFuels (H2020) aims to produce advanced biofuels from macro-algae (ethanol, butanol, and
biogas). The project will achieve advancement in the: cultivation of brown, red and green seaweed;
pre-treatment of seaweed to yield sugars at relevant concentrations (10-30%); increasing the bio-
ethanol production to concentration above 4%/l; increasing the bio-butanol yield to 15 g./l by
through novel organisms; increasing biogas yield to convert 90% of available carbon; developing
thermochemical conversion of sugars to fuels. The technology will be taken from TRL3 to TRL 4/5.
SABANA (H2020) aims at developing a large-scale integrated microalgae biorefinery for the
production of various products, biofertilizers and aquafeed, using marine water and nutrients from
wastewaters. The objective is to demonstrate the technology, achieving a zero-waste process at
demo scale up to 5 ha. SABANA includes the scale-up of reactors, using marine water to recover
nutrients from wastewaters, develop harvesting processes, establish processes for bioproducts
extraction, process residual biomass to produce biofertilizers and aquafeed in zero-waste schemes.
The GENIALG (H2020) project aims to boost sustainable exploitation of two high-yielding species
of seaweed biomass. GENIALG will demonstrate the economic feasibility and environmental
sustainability of cultivating and refining seaweed for multiple uses. The final goal is developing a
bio-refinery concept and accelerate efficient and sustainable exploitation of seaweed biomass to
bring new high-value products on the market.
4.6 Biorefineries: EU and SET Plan projects

A number of 43 projects have been identified as addressing the research on biorefineries, of which
14 projects under FP7 and 29 projects under H2020 RTD EU programmes. The BIOCORE (FP7)
project aimed to create and demonstrate a sustainable and economically viable biorefinery concept
that can use multiple feedstocks. BIOCORE used an existing organosolv technology for optimising
the process for several feedstocks. The project demonstrated the production of several products,
including ethanol, bio-based resins for wood panels, polyurethane foams and plastics. Researchers
used modelling and site analysis to design optimised product pathways for a future biorefinery.
The project SUPRA-BIO (FP7) was set to develop advanced and competitive biorefinery concepts
that exploit biomass to produce various compounds and value-added fine chemicals in addition to
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biofuels. SUPRA-BIO is delivering an integrated biorefinery concept to profitably produce biofuels
from organic waste.
This EUROBIOREF (FP7) project targeted a multi-faceted approach to the bioeconomy, involving
non-edible feedstocks, multiple biochemical and thermochemical processes, as well as various
industrial products. EUROBIOREF tested new oil crops and lignocellulosics and established test
fields for various feedstocks. It developed a biomass supply logistics model and applied it to four
crops. EUROBIOREF constructed a new pilot plant in Norway to process woody biomass and
described and demonstrated five value chains for biorefineries.
The GLYFINERY (FP7) project focussed on the development of novel technologies based on
biological conversion of glycerol by micro-organisms, into biofuels, bioenergy and biochemical, to
find new uses for glycerol in an advanced biorefinery concept. The project identified the most
promising biocatalytic microorganisms and the fermentation processes for biological conversion,
and focussed to optimising the bioprocess design and the recovery processes.
The project AFORE (FP7) was set to develop bio-based solutions to isolate and upgrade natural
chemicals from forest residues or process side-streams to be used for novel value-added
applications. The project investigated several methods to extract and upgrade materials from both
solid and liquid wood-derived samples, of which several were chosen for up-scaling and testing at
pilot or industrial scale.
The VALOR-PLUS (FP7) addresses the realisation of closed loop integrated biorefineries through
the development of new knowledge, bio-technologies and products. The project comprises five key
areas: pre-treatment and fractionation, hemicellulose, lignin and glycerol valorisation to higher
value product streams. The project aims the demonstration of the technological and economic
potential for integration and scale-up within biorefinery value chains.
The MIRACLES (FP7) project addresses the development of integrated biorefinery for valuable
specialties from algae for application in food, aquafeeds and non-food products. Products will be
developed for these markets and the technology used for algae production and biorefinery will be
improved. New algae strains will be selected for extreme locations via bioprospecting to expand the
resource base for algae cultivation. The project includes demonstrations to prove the techno-
economic viability of the biorefinery concepts.
The project BIOREF-INTEG (FP7) was set to develop advanced biorefinery schemes to be
integrated with existing fuel-production facilities in seven biomass-processing sectors (biofuels,
conventional fuels, power, pulp and paper, the food and agricultural industries). The project
identified reference cases and integrated biorefinery concepts for each biomass-processing sector
and potential raw materials and promising added-value chemicals that could be produced. BIOREF-
INTEG has provided critical insight regarding technical, economic and environmental considerations
comparing reference and biorefinery cases.
The aim of the D-FACTORY (FP7) project was to set up a benchmark for a sustainable biorefinery
using biomass Dunaliella salina microalgae tuning the alga to make naturally produced valuable
compounds in different proportions. Dunaliella was be cultivated in open raceways and
photobioreactors and then harvested using spiral plate and membrane technologies. A range of
processing technologies were integrated and optimised using modelling techniques. A prototype D-
FACTORY biorefinery was used to prove the business case for large-scale algae biorefineries.
VALOWASTE (FP7) dealt with the valorisation of waste streams from the agro food sector. The
project developed a novel set of biochemical methods for the treatment of agrofood wastewaters.
High-added value substances from the waste effluents could be recovered directly or could
represent a substrate for biochemical processes to produce various bioproducts in biorefineries in
addition to clean water and energy.
The aim of SUSTOIL (FP7) was to develop advanced biorefinery schemes to convert whole oil
crops into energy (fuels, power and heat), food and bioproducts (chemicals and/or materials). Key
objective was to improve the economics by valorising various by-products (rape meal, straw,
glycerol) and to identify other ways for the use of oil-rich residues and by-products. SUSTOIL
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aimed to exploit the identified opportunities and investigate the potential of integrating these into
existing vegetable oil / transesterification plants.
PROPANERGY (FP7) project was set to develop the technology for bioconversion of glycerine into
value-added products and biogas at pilot plant scale. This allows complete use of glycerine and
methanol residue from biodiesel production; the process will supply energy for product separation
in the form of biogas and also yield two value-added products, to be used to produce polymers.
SYNPOL (FP7) aims to establish a platform that integrates the pyrolysis of various biowaste and
biopolymer production with bacterial fermentation of syngas. The activities focus on the integration
of innovative chemical, biochemical, downstream and synthetic technologies to produce a wide
range of new biopolymers. It entails the implementation of novel microwave pyrolytic treatments
together with systems-biology recombinant bacteria, that will produce biopolymer building-blocks
to synthesize novel bio-based plastic prototypes by chemical and enzymatic catalysis.
SUBICAT (FP7) was set to address biomass conversion technologies by catalytic processes. The
project identified a series of collaborative projects that would benefit from the mutual exchange of
scientific expertise between academic and industrial partners. The network partners will establish
links with world leading experts to develop optimal catalysts for ether cleavage in 'real life samples'
of lignin for maximising the potential of lignocellulose as a source of fuels and fine chemicals.
AgriChemWhey (H2020) will build an industrial-scale biorefinery with integrated industrial and
agricultural value chains to valorise over 25,000 tonnes dry matter of excess WP and DLP to
several added value products. The Flagship plant will prove the techno-economic viability of the
innovative WP/DLP-to-lactic acid technology and establish a new value chain for the production of
high value sustainable food and feed products from other side streams. AgriChemWhey will also
develop a blueprint of an economic sustainability concept and replication plans.
BioCatPolymers (H2020) will demonstrate a new route to convert low quality residual biomass to
high added-value biopolymers, based on an integrated hybrid bio-thermochemical process. The
goal is optimizing and demonstrating the entire value chain on 0.5 ton of biomass/day scale,
including the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass, biological fermentation to MVL, separation of
MVL, selective catalytic conversion to the targeted monomer and purification.
BIOFOREVER (H2020) will demonstrate 5 new lignocellulosic value chains and 3 valorisation
routes for co-products utilizing 4 different cascading biorefinery concepts to establish optimal
combinations of feedstock, biorefinery, end-products and markets to allow the implementation of
these value chains in commercial scale. Chemicals, food and specialties will be produced.
The BioMates (H2020) project approach is based on innovative non-food/feed biomass conversion
technologies, including ablative fast pyrolysis and mild catalytic hydrotreating, while incorporating
renewable H2-production technology as well as optimal energy integration. The proposed pathway
for decarbonizing the transportation fuels will be demonstrated via TRL 5 units, allowing the
development of an integrated, sustainability-driven business case encompassing commercial and
social exploitation strategy.
BioRECO2VER (H2020) will demonstrate the technical feasibility of energy efficient and
sustainable non-photosynthetic anaerobic and micro-aerobic biotechnological processes for the
capture and conversion of CO2 from industrial sources into 2 valuable platform chemicals, i.e.
isobutene and lactate. The project will focus on minimizing gas pre-treatment costs, maximizing
gas transfer in bioreactors, preventing product inhibition, minimizing product recovery costs,
reducing footprint and improving scalability.
The BIOSKOH (H2020) project will make a two stage investment process and development path
to realise the largest (110 Kton) 2G biorefinery in Europe. BIOSKOH realise the 1st stage Flagship
plant to produce 55 kton of cellulosic ethanol per year. Biochemtex, Novozymes and Lesaffre
developed, tested and demonstrated an innovative integrated pre-treatment, hydrolyses and
fermentation package in the semi-industrial scale 2G biorefinery plant (Crescentino). This will be
upscaled to the 1st of a kind commercial scale Flagship, to be built by Energochemica.
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The ENGICOIN (H2020) project aims at the development of three new microbial factories (MFs),
integrated in an organic waste AD platform, based on engineered strains exploiting CO 2 sources
and solar radiation or H2 for the production of value-added chemicals (TRL 3 to TRL 5). This
includes: produce lactic acid from biogas combustion flue gases or CO 2 from biogas purification;
produce PHA bioplastics from biogas combustion flue gases and carbon from the AD; produce
acetone from CO2 from biogas purification.
EnzOx2 (H2020) plans to develop a 100% biochemical conversion of bio-based 5-hydroxy-

methylfurfural (HMF) into diformylfuran, a platform chemical, and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid
(FDCA), a plastic building-block. Oxidases and peroxygenases will be used to perform the three-
step oxidation of HMF to FDCA in a co-substrate and side-product free. Highly selective
hydroxylation of plant lipids (fatty acids, terpenes and steroids) by peroxygenases will be optimized
for cost-effective production of various chemicals.
The Exilva (H2020) flagship project will consist in the upscaling of the Borregaard’s MFC process
from the existing pilot plant (50-70 tons/year) to the full scale flagship plant (1000 tons/year) and
the production of added value products in a sustainable way. The main tasks and challenges will be
testing the equipment, technology transfer from the pilot to the flagship plant, gaining operational
experience, establishing the plant organization and quality control, establishing the appropriate
process parameters and gaining experience with regards to logistics and handling.
FALCON (H2020) aims to convert a lignin-rich industrial waste of 2G biofuel plants to higher value
products, in particular shipping fuels, fuel additives and chemical building blocks. The lignin-rich
waste is derived from sludge that is left after saccharification of the carbohydrates. The FALCON
process is based on enzymatic and mild chemical conversion of the lignin waste stream. This
implies an initial treatment at the 2G bioethanol plant, converting the waste to lignin oil. It will be
further converted into fuel additives and chemical building blocks.
The FUNGUSCHAIN (H2020) project aims at the valorization of agricultural residues from
mushroom farming to set up new cascading possibilities using innovative procedures to extract
high value bio-based additives (antioxidants, antimicrobials, proteins), convert lipids into
bioplasticizers and polysaccharides into biopolymers using remaining side streams to close the
cycle by composting and/or biogas synthesis. Funguschain will demonstrate its industrial viability
by building a new biorefinery revalorizing more than 65% of waste into valuable additives.
The InDIRECT (H2020) project will develop a biorefinery processes as part of new value chains to
convert under-spent side streams/residues from the agro-sector and processing sector into
marketable products. Cascading processes would increase the conversion efficiency and maximise
the values of the feedstock. Activities from lab to pilot scale are foreseen, enabling the generation
of sufficient material for application tests that are crucial for developing the downstream market.
InnProBio (H2020) aims to build a community of public procurement practitioners interested in

Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) with Bio-Based Products and Services (BBPS), supported by
online network facilities. The project will develop a toolbox which will assist public procurers to
inform themselves about BBPS and ultimately provide all relevant information to prepare an actual
tender. The toolbox will be used for capacity building activities including trainings for public
procurers and decision makers, market dialogues and exchanges with standardization experts.
IProPBio (H2020) targets to exchange complementary theoretical and experimental knowledge of

research staff. The scope of activity will cover: design and integration of flexible and product-
tailored processes; integration of chemical and biochemical routes into sustainable biorefining;
relation between biomass extraction and separation processes and the properties of desired
products; production processes integration into closed loop production.
LIGNINFIRST (H2020) targets a new approach based on an Early-stage Catalytic Conversion of

Lignin (ECCL)-the Lignin-First approach, for the valorisation of lignin. ECCL involves the concurrent
extraction and catalytic conversion of the lignin fragments in a one-pot process. LIGNINFIRST will
address: (i) understanding the release of lignin fragments; (ii) advancing the understanding of H-
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transfer reactions, and; (iii) reaction engineering of the fractionation of biomass (catalytic
upstream biorefining) to value-added products (catalytic downstream processing).
LIGNOFLAG project demonstrates an integrated and whole value chain oriented approach for
ethanol production as fuel or chemical building block, based on Clariant’s technology (e.g. onsite-
enzyme production, tailor-made enzymes, chemical-free pre-treatment, intensive energy
integration). The core part is the commercial flagship plant for lignocellulosic ethanol conversion
(60,000 tons/year) that serves to showcase the techno-economic viability of an innovative bio-
refinery concept.
MACRO CASCADE (H2020) will prove the concept of the cascading marine macroalgal biorefinery
i.e. a production platform that covers the whole technological chain for processing cultivated
macro-algae to highly processed value added products. The macro-algae biorefinery will be capable
of processing multiple feedstocks, by using a range of mechanical, physico-chemical and enzymatic
pre-processing and fractionation techniques combined with chemical, enzymatic or microbial
conversion refinery techniques.
The PEFerence (H2020) project will establish an industrial scale (50 000 tonnes/year), cost-
effective FDCA (diacid) biorefinery flagship plant producing bio-based chemicals and materials
(bottles, films, Lego Bricks, polyurethanes). The consortium aims to replace fossil based polyesters
(such as PET), and packaging materials with bio-based polyesters (such as PEF). The full value
chain will be optimized ensuring cost-effective and environmentally sustainable production of
FDCA, PEF/PBF and polyurethane products.
PULP2VALUE (H2020) developed multiple extraction techniques to isolate more valuable products
from this large fraction of sugar beet pulp. The overall objective of this project is to further
establish the value chains based on MCF, arabinose (Ara) and galacturonic acid (GalA). By
demonstrating an integrated and cost-effective cascading biorefinery system to refine sugar beet
pulp, PULP2VALUE aims to increase the value of the sugar beet pulp by demonstrating applications
in high value markets.
RES URBIS (H2020) aims converting bio-waste into valuable bio-based products, in an integrated
single biowaste biorefinery and by using one main technology chain. Targeted experimental activity
focusses to solve a number of open technical issues (both process- and product-related), by using
the appropriate combination of innovative and proven technologies. Territorial and economic
analyses will be done either considering the ex-novo implementation of the biowaste biorefinery or
its integration into existing wastewater treatment or AD plants for different production size.
The project SSUCHY (H2020) focusses on the development of bio-based composite constituents
(i.e. biopolymers and plant fibre reinforcements) for the development of multifunctional
biodegradable and/or recyclable bio-based composites. It is dedicated to the development of
specific concepts, technologies and materials to achieve a complete value chain and prove the
principle at the scale of product demonstrators.
The STAR4BBI (H2020) project will contribute at establishing a coherent, coordinated and
favourable regulatory / standardization framework for the development of new value chains based
on lignocellulosic feedstocks. The project focus will be on practical ways to modify regulations in
such a way that alternative wording, product specifications, and/or measuring methods will
eliminate hurdles without compromising the initial objectives of the standard or regulation.
SUN-to-LIQUID (H2020) project aims to establish a new path to synthesize renewable liquid
hydrocarbon fuels from H2O, CO2 and solar energy. SUN-to-LIQUID aims at advancing the solar
fuel technology from the laboratory to the next field phase. The complete integrated fuel
production chain will be experimentally validated at a pre-commercial scale and with record high
energy conversion efficiency. The ambition of SUN-to-LIQUID is to advance solar fuels and to guide
the further scale-up towards a reliable basis for competitive industrial exploitation.
TASAB (H2020) is a novel algal biorefinery concept, offering an environmentally-sustainable closed

system integrating thermal and biochemical conversion pathways. This concept would maximize
energy production from algae for achieving a net positive energy balance and almost fully recycle
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nutrients to support algal large scale production and reduce the economic and environmental
impacts of synthetic fertilizer use. TASAB will enhance and upgrade bio-oil yield and produce value-
added products and biochemicals and would offset production costs for energy generation.
URBIOFIN (H2020) project aims to demonstrate the techno-economic and environmental viability
of the conversion at semi-industrial scale (10 t/d) of the organic fraction of MSW (OFMSW) into:
chemical building blocks (bioethanol, volatile fatty acids, biogas), biopolymers or additives.
URBIOFIN will exploit the OFMSW as feedstock to produce different valuable marketable products
for different markets: agriculture, cosmetics.
US4GREENCHEM (H2020) aims to design a biorefinery concept for the complete valorization of
lignocellulosic biomass that is energy- and cost- efficient. The concept combines mechanical pre-
treatment of the substrate with ultrasonic and enzyme treatment of lignocellulosic feedstock as
substrate for sugar based biotechnological applications. This will help overcome its recalcitrance
and disrupt inhibitors with mild CO2 hemicellulose degradation and with the enzymatic recovery of
sugars and technologies for the valorization of the by-products released in the process.
Zelcor (H2020) project aims at demonstrating the feasibility of transforming lignocellulose

biorefinery recalcitrant side streams into high value biobased products, including fine chemicals.
The concept combines chemical and enzymatic catalysis with biological conversion, within a
biorefinery integrated approach. Zelcor is conceived to avoid waste production by recycling waste
products and improve the sustainability of second generation biorefineries. It addresses three types
of recalcitrant raw materials: lignocellulosic residues from ethanol production, lignins dissolved
during pulping process and lignin-like humins formed by sugars conversion.
The SYLFEED (H2020) project consists in upscaling the bio-refinery process to a demo plant with a
capacity up to 5 t/day of lignocellulose into ingle Cell Protein (SCP) to be used in aquaculture as
animal feed, producing proteins for fish feed. SYLFEED will demonstrate the synergies between
forestry industry and protein fish feed market, creating new high value opportunities for the former
and an alternative, sustainable, protein source for the latter. The large challenge of the SYLFEED
demonstration project is to upscale from pilot scale and validate the bio-refinery process that
converts lignocellulose into SCP suitable to formulate fish feed.
The 4REFINERY (SET-Plan flagship) project aims to develop and demonstrate the production of
advanced biofuels that achieve overall carbon yields of >45%. 4REFINERY focuses on optimal
pathways for advanced biofuels production through two primary conversion routes (catalytic fast
pyrolysis and HTL) integrated with upgrading (hydro)refining processes. The goal will be to bring
these technologies from TRL3-4 to TRL4-5. The project will establish relations between product and
feedstock properties and relevant process parameters and allow a full understanding of the
influence of feedstock and treatment processes on product characteristics.
The Äänekoski bioproduct mill in Finland (SET-Plan flagship project) is increasing the product
portfolio with new bioproducts, generating bioenergy, while using no fossil fuels. In addition to
pulp, it produces a range of bioproducts, such as tall oil, turpentine, bioelectricity, product gas,
sulphuric acid and biogas. Upgrading of lignin and manufacture of textile fibres from pulp are at
research stage. The mill produces 640 GWh district heat and steam and 1.8 TWh of electricity. The
biogas plant will make use of the sludge from pulp production to produce 20 GWh of biogas a year.
MicroAlgae Biorefinery is a Climate-KIC project for an innovative and sustainable technology, for
large-scale production of raw material for food and non-food purposes. Microalgae are among the
most promising sustainable feedstocks because of the high productivity per hectare and the range
of potential products. Innovation and industry collaboration efforts, however, are needed to
develop microalgae biorefinery into a commercial activity for bulk-products.
The purpose of the MET project is to establish a fully integrated biorefinery in Holstebro,
Denmark, funded by the NER300 programme. The plant is based on local biomass residuals and it
will supply heat, electricity and transportation fuel. The plant will produce 64.4 Ml of ethanol,
77,000 t of lignin pellets, 1.51 Mm3 of methane and 75,000 t of liquid waste annually which will be
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transformed into biogas and injected into the national gas grid. The process will use 250,000 t/year
of straw. The operational phase will start in 2020. The total funding investment is EUR 39.3 million.
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5 Technology development outlook
5.1 Technology trends and needs
The production of heat and power from biomass includes several technologies including biomass
pre-treatment, anaerobic digestion, combustion, pyrolysis, hydrothermal processing, gasification
and uses a wide range of biomass feedstocks (agricultural and forest waste and residues, industry
residues and waste, food waste, energy crops. Bioenergy production is based mostly on a number
of technologies that are well established (anaerobic digestion, combustion) while others are still in
development at different stages (pyrolysis, hydrothermal processing, gasification). A number of
technology combinations are possible and are under consideration that aims at improving the
overall conversion efficiency of biomass, such as pyrolysis and gasification, or gasification and
combustion of syngas in gas turbines, pyrolysis and gasification to produce clean syngas etc. A
number of processes are currently under pre-commercial, demonstration, or earlier stage of
development in a number of plants all over the world.
One major barrier for deployment of bioenergy technologies is the cost competitiveness in
comparison to fossil alternatives, depending on the technology and process configuration (capital
and operating costs, conversion efficiency, process reliability), plant capacity, feedstock (supply
chain, type, quality, and cost), competitive uses (e.g. pulp and paper, wood processing industry
etc. ). Therefore significant R&D effort focussed on the improvement of the conversion efficiency,
improving reliability, scale-up to benefit from the economies of scale, reduction of investment costs
and improving the ability to use low-cost feedstock (agri and forest residues, municipal solid waste,
sewage sludge, food waste, industrial waste etc.). Cost reduction depends on the maturity and
advancement of technology. Also, difficult feedstocks require higher capital and operating costs,
extensive effort for in gas cleaning, more expensive equipment etc. A number of technological
trends have been observed in each conversion routes to address key constraints and needs for
further improvement.
5.1.1 Biochemical processing

5.1.1.1 Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion is an established technology and to an extent demonstrated. The latest trends
focussed to improve anaerobic digestion performances, process control and optimise the
process, in order to increase the technical and economic viability of biogas plants. Process
improvements could also result in a reduced need to clean the gas and removing contaminants that
will improve processes integration with downstream processes. More R&D is needed on the
development of technologies for measurement and control systems especially in co-digestion
systems. An important R&D trend addressed the need to enlarge the feedstock base, to process
new and difficult to degrade substrates, lignocellulosic feedstocks (agri-residues, straw, organic
fraction of municipal solid waste sewage sludge). Future trends aims to develop new techniques to
improve the biological digestion process (through hydrolysis pretreatment or enzymatic reactions,
etc.), to increase the loading rate and advance dry fermentation and thermophilic processes need
further development. There is the need to for the development of new techniques, enzymes to
improve biodegradability and increase biogas yield and prove the viability of use of new
substrates, such as micro and macro algae (freshwater and marine).
A significant trend in the R&D has been noticed to focus on biogas upgrading techniques to
natural gas quality for biomethane production and injection into the natural gas grid or for the use
as fuel in vehicle, as compressed biomethane. Many biogas upgrading plants are operating now
using various technologies (Pressure Swing Adsorption, Pressurised Water Scrubbing, organic
physical scrubbing, chemical scrubbing, membrane separation), benefitting from the various
support schemes. More R&D would focus on the liquefied biomethane for the future use in heavy
duty transport. R&D is also needed for reducing energy consumption both in the anaerobic
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digestion and the upgrading stage. Biogas upgrading to biomethane still requires technological
improvements to reduce energy intensity and improve cost performance that could lead to
reducing energy production costs. The methane slip from upgrading biogas to biomethane
processes needs to be further investigated, as it can make a significant contribution towards the
overall lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions.
5.1.2 Thermochemical processing

5.1.2.1 Biomass combustion
Biomass combustion technology is available for heat and power production and most bioenergy
applications are based on biomass combustion. However, more R&D needs to focus mainly on
developing high efficiency on combustion systems. The latest R&D trends focussed on achieving
better understanding of combustion phenomena, application of computer simulation tools and
numerical investigations to facilitate the analysis and design of improved combustion systems.
R&D also needs to focus on the development and optimisation of better boiler designs and
advanced control systems for improving efficiency and reduce the costs of energy generation.
R&D trends included the study of the combustion behaviour of various biomass feedstocks,
including the use of low quality biomass, agri-biomass, investigating the ash melting behaviour to
achieve a clear understanding of the complex chemistry and to identify mechanisms for deposit
formation and the behaviour of aerosols from biomass.
There is also a need to develop boilers with increased fuel flexibility to be able to use a wide
feedstock range (e.g. energy crops, agro-biomass, residues, waste recovered fuels, sewage sludge
etc.). In order to reach higher conversion efficiencies, there is a need to develop large scale
advanced systems with increased, supercritical steam parameters, above the state of the art
steam turbine systems (500 – 525 °C). Higher temperature increases the high temperature
corrosion risk, requiring R&D in advanced materials, reliable cleaning processes/technology,
solutions to avoid deposit formation, and improved corrosion control processes that need to be
demonstrated in long-term testing. There is the need to demonstrate the use of thermally treated
biomass from different raw materials in large-scale heating and CHP applications.
There is a need for the development and demonstration of micro and small scale units to achieve
improved reliability and high technical performances, and reduced costs. R&D focussed also on
improvement of low emission small-scale biomass combustion, residential boilers, to achieve high
efficiency and to reduce emissions. Biomass combustion in particular in small and medium-scale
needs to further reduce emissions associated with small scale use of biomass, to meet
increasingly stricter emission regulations, for the development of low emission stoves and boiler
systems. There is a need to investigate flue gas cleaning systems and address catalyst deactivation
issues.
An important issue is to make better use of the heat generated to improve the overall energy
efficiency of the plants. R&D could lower the costs of heat networks, through optimum system
design and reduced component costs. R&C should focus on system development for
trigeneration/polygenertation, to develop cooling grid techniques/concepts, addresses plant design
optimisation, the operation of a hybrid electric/heating/cooling grid with the integration of cooling
systems and integration into cogeneration plants.
R&D trends aimed to demonstrate cost-effective and high efficiency energy generation systems
using low and medium-temperature waste heat that are suitable for small scale systems to large
scale systems. R&D could continue to develop advanced guidance and control systems, to achieve
optimal integration of thermodynamic cycles in order to increase the electrical conversion
efficiency. More R&D is needed to develop hybrid systems that combine biomass, biogas with
hydrogen production, PV or concentrated solar systems, heat pumps, micro gas turbine and fuel
cells. Further R&D is needed to integrate, optimize and demonstrate such systems at large scale.
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5.1.2.2 Torrefaction
Torrefaction is a thermochemical upgrading process proved at pilot scale and a number of
demonstration and commercial facilities are in operation. Further development of torrefaction is
needed to overcome certain technical and economic challenges. The R&D focussed so far on
the development of torrefaction and densification technology for a broad biomass feedstock range
including clean woody biomass, forestry residues or agro-residues. R&D is needed on the
development of cost-effective processes, product densification and scaling up the process.
Further R&D is needed for finding the optimal configuration and optimal process conditions for
producing a stable and high quality end-product, using a broad feedstock range. The optimal
conditions needs to be tailored depending on several factors, such as the type of feedstock,
product specifications (size, torrefaction degree), reactor technology and design, process control
and heat integration.
Torrefaction process still needs to be demonstrated in large-scale applications using different raw
materials and conversion technologies of different scales and torrefaction degree to prove the
improved downstream process and cost efficiency. Future work should focus on integrated
torrefaction and densification processes for the production of torrefied pellets and on integrated
torrefaction and gasification for high-quality syngas production. Densification of torrefied biomass
has improved over the last years due to a better understanding of the relation between biomass
characteristics, torrefaction process conditions, and densification parameters.
Development of dedicated analysis and testing methods are needed for product properties.
Product standards are under development to define fuel properties, e.g. degree of torrefaction,
grindability, hydrophobic properties, etc. R&D work should focus on the assessment of end-use
performance, for assessing the handling, storage, safety and milling behaviour and combustion
characteristics, at full scale firing test trials. Ensuring consistent and controlled end product
quality can create new markets and trade flows for biomass as commodity fuel and increase the
feedstock basis.
5.1.2.3 Pyrolysis
R&D on pyrolysis focussed on generating process data for developing pyrolysis process, scaling
up reactor, improving pyrolysis oil quality. R&D addressed one-step or two-step pyrolysis, catalytic
and non-catalysic pyrolysis. R&D trends included investigations to improve the understanding of
fast pyrolysis mechanisms, to determine the best operating conditions, and improve the process
and design of pyrolysis reactors. R&D is needed on the pyrolysis conversion process, for improving
process reliability and for broadening feedstock base for bio-oil. Further R&D is needed on
improved pyrolysis reactor design, process optimisation to maximize bio oil yield and gas recycling
for providing process energy needs.
Pyrolysis using various catalysts has been investigated to improve the catalytic pyrolysis by the
use of novel catalysts, with reduced costs, optimization of catalyst selectivity towards desirable
high value products. The most significant challenges for pyrolysis are related to quality of bio-oil,
long-term stability, as well as the economics of its production and use. R&D addressed so far the
improvement of bio-oil quality, bio-oil cleaning and upgrading to allow its use in downstream
processes (heat, power, chemicals, synthetic fuels, and biocrude production). A key goal still
remains the improvement of the quality and consistency of the pyrolysis oil in terms of stability,
viscosity, moisture content, contaminants and corrosiveness.
In line with existing R&D trends, R&D should continue to address the improvement of bio-oil
quality and stability, the control of bio-oil composition as well as on bio-oil upgrading, including
hydrotreating, catalytic upgrading and fractionation. Bio-oil upgrading is challenging because of
the high oxygen and water content of bio-oils. Improving the pyrolysis processes is an area of R&D
to decrease pyrolysis oil water and oxygen content. R&D is needed for developing new techniques,
including catalytic pyrolysis for upgrading, for the development and selecting the most promising
catalyst. Catalyst improvement is a major opportunity in the upgrading step investigating catalyst
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deactivation, longer lifetime, better stability and cost. For the production of biochemicals from bio-
oil or its fractions, the challenge is to assess and develop the most feasible isolation and
purification methods. However, despite the progress made in fast pyrolysis and bio-oil production
(TRL 4-5), the full integration of fast pyrolysis with upgrading is still required and many of the
upgrading processes are still at TRL 3-4. Pyrolysis processes require scale-up and
demonstration of bio-oil production technologies with different biomass feedstocks and mixtures.
5.1.2.4 Hydrothermal processing

In the hydrothermal processing, R&D focus has been addressing hydrothermal carbonization,
liquefaction and gasification of a wide range of biomass streams and in particular to provide
economically attractive and environmentally friendly alternatives to utilisation of wet biomass and
produce bio-char, bio-oil (bio-crude), or gas (e.g., hydrogen, methane). Recent R&D focussed on
developing hydrothermal liquefaction of diverse biomass feedstocks, increasing process
integration and product recovery for the producion of bio-crude for multiple applications. The R&D
trends include the understanding of relation between feedstock and process conditions, product
yield and quality and the valorisation of residual process streams. Future R&D actions need to focus
on expanding the understanding of hydrothermal liquefaction and the knowledge-base on
reaction mechanisms and process kinetics of HTL. The greatest challenge yet to be addressed is to
understand the impacts of feedstock composition and process conditions on bio-crude quality.
R&D needs include the development of continuous-flow liquefaction technology. R&D is needed to
analyse the effects of feedstock, and the operating parameters, including temperature, pressure
and the residence time on crude oil yield and quality. Future work has to involve testing various
feedstock types to include tests to acquire critical process data and enable data analysis during
biomass conversion into biocrude, tor establishing reactor configuration and process validation.
R&D has to examine possible pathways to determine the optimal operating parameters for the
development and demonstration of HTL process to validate current process assumptions, at large-
scale, in long time operation. Better understanding of HTL process is needed to identify specific
challenges and to develop equipment able to operate in extreme temperature and pressure
conditions. There are research gaps with respect to catalyst performance, poisoning, loss,
deactivation, regeneration and lifetimes. Improving the long-term use of catalysts is essential to
improve their performance. Techno-economic analyses will have to be conducted as research and
development progresses to identify and promote cost-effective conversion pathways.
5.1.2.5 Biomass gasification

Continuous R&D effort over the last years has led to significant progress, bringing biomass
gasification to TRL 6-7. However, gasification needs significant technological improvements and
requires demonstration at scale. R&D addressed the improvement of gasification process using a
range of feedstocks. However, there is a need to investigate gasifier design, adjustment of
operating conditions, in-bed catalysts/additives to achieve better syngas quality. Opportunities for
improvement exist in the developing biomass pretreatment and gasification systems with greater
feedstock tolerances. An alternative approach for more difficult feedstocks is to use pre-treatment
technologies to improve the biomass quality such as the integration of fast pyrolysis processes
before gasification.
R&D activities included the optimisation and improvement of biomass gasification process, as
well as research on gas cleaning, upgrading, reforming process to obtain a clean syngas. Synthetic
natural gas production via biomass gasification shows technical barriers including issues related to
catalysts, affected by gas cleaning performances, achieving a stable syngas composition is still
challenging. Key technical challenges and needs still include improving process integration,
monitoring and control, gas clean-up and gas upgrading, improving performance and efficiency and
reducing costs. R&D activities also aimed at studying, developing and testing the integration of
biomass gasification and the syngas use in gas burners, gas engines, gas turbines or fuel cells.
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There is still work to be done to prove continuous, reliable long-term operation of the different
gasification systems at scale with a range of feedstocks.
Syngas cleaning and reforming is the biggest challenge in gasification due to the high content
of impurities (particle, tar, alkali, chloride, ammonia, etc.), and the requirement for ultra-clean
syngas for many downstream possible applications. R&D focus was on the development and
demonstration of syngas cleaning technologies using both chemical and physical methods to the
limits required for upgrading to syngas. There is a strong need for improved syngas clean-up and
new catalysts for gas conversion, with greater resistance to poisoning, allowing syngas
purification costs to be reduced. Despite previous efforts made in gas cleaning, tars remain a key
problem, and gas cleaning to produce a gas that is ultra clean and that can be used in
downstream processes, still remains a clear challenge for gasification. Further R&D is needed to
optimise cleaning and conditioning, to develop integrated hot clean-up and reforming steps.
Several projects were set to demonstrate biomass gasification based on various concepts at full
scale in several sites, with a capacity ranging from for small power to large scale. Technology
development needs large scale demonstration of a fully integrated plant to address critical factors,
such as the low reliability, sensitivity to feedstock quality, the variability of gas composition,
slagging, corrosion and agglomeration.Key technical developments are still needed in order to
improve the technical and economical gasifier performances, able to handle heterogeneous
feedstocks, as well as to improve the efficiency of the production of high-quality syngas required by
downstream processes.
5.1.3 Algae for bioenergy

Algae cultivation for bioenergy production requires a combination of technical breakthroughs on
cultivation under different locations-specific conditions, but also on harvesting, dewatering, drying
and conversion to the final product. R&D trends in the last years showed an interest toward gaining
understanding of the fundamentals of algae and gain fundamental knowledge on algae
metabolism, aerobic respiration, photosynthesis, and fermentation in organism. Much R&D needs
to be done on species identification, the analysis of microalgae strains and selection of those with
advantageous traits and/or genetic engineering to enhance the biomass productivity and yield of
target components. R&D is needed on species characteristics to increase photosynthetic conversion
efficiencies, to increase algae yields and energy content. A large challenge for microalgae is the
contamination of open ponds and therefore there is need to o use/develop species that are
resistant to a variety of conditions and less susceptible to contaminants/pathogens.
R&D aimed to develop, upgrade, and scale-up production of microalgae, to improve algae strains
and cultivation techniques to reduce algal biomass production costs, using selected strains or
improved microalgae species to make them better suited to specific growth conditions for different
biochemical and biomaterials. R&D also focussed on the use of carbon dioxide from power plants
and the nutrients from various waste streams, for the removal of micropollutants and nutrients
(nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.) and for the improvement of the wastewater treatment process. While
the majority of projects focussed on the use of microalgae, few projects addressed the cultivation
and use of macroalgae.
There is a need for developing large-scale cultivation systems, including the development of
cost-effective methodologies for off-shore and farms/land-based ponds cultivation, harvesting and
conversion, improving yields, and proving economical production. Microlgae harvesting remains a
critical challenge faced by algae cultivation. R&D is required on harvesting, separation and
dewatering processes (e.g. centrifugation, flocculation, separation). Sea farming techniques and
infrastructure would have to be developed for macroalgae cultivation, build on existing experience
in macroalgae cultivation for food and additives for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical
industry. While some projects aimed to develop and demonstrate the biorefining processes of the
algal biomass into high value products, ingredients and by-products, future R&D should focus on
the demonstration at full scale of algae processing, including pre-treatment/hydrolysis processes
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(e.g. ultrasound and use of enzymes), oil extraction and biochemical (anaerobic digestion,
fermentation) and thermochemical (pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction) conversion technologies.
5.1.4 Biorefineries
Significant R&D effort targeted biorefineries that are largely at the conceptual stage, with new
products, routes and process configurations being currently developed. R&D focussed so far on the
development of bio-economy concepts, addressing a diversity of processes, feedstocks and
intermediate carriers and final products, using various biochemical and thermochemical pathways.
R&D focussed on advancing theoretical and experimental knowledge on reaction mechanisms,
process engineering and processes integration. R&D focussed to develop biorefinery concepts using
organic waste streams to produce various compounds, chemical building blocks, biopolymers or
additives, and value-added fine chemicals. Integrated algae biorefineries were investigated,
incorporating a range of processing technologies for the production of a range of added-value
products from microalgae and macroalgae.
One of the challenges for the deployment of biorefineries relates to the technical maturity of a
range of processes to produce bio-materials, bio-chemicals and energy as well an on their
integration. The most important challenge is the lack of large scale demonstration of these
technologies. Further R&D is also needed for the development and integrating new biochemical
and thermochemical conversion processes, the adaptation and optimisation of downstream
processing. An important issue refers to the improvement of process stability and ensuring end-
product quality. A key point is the integration and adaptation of biochemical processes to up-
stream processes that can result in by-products that inhibit down-stream processes. Thus
biorefineries requires R&D along the entire biorefinery value chain, optimising various processes,
to maximize product and energy yield and efficient use of biomass, energy, water and nutrients.
Modelling tools and methods are needed to estimate the technical and economic feasibility of
biorefinery concepts. Further R&D should focus on scale-up activities from pilot scale to
demonstration scale and to prove viability in commercial operation.
5.2 Technology projections

The technology projections, based on the JRC-EU-TIMES model (Simoes et al., 2013), has been
used for analysing the role of the biomass up to 2050 in the EU energy system for meeting the
EU's energy and climate change related policy objectives. The JRC-EU-TIMES depicts possible
deployment rates for heat and power from biomass technologies up to 2050, as part of the
complex European energy supply system, among the other conventional and renewable energy
technologies, under different scenarios. This takes into account the sustainable bioenergy potential
in Europe and the competitive use of biomass for heating, electricity and biofuels production in
different scenarios.
The JRC-EU-TIMES is a partial equilibrium energy system model maintained by the Institute for
Energy and Transport (IET) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC). It aims to analyse the role of
energy technologies development and their potential contribution to decarbonisation pathways of
the energy system. The model is a linear optimisation, bottom-up technology rich model, providing
as a result the annual stock and activity of energy supply and demand technology at EU and
Member States level in different scenarios. It models technologies uptake and deployment and
their interaction with the energy infrastructure in an energy systems perspective.
The JRC-EU-TIMES model results show the trade-offs for technology deployment, under different
scenarios, i.e. under different assumptions and input data. For heat and power from biomass,
investment cost (CAPEX, levelised cost of electricity (LCOE)) and efficiencies data. The results
highlight the relevance of different factors for a specific technology deployment, including
technology advancement and the limitations of biomass potential. Such factors are energy policy
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goals, sustainability constraints, subsidies to technologies, investments in R&D, research
breakthroughs, higher/lower cost for energy technologies. The model provides data on the
expected installed capacity (GW), the electricity production from biomass, the contribution of
biomass resources to bioenergy, the share of biomass uses in different sectors and the primary
energy consumption, until 2050.
Climate and policy scenarios
The JRC-EU-TIMES model simulates a series of 9 consecutive time periods from 2005 to 2060, with
results reported for 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050. The model was run with three baseline scenarios:
 Baseline: continuation of current trends. The "Baseline" scenario is used to cover the lower
end of global RES deployment. The global deployment of RES is based on the "6DS" scenario of
the Energy Technology Perspectives published by the IEA in 2016. It represents a world in
which no additional efforts are taken on stabilising the atmospheric concentration of GHGs. In
the EU, it is assumed that there is a 46% CO2 reduction by 2050;
 Diversified. The "Diversified" portfolio scenario is taken from the "B2DS" scenario of the IEA's
2017 Energy Technology Perspectives and is used as representative for the mid-range
deployment of RES. All known supply, efficiency and mitigation options are available and
pushed to their practical limits. Fossil fuels and nuclear energy participate in the technology
mix, and CCS is a key option. In the EU, the 2050 CO2 reduction target of 80% is achieved.
 Pro-RES: this scenario is the most ambitious in terms of capacity additions of RES
technologies. In this scenario, the world moves towards decarbonisation by significantly
reducing fossil fuel use; however, in parallel with a strong decrease of nuclear power. CCS is
not an available mitigation option. The deployment of RES is based on the 2015 "Energy
Revolution" scenario of Greenpeace. In the EU, the 2050 CO 2 reduction target of 80% is
achieved.
The scenarios were further divided in sensitivity cases by considering different technologies,
resources and policies strategies, as illustrated in Figure 6 and Error! Reference source not
found..
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Figure 6. Global Storylines that covers worldwide development of low
carbon energy technologies to 2050. (Source: JRC EU TIMES)
Deployment trends
Biomass conversion technologies are modelled explicitly in the JRC-EU-TIMES model including
current technologies, from combustion (small/large heating and small/large CHP) to AD
(small/large biogas, waste digestion, biomethane) or gasification. The techno-economic parameters
associated with each technological option are included in the model separately (JRC EU TIMES).
The simulations show that the installed capacity of biomass power have an upward trend in all
considered scenarios for 2050 (Figure 7 and Figure 8). The modelling results indicate that the
installed capacity will increase steadily until 2030, when the trends begin to differ among them. In
fact, it is possible to observe three major trends, as follows:
 Diversified scenario: rapidly increase of the installed capacity until 2030, when it reaches the
amount of 72 GW. From this point, there is a marginal variation of the results, reaching 75 GW
in 2050;
 Baseline and Pro-RES scenarios: both scenarios show a decreasing trend after 2030, when they
will have capacities around 73 and 69 GW, respectively. The Pro-RES scenario has a higher
decrease in a long term, reaching 57 GW in 2050, in comparison to 67 GW for the Baseline
scenario for the same period. The Pro-RES is the only scenario that will have inferior installed
capacity of bioenergy plants compared to the Baseline scenario; and
 Pro-RES with Near Zero CO2 and with No-CCU scenarios: in these scenarios, the installed
capacity changes slightly in the period of 2030-2040, but increase rapidly in the last simulation
period. In 2050, the capacity will reach 105 and 96 GW, respectively.
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Table 9. Parameters considered in the JRC-EU-TIMES modelling scenarios.
Name Learning CO2 2050 NUC +20yr New NUC CO2 STOR CO2 Reuse
Baseline REF -46% YES YES YES YES
Diversified REF -80% YES YES YES YES
Diversified: Low LR LOW -80% YES YES YES YES
Diversified: High LR HIGH -80% YES YES YES YES
Diversified: DAC REF -80% YES YES YES YES
Diversified: Cheap Fossil REF -80% YES YES YES YES
Diversified: NoCC InPower REF -80% YES YES YES YES
Pro-RES REF -80% YES NO NO YES
Pro-RES: Low LR LOW -80% YES NO NO YES
Pro-RES: High LR HIGH -80% YES NO NO YES
Pro-RES: SET SET -80% YES NO NO YES
Pro-RES: DAC REF -80% YES NO NO YES
Pro-RES: High Forest REF -80% YES NO NO YES
Pro-RES: Near Zero CO2 REF -95% YES NO NO YES
Pro-RES: No CCU REF -80% YES NO NO NO
Source: JRC EU TIMES
Considering only biogas plants, the results suggest that the installed capacity will growth until
2030, reaching values around 82 GW in the aforementioned scenarios. After this period, most of
the scenarios indicate a decrease in their capacities, except the Pro-RES with No-CCU scenario,
which shows an opposite trend. In 2050, the total installed capacity of biogas plants will reach
values between 24 and 95 GW, depending on the analysed scenario.
100
75
GW
50
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Baseline Diversified Pro-RES Pro-RES: Near Zero Pro-RES: No CCU

CO2
BioGas Biomass
Figure 7. Evolution of the installed capacity by bioenergy resources based on JRC-EU-TIMES

simulations [GW].
99
100
75
GW
50
25
0
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Baseline Diversified Pro-RES Pro-RES: Near Zero CO2 Pro-RES: No CCU
Figure 8. Evolution of the total installed capacity of bioenergy plants based on JRC-EU-TIMES
simulations [GW].
The analysis of the electricity production from bioenergy plants shows similar trends from the
installed capacity simulations (Figure 9 and Figure 10). The different scenarios will keep the growth
trends until 2030, when they will reach production values between 240 and 260 TWh. The period of
2030-2040 will not see significate changes of the trends, except for the Pro-RES scenario that will
have an inversion of the trend (decrease of the production), reaching 185 TWh in 2050. The other
scenarios show increase trends in the last simulation period, especially for the Pro-RES Near Zero
CO2 and Pro-RES No-CCU scenarios, which will reach production values of 367 and 324 TWh,
respectively.
400
300
TWh
200
100
0
2010
2020
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CO2
BioGas Biomass
Figure 9. Evolution of electricity production by bioenergy resources based on JRC-EU-TIMES

simulations [TWh].
100
400
300
TWh
200
100
0
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Figure 10. Evolution of the total of electivity production of bioenergy plants based on JRC-EU-
TIMES simulations [TWh].
The JRC-EU-Times model projections show that the use of biomass for power production will
increase until 2050 (Figure 11 and Figure 12). The Pro-RES Near Zero CO2, the Pro-RES No-CCU
and the Pro-RES scenarios estimate the production of 7000 PJ of primary energy in 2050, while the
Baseline and Diversified scenarios suggests the production of 6000 PJ in the same period. In these
scenarios, most of the biomass resources will come from forest and agro systems, followed by
bioresidues / biogas resources, and energy crops.
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8000
6000
Primary Energy (PJ)
4000
2000
0
2010
2020
2030
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CO2
Bioresidues and biogas Bio-Forest-Agro Bio Energy crops
Figure 11. Evolution of the primary energy production by bioenergy resources based on JRC-EU-
TIMES simulations [PJ].
8000
7000
Primary Energy (PJ)
6000
5000
4000
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Figure 12. Evolution of the total of primary energy production of bioenergy resources based on
JRC-EU-TIMES simulations [PJ].
5.3 Technical barriers to large scale deployment

5.3.1 Biochemical processing
5.3.1.1 Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion is a well-established technology and to an extent demonstrated. One of the
main barriers for biogas production through AD is the economic viability, which is highly sensitive
to feedstock price, process configuration and plant size. Biogas projects need high investment,
operation and maintenance costs, especially for smaller scale. The scaled-down of AD plants still
needs to be achieved, in order to better valorisation of small waste streams. The costs of biogas
production are highly depending on the substrate used. While higher capacity plants are more
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economic, their capacity is limited by the availability of sustainable feedstock. Easily digestible
substrates (such as energy crops) are more expensive, but require less investment costs having
higher biogas yield, which results in smaller biogas reactors. Difficult substrates (such as agri-
residues) on the other hand, are cheap (often with a negative price) but require large investment
costs and more complex pre-treatment processes involved.
The improvement of technical and economic viability of biogas plants still require technology
development, better control and process optimisation, improved biological digestion process
through hydrolysis treatment or enzymatic reactions, or the use of new bacterial strains with a
greater tolerance to process changes and feedstock type. New processes such as dry AD and
thermophilic digestion that would allow the use of difficult substrates and faster degradation are
not yet mature and need to achieve technological improvements. An additional barrier for biogas
deployment is the need to clean, purify and upgrade biogas to biomethane through extensive
processes for the treatment and removal of contaminants in order to be used in multiple
applications. So far the subsidies for biomethane production in the form of investment grants
and/or feed-in tariffs have contributed to the advancement in the upgrading technology, which still
needs to be proven in commercial operation. Therefore, biogas upgrading to biomethane requires
technological improvements to reduce energy intensity and improve cost performance of
biomethane. An additional barrier to economic viability of biogas production relates to the
possibility to use the heat produced in CHP systems.
5.3.2 Thermochemical processing

5.3.2.1 Biomass Combustion
A key barrier for the large scale deployment of biomass combustion is the low competitiveness of
bioenergy in comparison to fossil fuels. Bioenergy technologies require significant investment in
additional equipment needed for handling, pre-treatment and feeding and for gas cleaning, as well
as increased maintenance and repair costs. However, where cheap or no-cost biomass feedstock
(residues from agriculture and forestry waste) is available, biomass combustion is an economically
viable option for energy production.
Scale effect is particularly important for biomass plants, with specific investment costs increasing
significantly with the decrease in the plant capacity - the lower the plant capacity, the higher the
specific investment costs are. Increasing the scale is thus an option for increasing the plant
efficiency, but additional issues need to be considered, such as the availability of low-cost biomass
feedstock, and logistics of feedstock supply. In addition, increasing the demand of biomass
increases the area of collection and thus the biomass cost associated with the transport cost, need
to be considered.
From the technical and operating point of view of a bioenergy plant, reduced conversion efficiency
(25 - 35 % in biomass plants in comparison to conversion efficiency that ranges between 35 – 44
% for oil, gas or coal power plants) are important barriers for biomass combustion. One of the
main options to increase the efficiency of power generation and the competitiveness of bioenergy
has been the switch from separate power production and heating plants to CHP production. CHP is
typically the most profitable choice for power production with biomass if heat could be used for
industrial use or heating in building such as district heating. Yearly variation in heat demand for
heating in buildings is however an important factor to consider.
Higher conversion efficiencies could be achieved by increasing steam parameters above the state of
the art steam turbine systems (500 – 525 °C) to supercritical steam, the addition of a steam
reheater and optimisation of the overall plant design. Increasing the power-to-heat ratio in CHP
plants can be another option to achieve higher-efficiency depending on the regional heat demand.
Higher temperature increases the high temperature corrosion risk, requiring advanced materials,
reliable cleaning processes/technology, solutions to avoid deposit formation, and improved
corrosion control processes that need to be demonstrated in long-term testing.
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The variability of physical and chemical properties of biomass feedstock poses significant
challenges for the operation of the biomass plants. The problems associated with slagging, fouling
and corrosion related to the physical and chemical properties of biomass (such as high alkali
content) are still significant in biomass plants, in particular for some agri-residues. Biomass
combustion requires on-line monitoring techniques, for example for fouling, corrosion and
agglomeration. Biomass combustion, in particular in small and medium scales, needs to further
reduce harmful emissions in order to meet increasingly stricter emission regulations. It can be
achieved by the development of low emission stoves and boiler systems using extreme stage
combustion and improved design and filters, but they are quite expensive.
5.3.2.2 Torrefaction
During the last years, the biomass torrefaction technology has improved significantly. Torrefied
biomass is able to address some challenges related to biomass supply chains, especially with
regard to transport, handling and storage, and logistic cost. The torrefaction technology has been
proven at pilot scale and a number of demonstration and (semi)commercial facilities are in
operation (Cremers et al 2015). Further development of torrefaction technology is needed to
overcome certain technical and economic challenges. Depending on the reactor type, it can be a
serious challenge to scale up a torrefaction processes from pilot to commercial scale. Using multiple
modular torrefaction might be an approach for upscaling.
The most important technical challenges in the development of torrefaction processes relate to
achieving constant and controlled product quality. The consistency of the product is a challenge,
since the torrefaction process involves many parameters, including wide-ranging biomass quality,
particle size and operating parameters, such as reactor temperature, residence time, or heat
transfer rate. Many fuel properties (e.g. degree of torrefaction, grindability, hydrophobic nature,
resistance against biodegradation) have not been thoroughly defined or standardized. Finding the
optimal process conditions for producing a stable and high quality end-product is still needed. The
control of the temperature profile and residence time of the solid biomass during the torrefaction
process is crucial for an efficient process and optimal product quality (Cremers et al 2015). There is
limited knowledge on process performance, properties of torrefied product and composition of
volatiles. Additional technical challenges relate to the torrefaction gases, which consist of CO2, CO
and various gaseous organic compound, including particulates and heavy tars that might result in
operational problems. Torrefied biomass is more difficult to press into pellets than raw biomass
depending on biomass type, moisture content, particle size, type of mill and pellet size that
requires optimization of the process conditions during torrefaction as well as pelletisation.
5.3.2.3 Pyrolysis
Bio-oil production through fast pyrolysis represents an attractive route to bioenergy production.
However, it is still at an early stage of development and needs to overcome a number of technical
and economic barriers to compete with traditional fossil fuel based techniques. Pyrolysis produces
solid, liquid and gaseous fractions. Maximising bio-oil yield is necessary to achieve cost
effectiveness of pyrolysis process. Research is needed to achieve better understanding of the
conversion process. The influence of feedstock properties, feedstock ash, heat transfer rate,
reaction time, temperature profile, and/or the addition of catalysts on the liquid fraction yields still
needs to be better clarified. The development of commercial scale, efficient and stable catalysts for
pyrolysis is additional challenge. The potential of bio-production and upgrading has not been
validated at large scale and more efforts are still needed. The improvement of cost-effectiveness of
the process is a key issue. There is need to characterize and develop standards for the use of bio-
oil and develop and test a wider range of energy applications.
Although bio-oil is a promising alternate to fuel oil, its direct application without chemical
upgrading is limited due to its characteristics, requiring further upgrading for most applications.
Key technical challenges of pyrolysis technology include the characteristics of the pyrolysis oil (such
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as the high oxygen content), long-term stability, as well as the economics of its production and
use. A key goal is thus the improvement of the quality and consistency of the pyrolysis oil in terms
of stability, viscosity, oxygen content, contaminants and corrosiveness (IEA 2009, IRENA 2016).
Better understanding is needed on the effect of biomass feedstock characteristics and process
parameters on the quality and subsequent use of the bio-oil, to identify best ways to overcome the
problems related to thermal stability and process reliability. Bio-oil upgrading is challenging
because of the high oxygen and water content of bio-oils, although several options are available. A
significant technical barrier relates to bio-oil production and the integration of bio-oil production
and upgrading steps.
5.3.2.4 Hydrothermal processing

Hydrothermal processing is under development at lab-pilot scale to pilot-industrial scale, with some
projects closer to demonstration. While several projects have shown favourable results in terms of
carbon and energy recovery efficiencies, there are still a number of technological challenges that
need to be addressed. Technological gaps include reactor design, various plant components and
the selection of adequate materials to avoid corrosion in the extreme environment in the process.
The requirements of high temperature and pressure involve the need for advanced equipment used
in the process, such as pumps for high concentration slurry operating at these conditions. A
breakthrough is needed in the research and development of new materials. Investigations on the
continuous flow system are needed to understand process development for commercial applications
(Kumar at al 2018, IRENA 2016).
There is a wide range of potential process designs, and the optimal process parameters and other
important influencing factors need to be established in order to achieve high conversion efficiency.
The nature and yield of products from hydrothermal processing should be further investigated to
reveal the effect of factors such as biomass composition, process conditions, nature of the solvent,
reaction temperature, retention time, and catalyst. Fundamental and applied research is needed,
building knowledge of process kinetics, reaction rates, products formation and decomposition from
biomass hydrothermal processing. This knowledge will contribute to understand how to optimize
reactor design. Considerable effort is needed to comprehend bio-oil stability and quality and
thereby better understand ongoing process reactions and subsequent upgrading requirements.
Detailed characterization of all the products and intermediates is needed (Kumar et al 2018).
Longer-term testing and detailed characterization of catalyst performance, stability, regeneration,
and lifetime are needed, considering the important role of catalyst in determining process yield and
performance. HTL oil and aqueous phase separation needs further work to understand the
conversion of organics in the aqueous phase and to recover the organic material into the oil phase.
The integration of hydrothermal liquefaction process with subsequent bio-oil upgrading and
conversion technologies should be an important research direction in order to reduce the cost of
the integrated processes. There is a need to understand the toxicity of trace compounds and the
impact of organic compounds on wastewater treatment. Along with technological constraints, there
are economic bottlenecks. As the technology uses high pressure equipment, the process has high
capital investments (Cao et al 2017, Kumar et al 2018). The key points for developing the HTL of
biomass are to reduce the operating costs and optimize the reaction conditions to improve the yield
and quality of bio-oil.
5.3.2.5 Biomass gasification

Biomass gasification after years of development requires demonstration at scale and needs
significant technological improvements. The technological challenges are complex, since syngas
needs to be clean and to comply with the technical requirements of downstream processes.
Advanced gasification applications require significant upscaling and needs to prove to be
economically competitive in comparison to other fossil fuels energy production options. An
important aspect of gasification applications is the high initial investment costs, especially of the
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first plants, in addition to the high financial risks involved. Because of the technical faults,
especially regarding gas cleaning and ash-related problems, many of the large scale gasification
plants have been abandoned. Technical advances in the conversion efficiency of biomass into
syngas, syngas conditioning and upgrading may improve the overall process performance and
contribute to reduce both the capital and operating costs.
There are a number of key technological challenges that regard the commercial application of
biomass gasification for power generation. Low operational availability of gasifiers and gasification-
based technologies is one of the barriers to commercial deployment gasification plants and syngas
production. Work is still needed to demonstrate reliable, long-term operation at scale of the
different gasification systems, using a variety of feedstock input while providing the syngas
requirements necessary for downstream applications. The optimisation of gasifier operating
conditions and specific syngas compositions, as well as the efficient thermal integration of the
various steps of biomass pre-treatment, gasification, syngas clean-up and upgrade have been
identified as major challenges. Gasifier reactor and process optimization would lead to increasing
gasifier availability and efficiency, improving performance, and reducing the capital and operating
costs of gasification. Achieving a stable syngas composition is also challenging. The gas
composition and level of contaminants vary depending on the biomass feedstock, gasifier design,
gasifying agents, and gasification conditions. Biomass properties significantly affect the operation
of the gasifier, product gas composition and overall efficiency. The short lifetime of the catalysts is
the main specific technical barrier for the synthetic natural gas production.
Technological hurdles for biomass gasification mainly include gas cleaning and tar reduction,
because most downstream processes require a high-quality syngas. Therefore, the raw
syngas must be cleaned to remove dust, alkali metals, halogens, sulphur, tars or even CO 2. Tars
remain a key problem, and several high temperature tar cleaning options are under development.
Energy efficiency can be improved using syngas clean-up technologies that operate at high
temperatures avoiding thermal energy losses from syngas cooling and reheating or integrating
processes. Syngas processing needs to be efficiently integrated into the plant, optimized with the
temperature and pressure requirements of downstream systems, and to meet syngas product
specifications. Some gas cleaning processes (specifically low temperature processes such as water
scrubbing) produce significant volumes of contaminated wastewater that needs to be cleaned
(IRENA 2016).
5.3.3 Algae
There are significant barriers for commercial production of algae for energy that range from
incomplete knowledge of algae biology to the challenges associated with large-scale integration of
algae production. One important prerequisite to grow algae commercially for energy production is
the need for large-scale systems so that economy of scale could reduce production costs. Given the
large number of algae with different characteristics it is not yet clear which algae species would be
best suited for specific bioenergy applications. The identification and development of energy
efficient and cost-effective biofuels pathways based on algae is a challenge, given the large variety
of algal strains, their growth conditions, yields and chemical compositions. Algae systems have to
be optimized for a particular bioenergy pathway, integrating cultivation, harvesting and conversion
into the final product for improved energy output and economic performance.
Algae cultivation for bioenergy production requires a combination of technical breakthroughs on

cultivation under different specific conditions, but also on harvesting, dewatering, drying and
conversion to the final product. In particular, considering the microscopic size and properties of
microalgae strains, the development of harvesting and dewatering technologies represents a major
challenge and a critical issue with respect to energy requirements and costs. Capital intensity of
algae production is high and thus it is essential to reduce the capital cost of several components to
a few main components. Algae-based bioenergy production is not foreseen to be economically
viable in the near to medium term. The relatively high cost of producing algal biomass remains the
most critical barrier to commercial viability of algae-based production (Laurens et al. 2017).
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There is a need for developing large-scale cultivation systems, including the development of cost-
effective methodologies for off-shore and farms/land-based ponds cultivation, harvesting and
conversion, improving yields, and proving economical production. A large challenge for algae is the
difficulty of maintaining selected species in outdoor culture, since open cultivation systems for
micro-algae are susceptible to contamination from external sources, with severe impact on algae
productivity. One of the major barriers to large-scale cultivation of algae includes high demands of
water and nutrients for algal growth. Water use requirements for algal biomass and biofuel
production vary depending on growth conditions, but effective wastewater recycling is essential to
minimize freshwater and nutrients consumption. Carbon dioxide from flue gas from power plants
can be used for cultivating algae to facilitate optimal algae growth. However, CO 2 capture and
pumping to the algae growing facility is costly and energy demanding (Judd et al 2015, Murphy
2017).
5.3.4 Biorefineries
The biorefinery concept is still in its infancy. However, the degree of maturity of the biorefinery
concepts is very heterogeneous. Several biorefineries are in the early stages of commissioning
and/or commercial production. Large scale implementation of highly-efficient advanced
biorefineries is still a goal to be realised. This is caused by a variety of non-technical and technical
barriers (IEA Bioenergy, IETS 2017).
Numerous technological challenges still hamper upscaling and commercial operation of

biorefineries. The deployment of the new biorefineries depends on the technical maturity of a range
of processes to produce biobased materials, biochemicals and energy, as well as on the extent of
integration of different technologies and processes. Several biochemical and thermochemical
conversion technologies are combined together to have more flexibility in product generation and
to reduce the overall cost. However, major technical barriers include process integration and
adaptation to variations in feedstock supply. There are technical knowledge gaps as many of the
individual processes of biorefining are still not mature.
The scale of biorefineries is a major challenge. A biorefinery is a capital-intensive and faces large
challenges for implementation due to high capital costs required and barriers for sustainable
biomass supply. New biorefineries linked to existing oil refineries, petrochemical clusters or pulp
and paper mills would take advantage of existing infrastructures (IEA Bioenergy, IETS 2017).
Small-scale biorefineries will require a significantly lower investment and thus solve several
challenges. Another important challenge is how to integrate new biorefineries into existing agro-
industrial and agro-food processing value chains.
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6 Conclusions & Recommendations
Anaerobic digestion is an established technology and to an extent demonstrated. There is still a
need to improve technical and economic viability of biogas plants, especially of smaller plants,
through better control and process optimisation. There should be a focus to enlarge the
feedstock base, to process new and difficult to degrade substrates, such as lignocellulosic
feedstocks, agri-residues, organic fraction of municipal solid waste, and sewage sludge. There if a
need to R&D to improve the biological digestion process, to increase the loading rate and advance
co-digestion, dry fermentation and thermophilic processes. There is the need to improve
biodegradability and increase biogas yield, through hydrolysis pretreatment or enzymatic
reactions, etc., and prove the viability of the use of new substrates, such as micro and macro
algae. Biogas upgrading to biomethane should receive more attention to achieve technological
improvements, to reduce energy intensity and improve cost performance that could lead to
reducing energy production costs.

Biomass combustion technology is available for heat and power production in commeraial
operation. Further development on biomass combustion need to focus on the development and
optimisation of better boiler designs and advanced control systems for improving combustion
systems, increase efficiency and reduce the costs of energy generation. There is also a need to
develop new advanced systems, with increased fuel flexibility to be able to use a wide
feedstock range and higher conversion efficiencies (supercritical steam parameters), above the
state of the art. There is a need for the development of low emission stoves and boiler systems and
further reduce harmful emissions associated with small-scale use of biomass. An important issue is
to make better use of the heat generated to improve the overall energy efficiency of the biomass
plants and through better heating/cooling networks. There is also a need to develop cost-effective
and high efficiency energy generation systems using low and medium-temperature waste heat.
New hybrid systems could combine biomass, biogas with hydrogen production, PV or concentrated
solar systems, heat pumps, micro gas turbine and fuel cells. There is a need to integrate, optimize
and demonstrate such systems at large scale.
6.2.2 Torrefaction
Biomass torrefaction is a process proved at pilot scale and a number of demonstration and
commercial facilities are in operation. Further development of torrefaction is needed to overcome
certain technical and economic challenges and scaling up the process. There is a need for finding
the optimal configuration and optimal process conditions for producing a stable and high
quality end-product, using a broad feedstock range. The optimal conditions needs to be tailored
depending on several factors, such as the type of feedstock, product specifications (size,
torrefaction degree etc.), reactor technology and design, process control and heat integration.
Future work should focus on integrated torrefaction and densification processes for the
production of torrefied pellets and on integrated torrefaction and gasification for high-quality
syngas production. R&D work should focus on the assessment of end-use performance, for
assessing the handling, storage, safety and milling behaviour and combustion characteristics.
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6.2.3 Pyrolysis
Previous research on pyrolysis has led to important developments in the pyrolysis process,
reaching pre-commercial, demonstration stage. Future development is however needed to
determine the best operating conditions, improve reactor design and achieve process
optimisation to maximize bio-oil yield, increase process efficiency process and to increase process
reliability and for broadening feedstock base for bio-oil. A key goal remains the improvement of the
bio-oil quality, and consistency, through improved bio-oil cleaning and upgrading to allow its
use in downstream processes (heat, power, chemicals, synthetic fuels, and biocrude production).
Improving the pyrolysis processes, including catalytic pyrolysis, could increase pyrolysis oil
composition and help overcome challenges for bio-oil upgrading. There is a need for the
demonstration of a consistent and stable intermediate product suitable for downstream processes.
Pyrolysis processes require scale-up and demonstration of bio-oil production technologies with
different biomass feedstocks and mixtures.

Hydrothermal processes (hydrothermal carbonization, liquefaction and gasification) are promising
processes that are able to convert a wide range of wet feedstocks into bio-char, bio-oil (bio-
crude), or gas (e.g., hydrogen, methane). Hydrothermal liquefaction is of particular interest,
producing a liquid that can be used as a bio-fuel and as a substitute for crude oil in multiple
applications. There is a need for expanding the understanding of hydrothermal liquefaction and
the knowledge-base on reaction mechanisms and process kinetics of HTL. There are research gaps
with respect to catalyst performance, poisoning, loss, deactivation, regeneration and lifetime that
are essential for their performance. Better understanding of HTL process is needed to identify
specific challenges and to develop equipment able to operate in extreme temperature and
pressure conditions. The greatest challenge yet to be addressed is to understand the impacts of
feedstock composition and process conditions on bio-crude product yield and quality. Critical
process data is needed from testing various feedstocks to analyse processing parameters to enable
establishing reactor configuration and enable process optimisation. More techno-economic data is
needed to enable large scale deployment.

Continuous R&D effort over the last years has led to significant progress, bringing biomass
gasification to reaching demonstration stage. Although biomass gasification has seen significant
developments over the last years and several projects have been implemented worldwide, biomass
gasification needs demonstration at scale and requires significant technological
improvements. Critical factors for gasification still need to be addressed, such as the low
reliability, sensitivity to feedstock quality, the variability of gas composition, slagging, corrosion
and agglomeration. There is still work to be done to prove continuous, reliable long-term
operation of the different gasification systems at scale with a range of feedstocks. Key technical
challenges and needs still include improving process integration, monitoring and control, gas
clean-up and gas upgrading, improving performance and efficiency and reducing costs. Syngas
cleaning and reforming is the biggest challenge in gasification due to the high content of impurities
(particle, tar, alkali, chloride, ammonia, etc.), and the requirement for ultra-clean syngas for many
downstream possible applications. Research should focus more on the optimisation and
improvement of biomass gasification process, to improve gasifier design, operating conditions,
new catalysts for gas conversion as well as on gas cleaning, upgrading, reforming process to obtain
a clean syngas.
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There is a large interest in developing algae production for various uses with many projects
implemented worldwide. Algae cultivation for bioenergy production requires a combination of
technical breakthroughs on cultivation under different locations-specific conditions. More research
is needed on species characteristics to increase photosynthetic conversion efficiencies, to increase
algae yields and energy content, to use/develop species that are resistant to a variety of conditions
and less susceptible to contaminants/pathogens. Microlgae harvesting remains a critical challenge
faced by algae cultivation and focus should be on harvesting, separation and dewatering processes
(e.g. centrifugation, flocculation, separation) that require further development. There is a need for
developing large-scale cultivation systems, for off-shore and farms/land-based ponds
cultivation. There is also a need for demonstration at full scale of pre-treatment/hydrolysis
processes, oil extraction and biochemical (anaerobic digestion, fermentation) and thermochemical
(pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction) conversion technologies.
6.4 Biorefineries
Biorefineries offer interesting perspectives for the integrated production of a range of biobased
products and bioenergy. Biorefineries are largely at the conceptual stage, new products, routes and
process configurations being currently developed. A general need is to validate existing
concepts by scale-up to the commercial scale and to demonstrate the technologies and process
chains. The most important challenge for the deployment of the new biorefinery concepts is the
lack of large scale demonstration of various technologies to produce bio-based materials, bio-
chemicals and energy, as well on their integration. Thus, biorefineries require further development
of new and optimised biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes and the adaptation
and optimisation of downstream processing within the biorefinery system. The implementation of
biorefineries requires further development along the entire biorefinery value chain, optimising
various integrated process, from pre-treatment and multiple conversion processes to final products
following the cascade use principle. A key point is the integration and adaptation of biochemical
processes to up-stream processes that can result in by-products that inhibit down-stream
processes. Therefore, further research should focus on scale-up activities from pilot scale to
demonstration scale and to prove viability in commercial operation.
110
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Acronyms and abbreviations
AD Anaerobic digestion
BBI Bio-based Industries
BETO DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office
BIGCC Biomass Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
BIG-GT Biomass Integrated Gas Turbine
BtL Biomass to liquid
CAPEX Capital expenditure
CCS Carbon Capture and Storage
CCU Carbon Capture and Utilisation
CCUS Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage
CFBC Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion
CFD Computational Fluid Dynamics
CHP Combined Heat and Power
CP Collaborative project
CPI Current Policy Initiative Scenario
CPC Coordinated Patent Classification
CSA Coordination and Support Action
DH District Heating
EC European Commission
EIBI European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative
ERC European Research Council
ESP ElectroStatic Precipitator
EU European Union
FBC Fluidised Bed Combustion
FP7 Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development
FT Fischer-Tropsch
GHG GreenHouse Gas
H2020 Horizon 2020 Programme
HTC HydroThermal Carbonization
HTG Hydrothermal Gasification
HTL HydroThermal Liquefaction
IA Innovation action
IEA International Energy Agency
IED Industrial Emissions Directive
IEE Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
115
IGCC Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
IP Implementation Plan
IPC International Patent Classification
IPC International Patent Classification
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IRENA International Renewable Energy Agency
KPI Key Performance Indicators
LCA Life Cycle Analysis
LCEO Low Carbon Energy Observatory
LCOE Levelised Cost Of Electricity
LFG LandFill Gas
LHV Lower Heating Value
MRL Manufacturing Readiness Level
MS Member State
MSW Municipal Solid Waste
NER New Entrants' Reserve
NREAP National Renewable Energy Action Plan
NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory
OPEX Operational expenditure
ORC Organic Rankine Cycles
PWS Pressurised Water Scrubbing
PSA Pressure Swing Adsorption
RED Renewable Energy Directive
REN21 Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
R&D Research and Development
RIA Research and Innovation action
SCR Selective Catalytic Reduction
SET Plan Strategic Energy Technology Plan
SETIS Strategic Energy Technologies Information System
SNG Synthetic Natural Gas
TRL Technology Readiness Level
US United States
US EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency
US DOE United States Department Of Energy
WID Waste Incineration Directive
WtE Waste-to-Energy
116
Annex 1. Cross-cutting bioenergy projects
Project Overall
Acronym Funding scheme Project name EU Funding Start End
number Budget
"Bioenergy-Promotion" - Overcoming the non-technical
EIALT/EIE/04/1
BIOPROM Altener RES barriers of project-implementation for bioenergy in 717,942 358,971 2005-01-01 2007-06-30
00/2004
condensed urban environments
Efficient trading of biomass fuels and analysis of fuel
EIALT/EIE/04/0
EUBIONETII Altener Heating supply chains and business models for market actors by 1,238,466 619,233 2005-01-01 2007-12-31
65/2004
networking
EISAS/EIE/06/1 Increased deployment of firewood by improving fuel
QUALITY WOOD Altener RES 761,857 380,929 2006-11-01 2009-04-30
78/2006 quality and low emission combustion
BIOMASSTRADE EISAS/EIE/07/0 Supporting the organization of spot markets supply for
Altener Biofuel 641,800 320,900 2007-11-01 2010-10-31
CENTRES 54/2007 wood chips and firewood
Solutions for biomass fuel market barriers and raw
EUBIONET III IEE/07/777 Altener Heating 1,822,119 1,366,589 2008-09-01 2011-08-31
material availability
IEE/07/564/SI2.
CODE Altener Heating Cogeneration Observatory and Dissemination Europe 1,100,279 825,209 2008-10-01 2011-03-31
499462
Woodheat IEE/07/726/S12
Altener Heating Woodheat Solutions 972,450 729,338 2008-10-01 2011-03-31
Solutions (WHS) .499568
Biomass energy register for sustainable site development
BEN IEE/07/595 Altener Biobusiness 1,398,731 1,049,048 2008-11-01 2011-10-31
for European Regions
GIS-based decision support system aimed at a
IEE/07/638/
BIOENERGIS Altener Biobusiness sustainable energetic exploitation of biomass at regional 1,482,186 933,777 2008-11-01 2011-10-31
SI2.499702
level
Decision Making and Implementation Tools for Delivery of
MAKE-IT-BE IEE/07/722 Altener Biobusiness 1,342,795 1,007,096 2008-11-01 2011-10-31
Local & Regional Bio-Energy Chains
Polygeneration of energy, fuels and fertilisers from
ENERCOM 218916 Collaborative project 5,212,017 2,528,833 2008-11-03 2013-11-02
biomass residues and sewage sludge
Biomass role in achieving the Climate Change &
BIOMASS
IEE/08/653 Altener Heating Renewables EU policy Targets. Demand and Supply 1,490,386 1,117,790 2009-06-01 2011-12-31
FUTURES
dynamics under the perspective of Stakeholders
Biogas Production from Agricultural Wastes in European
FARMAGAS IEE/08/625 Altener Biofuel 580,580 435,435 2009-06-01 2011-05-31
Farms
Promoting and securing the production of biomass from
AGRIFORENERGY
IEE/08/600 Altener Biobusiness forestry and agriculture without harming the food 1,523,520 1,142,640 2009-07-01 2012-06-30
2
production
Activating private forest owners to increase forest energy
AFO IEE/08/435 Altener Heating 1,411,848 1,058,886 2009-10-01 2012-09-30
supply
BIOMOB 245449 Coordination action Biomass Mobilisation 1,166,226 1,010,400 2009-12-01 2011-11-30
Sustainable biogas market development in Central and
BIOGASIN IEE/09/848 Altener Biofuel 1,508,188 1,131,141 2010-05-01 2012-10-31
Eastern Europe
Regional Networks for the development of a Sustainable
BIOREGIONS IEE/09/769 Altener Biobusiness 1,491,384 1,118,538 2010-05-01 2013-05-01
Market for Bioenergy in Europe
MIXBIOPELLS IEE/09/758 Altener Biobusiness Market Implementation of Extraordinary Biomass Pellets 977,752 733,314 2010-05-01 2012-06-30
IEE/09/656/SI2.
FOREST Altener Biobusiness FOsteRing Efficient long term Supply parTnerships 1,284,810 963,608 2010-05-27 2012-11-27
558320
117
Project Overall
number Budget
BIOENERGY FARM IEE/09/637 Altener Biobusiness Implementation plan for BioEnergy Farm 1,210,751 908,063 2010-06-01 2013-04-01
Promotion of Short Rotation Coppice for District Heating
BIO-HEAT IEE/09/890 Altener Heating 776,256 582,192 2010-09-01 2012-08-31
Systems in Eastern Europe
CROSSBORDERBI Cross-border markets for the European bioenergy
IEE/09/933 Altener Biobusiness 865,690 649,268 2010-09-01 2013-05-31
OENERGY industry
BIO-METHANE Promotion of Bio-Methane and its Market Development
IEE/10/130 Altener Biofuel 1,653,636 1,240,227 2011-04-01 2014-04-30
REGIONS through Local and Regional Partnerships
Enhancing the Implementation of Quality and
SOLIDSTANDARD
IEE/10/218 Altener Biofuel Sustainability Standards and Certification Schemes for 1,353,106 1,014,830 2011-04-01 2014-03-31
S
Solid Biofuels
Development of Biomass Trade and Logistics Centres for
BIOMASSTRADEC
IEE/10/115 Altener Biofuel Sustainable Mobilisation of Local Wood Biomass 1,580,683 1,185,512 2011-05-01 2014-04-30
ENTREII
Resources
Biomethane as an Alternative Source for Transport and
BIOMASTER IEE/10/351 Altener Biofuel 2,471,189 1,853,392 2011-05-01 2014-04-30
Energy Renaissance
GERONIMO II- A Focussed Strategy for Enabling European Farmers to
IEE/10/228 Altener Biofuel 1,755,936 1,316,952 2011-05-01 2013-10-31
BIOGAS Tap into Biogas Opportunities
PELLCERT IEE/10/463 Altener Biofuel European Pellet Quality Certification 901,623 676,217 2011-05-01 2014-04-30
Urban Waste for Biomethane Grid Injection and Transport
URBANBIOGAS IEE/10/251 Altener Biofuel 1,170,240 877,680 2011-05-01 2014-05-01
in Urban Areas
Boosting the European Market for Biogas Production,
GreenGasGrids IEE/10/235 Altener Biofuel 1,998,129 1,498,597 2011-06-01 2014-05-31
Upgrade and Feed-In into the Natural Gas Grid
PROMOBIO IEE/10/470 Altener Biobusiness Promotion to regional bioenergy initiatives 922,797 692,098 2011-06-01 2014-05-31
Combination of CP The European Research Infrastructure for
BRISK 284498 11,046,379 8,980,957 2011-10-01 2015-09-30
and CSA Thermochemical Biomass Conversion
Bioenergy Greenhouse gas emissions: Align Calculations
BioGrace-II IEE/11/733 Altener RES 1,194,202 895,652 2012-04-01 2015-03-31
in Europe
Enhancing sustainable biogas production in organic
SUSTAINGAS IEE/11/838 Altener Biofuel 1,355,914 1,016,936 2012-04-01 2015-03-31
farming
Development of sustainable heat markets for biogas
BIOGASHEAT IEE/11/025 Altener Biofuel 1,361,271 1,020,953 2012-04-05 2015-04-04
plants in Europe
CODE2 IEE-11-910 Altener Heating Cogeneration Observatory and Dissemination Europe 2 0 0 2012-06-01 2015-12-01
Bioenergy sustaining the future: joint strategic planning
BESTF 321477 CSA-ERA-Plus and programming to enable the implementation of 10,112,529 3,337,135 2013-01-01 2017-12-31
bioenergy demonstrations
Biomass Availability and Sustainability Information
BASIS IEE/12/830 Altener Biofuel 975,936 731,952 2013-04-01 2016-03-31
System
BIOEUPARKS IEE/12/994 Altener Biobusiness Exploiting the potentialities of solid biomasses in EU Parks 1,333,071 999,803 2013-04-01 2016-03-31
BIOMASSPOLICIE
IEE/12/835 Altener Biofuel Strategic Initiative for Resource Efficient Biomass Policies 2,032,636 1,524,477 2013-04-01 2016-03-31
S
Optimizing Pathways and Market Systems for Enhanced
BIOTEAM IEE/12/842 Altener RES 1,523,560 1,142,670 2013-04-01 2016-03-31
Competitiveness of Sustainable Bio-Energy
EPIC2020 IEE/12/807 Altener Biofuel Symbiotic bio-Energy Port Integration with Cities by 2020 1,928,423 1,446,317 2013-04-01 2016-03-31
BIOGAS production from organic waste in the European
FABBIOGAS IEE/12/768 Altener Biobusiness 1,105,045 828,784 2013-04-01 2015-09-30
Food And Beverage industry
118
Project Overall
number Budget
GRass as a GReen Gas Resource: Energy from landscapes
GR3 IEE/12/046 Altener Biofuel by promoting the use of grass residues as a renewable 1,572,705 1,179,529 2013-04-01 2016-03-31
energy resource
Delivery of sustainable supply of non-food biomass to
S2BIOM 608622 Collaborative project 5,161,511 3,999,629 2013-09-01 2016-08-31
support a “resource-efficient” Bioeconomy in Europe
BESTF2 618046 CSA-ERA-Plus Bioenergy sustaining the future 2 24,343,283 7,043,283 2013-12-01 2018-11-30
BIOENERGY FARM IEE-13-683-
Altener Biobusiness Manure, the sustainable fuel for the farm 1,869,679 1,402,259 2014-03-01 2016-12-31
II SI2.675767
Short Rotation Woody Crops (SRC) plantations for local
SRCPLUS IEE-13-574 Altener Bioenergy 1,353,230 1,014,923 2014-03-01 2017-02-28
supply chains and heat use
Sustainable Small-scale biogas production from agro-food
BIOGAS3 IEE-13-477 Altener Bioenergy 1,140,000 2014-06-16 2015-01-16
waste for energy Self-sufficiency
BIOTRADE2020PL Supporting a Sustainable European Bioenergy Trade
IEE-13-577 Altener Bioenergy 2014-06-20 2015-01-20
US Strategy
Triggering the Creation of Biomass Logistic Centres by the
SUCELLOG IEE-13-638 Altener Bioenergy 1,370,000 2014-06-20 2015-01-20
Agro-Food Sector
Uptake of Solid Bioenergy in European Commercial
Bioenergy4Busine Coordination and
646495 Sectors (Industry, Trade, Agricultural and Service 1,540,714 1,540,714 2015-01-01 2017-08-31
ss support action
Sectors) – Bioenergy for Business
Coordination and
BioRES 645994 Sustainable Regional Supply Chains for Woody Bioenergy 1,865,411 1,865,411 2015-01-01 2017-06-30
support action
Coordination and Supporting Sustainable Energy Production from Biomass
greenGain 646443 1,829,391 1,829,391 2015-01-01 2017-12-31
support action from Landscape Conservation and Maintenance Work
MOBILE FLIP 637020 Innovation action Mobile and Flexible Industrial Processing of Biomass 9,698,843 8,606,175 2015-01-01 2018-12-31
SME instrument phase
BioValue 666644 Quality determination of solid biofuels in real time 2,335,550 1,634,885 2015-03-01 2018-05-31
2
Research and Distributed, integrated and harmonised forest
DIABOLO 633464 4,998,970 4,734,595 2015-03-01 2019-02-28
Innovation action information for bioeconomy outlooks
SUstainable and Resilient agriculture for food and non-
FACCE SURPLUS 652615 ERA-NET Cofund 15,151,515 5,000,000 2015-03-01 2020-02-29
food systems
Coordination and Securing future-proof environmentally compatible
SECURECHAIN 646457 1,809,586 1,809,586 2015-04-01 2018-03-31
support action bioenergy chains
Marie Curie Individual Development of a Microwave Assisted Cell Disruption of
Amicrex 661198 171,461 171,461 2015-05-01 2019-09-17
Fellowships Biomass and Extraction of Valuable Compounds
Coordination and
BioEnergyTrain 656760 BioEnergyTrain 3,697,580 3,697,579 2015-05-01 2019-04-30
support action
International Centre for Research on Innovative Bio-
ICRI-BIOM 664386 SGA CSA 494,375 494,375 2015-06-01 2016-05-31
based Materials
BESTF3 691637 ERA-NET Cofund Bioenergy Sustaining the Future (BESTF) 3 6,477,369 2,137,532 2016-01-01 2020-12-31
Coordination and Developing the sustainable market of residential
Biomasud Plus 691763 1,971,610 1,971,610 2016-01-01 2018-12-31
support action Mediterranean solid biofuels.
Coordination and Market uptake of small modular renewable district
CoolHeating 691679 1,644,340 1,644,340 2016-01-01 2018-12-31
support action heating and cooling grids for communities
Coordination and
ERIFORE 654371 Research Infrastructure for Circular Forest Bioeconomy 2,630,950 2,628,700 2016-01-01 2018-01-31
support action
119
Project Overall
number Budget
Coordination and Fostering Sustainable Feedstock Production for Advanced
FORBIO 691846 1,941,581 1,941,581 2016-01-01 2018-12-31
support action Biofuels on underutilised land in Europe
Coordination and Sustainable exploitation of biomass for bioenergy from
SEEMLA 691874 1,629,884 1,629,884 2016-01-01 2018-12-31
support action marginal lands in Europe
Research and Sustainable production of next generation biofuels from
WASTE2FUELS 654623 5,989,744 5,989,743 2016-01-01 2018-12-31
Innovation action waste streams
Coordination and Bringing added value to agriculture and forest sectors by
AGRIFORVALOR 696394 1,997,416 1,997,416 2016-03-01 2018-08-31
support action closing the research and innovation divide
Coordination and Best practices and implementation of innovative business
BestRES 691689 1,994,813 1,994,813 2016-03-01 2019-02-28
support action models for Renewable Energy aggregatorS
Coordination and Bioenergy Villages (BioVill) - Increasing the Market
BioVill 691661 1,998,918 1,998,918 2016-03-01 2019-02-28
support action Uptake of Sustainable Bioenergy
SME instrument phase Self-supporting biofuel sludge pellet producing system for
InnoPellet 711540 2,158,500 1,510,950 2016-03-01 2018-10-31
2 small and medium sized sewage plants
Coordination and Take-off for sustainable supply of woody biomass from
uP_running 691748 1,992,920 1,992,920 2016-04-01 2019-06-30
support action agrarian pruning and plantation removal
BBI Research and Efficient forestry by precision planning and management
EFFORTE 720712 4,203,421 2,230,221 2016-09-01 2019-08-31
Innovation action for sustainable environment and cost-competitive BBI
ETIP Bioenergy- Coordination and European Technology and Innovation Platform Bioenergy
727509 599,105 599,105 2016-09-01 2018-08-31
SABS support action – Support of Advanced Bioenergy Stakeholders 2016-17
BBI Coordination and Increase public awareness of bio-based products and
BIOWAYS 720762 965,750 965,750 2016-10-01 2018-09-30
Support action applications supporting the growth of the EU bioeconomy
Marie Curie European Advanced Carbon Materials from Biowaste: Sustainable
GreenCarbon 721991 3,623,224 3,623,224 2016-10-01 2020-09-30
Training Networks Pathways to Drive Innovative Green Technologies
Demonstration of innovative integrated biomass logistics
AGROinLOG 727961 Innovation action 6,385,661 5,935,715 2016-11-01 2020-04-30
centres for the Agro-industry sector in Europe
Research and Advanced biofuel production with energy system
Ambition 731263 2,494,986 2,494,986 2016-12-01 2019-11-30
Innovation action integration
Coordination and Absorbing the Potential of Wood Waste in EU Regions and
BIOREG 727958 996,056 996,056 2017-01-01 2019-12-31
support action Industrial Bio-based Ecosystems
Research and
BRISK II 731101 Biofuels Research Infrastructure for Sharing Knowledge II 9,977,271 9,968,144 2017-05-01 2022-04-30
Innovation action
Research and Sustainability Transition Assessment and Research of Bio-
STAR-ProBio 727740 5,306,372 4,983,872 2017-05-01 2020-04-30
Innovation action based Products
BBI Innovation actionGRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for
GRACE 745012 15,000,851 12,324,633 2017-06-01 2022-05-31
- Demo biorEfineries
Systemic large scale eco-innovation to advance circular
SYSTEMIC 730400 Innovation action 9,723,586 7,859,829 2017-06-01 2021-05-31
economy ^mineral recovery from organic waste in Europe
SME instrument phase EcoBioMass – harvesting forest energy biomass in the
EcoBioMass 768291 1,856,500 1,299,550 2017-08-01 2019-07-31
2 21st century
Coordination and Facilitating market roll-out of RESfuels in the transport
ADVANCEFUEL 764799 2,628,246 2,628,246 2017-09-01 2020-08-31
support action sector to 2030 and beyond
Coordination and Enhance New Approaches in BioBased Local Innovation
ENABLING 774578 1,997,640 1,997,640 2017-12-01 2020-11-30
support action Networks for Growth
FIBRENET 764713 Marie Curie European A Training Network on Designing Novel Bio-based Fibre 3,832,629 3,832,629 2017-12-01 2021-11-30
120
Project Overall
number Budget
Training Networks Products for Targeted Advanced Properties and New
Applications
Coordination and Mobilization of a plurality of voices and mutual learning to
BIOVOICES 774331 2,996,428 2,996,428 2018-01-01 2020-12-31
support action accelerate the Bio-based sector
Annex 2. Anaerobic digestion projects
Project Overall
number Budget
EISAS/EIE/05/ Promotion of biomethanisation in agricultural environment as a
BIOPROFARM Altener Small scale 523,174 261,587 2006-01-01 2007-12-31
086/2005 decentralised renewable energy resource for Europe
EISAV/07/220 Getting energy reduction on agendas in industrial
GERONIMO SAVE Industry 1,152,444 576,222 2007-10-01 2009-09-30
/S12.466709 manufacturing operations
MC International A two year exchange programme on ANAerobic MIXed cultu-
ANAMIX 230829 Research Staff res to study and improve biological generation of chemicals 68,400 2009-01-01 2010-12-31
Exchange Scheme and energy carriers from organic residues
FARMAGAS IEE/08/625 Altener Biofuels Biogas production from agricultural wastes in European farms 580,580 435,435 2009-06-01 2011-05-31
Novel plasma-catalyst reactor for the total conversion of the
PLASMANURE 232267 Research for SMEs ammonia contained in pig manure into environmental neutral 1,327,435 950,240 2010-02-01 2012-04-30
products
VALORGAS 241334 Collaborative project Valorisation of food waste to biogas 4,657,517 3,485,462 2010-03-01 2013-08-31
Farm and Agriculture Stabilised Thermophilic Anaerobic
SMART TANK 262241 Research for SMEs 1,016,074 799,462 2010-12-01 2013-02-28
Digestion
ERC-SG - ERC Cold Carbon Catabolism of Microbial Communities under-
3CBIOTECH 261330 1,499,797 1,499,797 2011-05-01 2016-04-30
Starting Grant prinning a Sustainable Bioenergy and Biorefinery Economy
GERONIMO II- A focussed strategy for enabling European farmers to tap into
IEE/10/228 Altener Biofuels 1,755,936 1,316,952 2011-05-01 2013-10-31
BIOGAS biogas opportunities
SME focused research Novel processing routes for effective sewage sludge
ROUTES 265156 4,850,183 3,364,600 2011-05-01 2014-04-30
project management
Boosting the European market for biogas production, upgrade
GREENGASGRIDS IEE/10/235 Altener Biofuels 1,998,129 1,498,597 2011-06-01 2014-05-31
and feed-In into the natural gas grid
MC Industry-Acade- High performance Anaerobic digesters for the treatment of
AD-WINE 286052 777,706 777,706 2011-12-01 2015-11-30
mia Partnerships medium size wineries’ effluents
MC Int. research staff
BIOWET 269255 Advanced Biological Waste-to-Energy Technologies 256,300 249,900 2012-01-01 2015-12-31
exchange scheme
LTANITRO 297436 Supporting action Low-temperature anammox for nitrogen removal 166,280 150,000 2012-03-01 2013-02-28
Improved nutrient and energy management through anaerobic
INEMAD 289712 Collaborative Project 3,875,356 2,961,624 2012-04-01 2016-03-31
digestion
SUSTAINGAS IEE/11/838 Altener biofuels Enhancing sustainable biogas production in organic farming 2012-04-01 2015-03-31
Development of sustainable heat markets for biogas plants in
BIOGASHEAT IEE/11/025 Altener biofuels 1,361,271 1,020,953 2012-04-05 2015-04-04
Europe
IEE/11/MLEI/0
SOLROD Altener Heating Solrod Biogas Plant Investment Project 637,499 478,124 2012-06-01 2014-05-31
80
High Added Value Ecofertilizers from Anaerobic Digestion
WAVALUE 304435 CIP-Eco-Innovation 1,842,666 921,333 2012-07-01 2014-12-31
Effluent Wastes
F2W2F 304388 CIP-EIP Eco- Food to Waste to Food 1,636,916 817,020 2012-08-01 2015-07-31
121
Project Overall
number Budget
Innovation
Research for SMEs Organic waste management by a small-scale Innovative
ORION 282693 3,880,501 2,978,002 2012-08-01 2015-07-31
associations automated system of anaerobic digestion
Automated system based on on-line VFA sensors for an
AD-WISE 315115 Research for SMEs 1,257,346 939,000 2012-09-01 2014-11-30
optimised control of anaerobic digestion plants
Economically efficient biogas production from manure fibres
BIOMAN 315664 Research for SMEs 1,849,792 1,387,997 2012-10-01 2015-06-30
and straw
Res proj for specific Turning biowaste into sustainable products: development of
BIOWASTE4SP 312111 3,885,598 2,992,555 2012-10-01 2015-09-30
cooperation actions appropriate conversion technologies in developing countries
Development and verification of an innovative full life
WASTE2GO 308363 Collaborative project sustainable approach to the valorisation of municipal solid 4,588,640 3,495,426 2012-10-01 2015-09-30
waste into industrial feedstocks
Thermochemical pre-treatment technology for residues from
THERCHEM 315630 Research for SMEs 1,046,544 712,000 2012-11-01 2014-12-31
breweries and other biomass to enhance anaerobic digestion
BSG-SME - Research Saponification pre-treatment and biosensors based control
ADAW 314867 1,435,252 1,086,000 2013-03-01 2015-02-28
for SMEs system for slaughterhouse waste AD improvement
Biogas production from organic waste in the European food
FABBIOGAS IEE/12/768 Altener Biobusiness 1,105,045 828,784 2013-04-01 2015-09-30
and beverage industry
Grass as a green gas resource: energy from landscapes by
GR3 IEE/12/046 Altener Biofuels 1,572,706 1,179,529 2013-04-01 2016-03-31
promoting the use of grass residues as a RES
JTI-CP-FCH - Biogas robust processing with combined catalytic reformer and
BIOROBUR 325383 3,843,868 2,486,180 2013-05-01 2016-04-30
Collaborative Project trap
Marie Curie Intra- Sustainable hydrogen production from waste via two-stage
WASTE2BIOHY 326974 194,047 194,047 2013-06-01 2015-05-31
European Fellowships bioconversion process: an eco-biotechnological approach
Marie-Curie Initial Advanced Technologies for Biogas Efficiency Sustainability and
ATBEST 316838 3,864,394 3,864,394 2013-07-01 2017-06-30
Training Networks Transport
Novel monitoring and process control system for efficient
OPTI-VFA 606096 Research for SMEs 1,487,698 1,149,995 2013-09-01 2015-08-31
production of VFA and biogas in anaerobic digestion plant
Cooperation between the aquaculture & agriculture sectors
Research for SME
BIFFIO 605815 with the intent to use animal manure and fish faeces for sus- 2,321,524 1,745,264 2013-11-01 2016-10-31
Associations
tainnable production and utilization of RE&recovered nutrients
Development of an in-line multi-parameter oil condition
CONDIMON 606080 Research for SMEs monitoring system including a novel oil corrosion sensor for 1,284,226 908,000 2013-11-01 2015-10-31
bio-gas operated power generator engines
NUTREC 606057 Research for SMEs Green nutrients recovery systems 1,008,840 783,000 2013-11-01 2016-04-30
Research for SME Valorisation of legumes co-products and by-products for
LEGUVAL 315241 2,459,737 1,777,874 2013-12-01 2016-11-30
associations package application and energy production from biomass
Innovative plasma based transformation of food waste into
PLASCARB 603488 Collaborative project 4,840,521 3,784,739 2013-12-01 2016-11-30
high value graphitic carbon and renewable hydrogen
Interpreting the irrecoverable microbiota in digestive
MICRODE 336355 ERC Starting Grant 1,467,176 1,467,176 2014-02-01 2019-01-31
ecosystems
IEE-13-683-
Bioenergy Farm II Altener Biobusiness Manure, the sustainable fuel for the farm 1,869,679 1,402,259 2014-03-01 2016-12-31
SI2.675767
Sustainable small-scale biogas production from agro-food
BIOGAS3 IEE-13-477 Altener Bioenergy 2014-06-16 2015-01-16
waste for energy self-sufficiency
122
Project Overall
number Budget
Two-phase Acid/Gas Anaerobic Reactor for Industrial
PHASEPLIT 602007 Research for SMEs 1,483,869 1,124,000 2014-09-01 2016-08-31
Wastewater of Food & Drink SME industries
Coordination and Turning unexploited food waste into biomethane supplied
Bin2Grid 646560 709,469 709,468 2015-01-01 2017-12-31
support action through local filling stations network
Coordination and
BIOSURF 646533 BIomethane as sustainable and renewable fuel 1,872,912 1,872,912 2015-01-01 2018-01-01
support action
A demonstration plant of enhanced biogas production with
ADD-ON 666427 SME instrument Ph. 2 2,021,078 1,414,754 2015-03-01 2018-07-31
Add-On technology
Research and
Bio-HyPP 641073 Biogas-fired Combined Hybrid Heat and Power Plant 5,775,869 5,775,869 2015-06-01 2019-05-31
Innovation action
The Exergyn
672528 SME instrument Ph. 2 The Exergyn Drive™ – an engine that runs on hot water 3,547,219 2,483,053 2015-06-01 2017-05-31
Drive
Full scale demonstration of energy positive sewage treatment
POWERSTEP 641661 Innovation action 5,173,855 3,997,126 2015-07-01 2018-06-30
plant concepts towards market penetration
Marie Curie Individual Removal of pharmaceutical micropollutants from wastewater
PHARM AD 661427 183,455 183,455 2015-08-01 2017-07-31
Fellowships by AD and its effect on N recovery from digestate by microalga
FCH2-RIA - Research BIOgas membrane reformer for deceNtralIzed hydrogen
BIONICO 671459 3,396,640 3,147,640 2015-09-01 2019-02-28
and Innovation action produCtiOn
FCH2-IA - Innovation DEMOnstration of large SOFC system fed with biogas from
DEMOSOFC 671470 5,905,336 4,492,561 2015-09-01 2020-08-31
action WWTP
Innovative and scalable biotechnology using Microbial Fuel Cell
H2AD-aFDPI 698374 SME instrument Ph. 2 and AD for the treatment of micro-scale industrial & 3,054,206 2,137,944 2015-11-01 2017-10-31
agriculture effluents to recover energy from waste
Coordination and BiogasAction: Promotion of sustainable biogas production in
BiogasAction 691755 1,999,885 1,999,885 2016-01-01 2018-12-31
support action EU
Coordination and Increasing Social Awarness and ACceptance of biogas and
ISAAC 691875 1,480,535 1,480,535 2016-01-01 2018-06-30
support action biomethane
Coordination and Triggering Sustainable Biogas Energy Communities through
ISABEL 691752 1,897,438 1,897,438 2016-01-01 2018-12-31
support action Social Innovation
Marie Curie Individual
OptiMADMix 658855 Optimized Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion Mixing 183,455 183,455 2016-01-05 2018-01-04
Fellowships
Low-temperature Anaerobic Digestion treatment of low-
Lt-AD 718212 SME instrument Ph. 2 2,418,815 1,693,171 2016-06-01 2018-05-31
strength wastewaters
Research and Integrated aquaculture based on sustainable water
VicInAqua 689427 2,997,710 2,997,710 2016-06-01 2019-05-31
Innovation action recirculating system for the Victoria Lake Basin (VicInAqua)
BBI Innovation action Demonstrating more efficient enzyme production to increase
DEMETER 720714 6,610,040 4,629,586 2016-08-01 2019-07-31
- Demonstration biogas yields
Energy-Efficient Activated Sludge Monitoring for Wastewater
SHEPHERD 731695 SME instrument Ph. 2 2,508,750 1,756,125 2016-08-01 2018-07-31
Treatment Plants
Energy efficient and environmentally friendly multi-fuel po-wer
PROMETHEUS-5 733099 SME instrument Ph. 2 1,731,996 1,212,397 2016-09-01 2019-02-28
system with CHP capability for stand-alone application
FCH2-RIA - Research Advanced direct biogas fuel processor for robust and cost-
BIOROBURPLUS 736272 3,813,536 2,996,249 2017-01-01 2020-06-30
and Innovation action effective decentralised hydrogenproduction
HOMEBIOGAS 777770 SME instrument Ph. 2 Turning food industry's organic wastw into value 2,292,500 1,604,750 2017-08-01 2019-07-31
VEGWAMUS 751052 Marie Curie Individual Developing commercial mushroom and vegetable product-ion 196,400 196,400 2017-10-01 2019-09-30
123
Project Overall
number Budget
CIRCROP Fellowships in an integrated food to waste to food biosystem
BIOGASTIGER® system – turning global organic waste
BIOGASTIGER 783727 SME instrument Ph. 2 3,043,375 2,130,363 2017-11-01 2019-10-31
streams into smart and clean energy
RIA - Research and Engineered microbial factories for CO2 exploitation in an
ENGICOIN 760994 6,986,910 6,986,910 2018-01-01 2021-12-31
Innovation action integrated waste treatment platform
Marie Curie Individual Non-Thermal PLasma Enabled cAtalysis-Separation system for
NTPLEASURE 748196 195,455 195,455 2018-01-15 2020-01-14
Fellowships UpgRading biogasto mEthane-NTPleasure
Coordination and Research Coordination for a Low-Cost Biomethane Production
Record Biomap 691911 499,922 499,922 2016-04-01
support action at Small and Medium Scale Applications
Annex 3. Biomass combustion projects
Project Overall
number Budget
Demonstration of large scale biomass co-firing and
DEBCO 218968 Collaborative project 6,941,512 4,166,823 2008-01-01 2012-12-31
supply chain integration
Engine and turbine combustion of bioliquids for
BIOLIQUIDS-CHP 227303 Collaborative project 4,309,697 1,602,318 2009-01-01 2011-12-31
combined heat and power production
Development of High Efficiency CFB Technology to
FLEXI BURN CFB 239188 Collaborative project Provide Flexible Air/Oxy Operation for Power Plant with 10,851,767 6,413,869 2009-09-01 2013-02-28
CCS
Demonstration of a 16MW high energy efficient corn
ENERCORN 239476 Collaborative project 10,820,598 5,945,408 2009-12-01 2013-11-30
stover biomass power plant
RECOMBIO 239530 Collaborative project Recovered Fuels combined with Biomass 6,382,396 4,040,074 2010-01-01 2013-12-31
Gas turbine combustion with reduced emissions
GREENEST 247322 ERC Advanced Grant 3,137,648 3,137,648 2010-07-01 2016-06-30
employing extreme steam injection
Innovative,multi-applicable-cost efficient hybrid solar
and biomass energy large scale (district) heating
SUNSTORE 4 249800 Collaborative project 15,102,351 6,127,548 2010-07-01 2014-06-30
system with long term heat storage and organic
Rankine cycle electricity production
Low temperature heat valorisation towards electricity
LOVE 256790 Collaborative project 5,061,352 3,299,789 2010-10-01 2014-03-31
production
Next generation small-scale biomass combustion
EU-ULT
268189 Collaborative project technologies with ultra-low 4,229,951 2,884,995 2011-01-01 2014-03-31
RALOWDUST
emissions
Component performance-driven solutions for long-term
MACPLUS 249809 Collaborative project 18,204,522 10,704,675 2011-01-01 2015-06-30
efficiency increase in ultra supercritical power plants
Cost efficient biomass boiler systems with maximum
BIOMAXEFF 268217 Collaborative project 6,726,662 4,238,559 2011-04-15 2014-10-14
annual efficiency and lowest emissions
BioCAT 286978 Research for SMEs Clean Air Technology for Biomass Combustion Systems 1,410,933 1,004,500 2011-11-01 2013-10-31
Waste heat recovery power generation based on ORC
FOUNDENERGY 285954 Research for SME 3,336,811 2,599,500 2011-12-01 2014-11-30
technology in foundry industry
Development of a practical and reliable ash melting test
ASHMELT 287062 Research for SME 2,021,975 1,455,400 2012-01-01 2014-12-31
for biomass fuels, in particular for wood pellets
124
Project Overall
number Budget
An innovative, environmentally friendly CO2/lubricant
absorption power system for highly efficient power
ICARUS 713514 Support actions 1,422,302 1,110,000 2012-08-01 2014-07-31
generation from low temperature industrial waste heat
to reduce emissions and costs
Hybrid renewable energy converter for continuous and
HRC POWER 309006 Collaborative project 3,101,969 2,383,041 2012-11-01 2016-04-30
flexible power production
Marie-Curie Career
BIOCHARISMA 333784 Sustainable use of Biochar in Mediterranean Agriculture 75,000 75,000 2013-03-01 2016-02-29
Integration Grants
Innovative high efficiency phase change fluid based
UP-THERM 605826 Research for SMEs 1,481,256 1,081,641 2013-09-01 2015-10-31
heat engine
Wood chip feeding technology of the future for small-
BIOCHIPFEEDING 606464 Research for SMEs 1,504,699 1,094,105 2013-10-01 2015-09-30
scale biomass boilers
Marire Curie Intra- Numerical Characterization and Modelling of Syngas
SYNGAS 330316 231,283 231,283 2013-10-21 2015-10-20
European Fellowships Combustion
Sustainable urban planning with Innovative and low
PITAGORAS 314596 Collaborative project energy thermal and power generation from residual and 14,357,144 8,364,786 2013-11-01 2017-10-31
renewable sources
Synthesis of methanol from captured carbon dioxide
MefCO2 637016 Innovation action 11,041,537 8,622,293 2014-12-01 2018-11-30
using surplus electricity
Waste Heat Recovery for Power Valorisation with
Research and
TASIO 637189 Organic Rankine Cycle Technology in Energy Intensive 3,989,248 3,989,248 2014-12-01 2018-11-30
Innovation action
Industries
ORC-PLUS 657690 Innovation action Organic Rankine Cycle - Prototype Link to Unit Storage 7,297,149 6,249,316 2015-05-01 2019-04-30
Research and
Bio-HyPP 641073 Biogas-fired Combined Hybrid Heat and Power Plant 5,775,869 5,775,869 2015-06-01 2019-05-31
Innovation action
Research and
HPC4E 689772 HPC for Energy 1,998,176 1,998,176 2015-12-01 2017-11-30
Innovation action
Research and
Residue2Heat 654650 Renewable residential heating with fast pyrolysis bio-oil 5,466,479 5,465,728 2016-01-01 2019-12-31
Innovation action
ERC-ADG - Advanced Towards a deepened understanding of combustion
TUCLA 669466 2,442,000 2,442,000 2016-01-01 2020-12-31
Grant processes using advanced laser diagnostics
Enabling Hydrogen-enriched burner technology for gas
ERC-COG -
HYBURN 682383 turbines through advanced measurement and 1,996,135 1,996,135 2016-06-01 2021-05-31
Consolidator Grant
simulation
ERC-ADG - Advanced Multi-Scale Description of Non-Universal Behavior in
MILESTONE 695747 2,499,884 2,499,884 2016-06-01 2021-05-31
Grant Turbulent Combustion
RIA - Research and Highly-efficient biomass CHP plants by handling ash-
Biofficiency 727616 4,603,760 4,603,760 2016-11-01 2019-10-31
Innovation action related problems
Marie Curie EF-ST -
NanoORC 704201 Nanofluids as working fluids for organic Rankine cycles 200,195 200,195 2017-03-01 2020-02-28
Standard EF
Disruptive Cyclone-based technology for effective and
CYCLOMB 760551 Innovation action affordable particulate matter emission reduction in 1,640,774 1,241,826 2017-04-01 2019-03-31
biomass combustion systems
ERC-STG - Starting VAlidation driven DEvelopment of Modern and Efficient
VADEMECOM 714605 1,499,110 1,499,110 2017-04-01 2022-03-31
Grant COMbustion technologies
125
Project Overall
number Budget
inveSTigation of an ultrA compact Reverse flow
START 785217 Innovation action 640,868 640,868 2018-02-01 2020-01-31
combusTor
126
Annex 4. Biomass torrefaction projects
Project Overall
number Budget
Production of Solid Sustainable Energy Carriers from
SECTOR 282826 Collaborative project Biomass by Means of 10,288,836 7,565,725 2012-01-01 2015-06-30
Torrefaction
Pyrolisis based process to convert small WWTP sewage
PYROCHAR 603394 Research for SMEs 1,499,697 1,140,000 2013-11-01 2015-10-31
sludge into useful biochar
Flexible Superheated Steam Torrefaction and Grinding of
Indigenous Biomass from Remote Rural Sources to
SteamBio 636865 Innovation action 6,979,982 5,829,783 2015-02-01 2018-07-31
Produce Stable Densified Feedstocks for Chemical and
Energy Applications
TORrefying wood with Ethanol as a Renewable Output:
TORERO 745810 Innovation action 15,849,490 11,472,916 2017-05-01 2020-04-30
large-scale demonstration
127
Annex 5. Biomass pyrolysis projects
Project Overall
number Budget
Research for SME Mobile Microwave Pyrolysis Plant turns Biomass into Fuel
MICROFUEL 218454 2,883,227 2,280,870 2009-01-01 2012-05-31
associations Locally
Polygeneration through pyrolysis: Simultaneous
EMPYRO 239357 Collaborative project production of fuel oil, process steam, electricity and 9,155,978 4,949,947 2009-12-01 2013-11-30
organic acids
MC International
BIOFUEL 247550 research staff Biofuels from solid wastes 108,000 93,600 2010-10-01 2013-03-31
exchange scheme
Biomass based energy intermediates boosting biofuel
BIOBOOST 282873 Collaborative project 7,097,299 5,088,531 2012-01-01 2015-06-30
production
MC Industry- The integration of intermediate pyrolysis and vapour
PYROGAS 286244 Academia gasification to create and effective and efficient biomass- 1,082,575 1,082,575 2012-04-01 2016-03-31
Partnerships to-energy system for combined heat and power
An innovative bio-economy solution to valorise livestock
manure into a range of stabilised soil improving materials
BIOECOSIM 308637 Collaborative project 5,274,523 3,843,073 2012-10-01 2016-09-30
for environmental sustainability and economic benefit for
European agriculture
MC International
Technical and environmental analysis of advanced
ENV-BIO 318927 research staff 302,400 302,400 2013-01-01 2016-12-31
strategies for the energy valorisation of biomass
exchange scheme
Catalytic partial oxidation of bio gas and reforming of
BIOGO-FOR- Large-scale
604296 pyrolysis oil (bio oil) for an autothermal synthesis gas 12,340,232 9,037,287 2013-12-01 2017-11-30
PRODUCTION integrating project
production and conversion into fuels
MC Research and Development of flexible pyrolysis-catalysis processing of
FLEXI-PYROCAT 643322 Innovation Staff waste plastics for selective production of high value 634,500 405,000 2015-01-01 2018-12-31
Exchange products through research and innovation
Marie Curie Individual Biopolymers 13C tracking during fast pyrolysis of
PYROCHEM 656967 183,455 183,455 2015-10-01 2017-09-30
Fellowship biomass-A 2-level mechanistic investigation
Research and
Residue2Heat 654650 Renewable residential heating with fast pyrolysis bio-oil 5,466,479 5,465,728 2016-01-01 2019-12-31
Innovation action
4x4, demonstrating a flexible value chain to utilize
Bio4Products 723070 Innovation action 6,129,830 4,335,393 2016-09-01 2020-08-31
biomass functionalities in the processing industry
The Demonstration of Waste Biomass to Synthetic Fuels
TO-SYN-FUEL 745749 Innovation action 14,511,923 12,250,528 2017-05-01 2021-04-30
and Green Hydrogen
Biorefinery combining HTL and FT to convert wet and
Research and
HEAT-TO-FUEL 764675 solid organic, industrial wastes into 2nd generation 5,896,988 5,896,988 2017-09-01 2021-08-31
Innovation action
biofuels with highest efficiency
Improving the economic feasibility of the biorefinery
ECOCAT 752941 through catalysis engineering: enhancing the catalyst 183,455 183,455 2018-01-15 2020-01-14
Fellowship
performance and optimizing valuable product yields
128
Annex 6. Hydrothermal processing projects
Project Overall
number Budget
SME focused research Biochar for carbon sequestration and large-scale removal
EUROCHAR 265179 3,502,535 2,498,900 2011-01-01 2014-06-30
project of greenhouse gases (GHG) from the atmosphere
Research for SME New technological applications for wet biomass waste
NEWAPP 605178 2,580,062 1,756,000 2013-11-01 2016-04-30
associations stream products
SME instrument phase Resource and Cost Effective Conversion of Biomass to
Hydrofaction 666712 2,631,166 1,841,816 2015-04-01 2017-03-31
2 HydrocarbonTM Oil
Up-scaling, demonstration and first market application of
SME instrument phase Loritus’ patented hydrothermal carbonisation as an eco-
HTC4WASTE 684143 3,523,733 2,466,613 2015-11-01 2017-10-31
2 efficient and cost-effective organic waste processing
technology
Innovative sol-gel strategies for the production of
NewCat4Bio 751774 homogeneous, hydrothermally stable, andporous mixed 172,800 172,800 2017-08-01 2019-07-31
Fellowship
metal oxide catalysts for biomass conversion applications
Biorefinery combining HTL and FT to convert wet and
RIA - Research and
HEAT-TO-FUEL 764675 solid organic, industrial wastes into 2nd generation 5,896,988 5,896,988 2017-09-01 2021-08-31
Innovation action
biofuels with highest efficiency
RIA - Research and Hydrothermal liquefaction: Enhanced performance and
HYFLEXFUEL 764734 5,038,344 5,038,344 2017-10-01 2021-09-30
Innovation action feedstock flexibility for efficient biofuel production
129
Annex 7. Biomass gasification projects
Project Overall
number Budget
SME focused research
GREENSYNGAS 213628 Advanced Cleaning Devices for Production of Green Syngas 4,089,167 2,718,461 2008-01-01 2011-02-28
project
SME focused research
UNIQUE 211517 High purity syngas from biomass 3,721,305 2,693,628 2008-01-01 2010-12-31
project
Polygeneration through gasification utilising secondary fuels
POLYSTABILAT 219062 Collaborative project 7,563,452 4,269,804 2008-10-17 2015-04-16
derived from MSW
Low Emission Gas Turbine Technology for Hydrogen-rich
H2-IGCC 239349 Collaborative project 17,191,878 11,279,696 2009-11-01 2014-04-30
Syngas
MC International
BIOFUEL 247550 Biofuels from solid wastes 108,000 93,600 2010-10-01 2013-03-31
research staff exchange
GAS BIOREF 249804 Collaborative project Gasification of biofuels and recovered fuels 14,449,681 8,339,765 2010-12-01 2014-11-30
GASPRO-BIO- Universal gasification process analyser for biomass and
261911 Research for SMEs 1,500,695 1,157,024 2011-01-01 2012-12-31
WASTE organic waste treatment
Demonstration of a cost effective medium size Chemical
DEMOCLOCK 268112 Collaborative project Looping Combustion through packed beds using solid hydro- 8,193,828 5,304,509 2011-06-01 2015-05-31
carbons as fuel for power production with CO2 capture
Marie Curie Intra- Determination of the Fate of Inorganic Components upon
INORGASS 251863 229,747 229,747 2011-10-01 2013-09-30
European Fellowships Gasification of Sewage Sludge
The integration of intermediate pyrolysis and vapour
MC Industry-Academia
PYROGAS 286244 gasification to create and effective and efficient biomass-to- 1,082,575 1,082,575 2012-04-01 2016-03-31
Partnerships
energy system for combined heat and power
Advanced Microwave Plasma Gasification of pig and cow
PLAGASMIC 315604 Research for SMEs 1,482,071 1,135,000 2012-09-01 2014-08-31
manure for cost-effective biogas generation
JTI-FCH Collaborative
UNIFHY 299732 UNIQUE gasifier for hydrogen Production 3,438,061 2,203,599 2012-09-01 2015-12-31
Project
MC International
Technical and environmental analysis of advanced strategies
ENV-BIO 318927 research staff exchange 302,400 302,400 2013-01-01 2016-12-31
for the energy valorisation of biomass
scheme
Revalorization of wet olive pomace through polyphenol
PHENOLIVE 605357 Research for SMEs 1,511,816 1,143,988 2013-10-01 2016-06-30
extraction and steam gasification
Research and Development of a new and highly efficient micro-scale CHP
FlexiFuel-SOFC 641229 5,988,164 5,982,101 2015-05-01 2019-04-30
Innovation action system based on fuel-flexible gasification and a SOFC
Development of a fuel flexible and highly efficient ultra low
Research and
FlexiFuel-CHX 654446 emission residential-scale boiler with coupled heat 4,309,610 3,514,398 2016-01-01 2018-12-31
Innovation action
recuperation based on flue gas condensation
Development of a new highly efficient and fuel flexible CHP
Research and
HiEff-BioPower 727330 technology based on fixed-bed updraft biomass gasification 4,997,371 4,997,371 2016-10-01 2020-09-30
Innovation action
and a SOFC
Research and FLExible Dimethyl ether production from biomass
FLEDGED 727600 5,555,830 5,306,455 2016-11-01 2020-10-31
Innovation action Gasification with sorption-enhancED processes
Research and Compact Gasification and Synthesis process for Transport
COMSYN 727476 5,096,660 5,096,660 2017-05-01 2021-04-30
Innovation action Fuels
130
Annex 8. Biomass algae projects
Project Overall
number Budget
Marie Curie Networks Control of light use efficiency in plants and algae - from
HARVEST 238017 4,683,560 4,683,560 2009-10-01 2013-09-30
for Initial Training light to harvest
SME focused research Towards a better sunlight to biomass conversion efficiency
SUNBIOPATH 245070 4,366,895 2,998,182 2010-01-01 2013-02-28
project in microalgae
Large-scale integrating
GIAVAP 266401 Genetic Improvement of Algae for Value Added Products 7,184,971 5,596,607 2011-01-01 2013-12-31
project
Industrial scale demonstration of sustainable algae cultures
ALL-GAS 268208 Collaborative project 11,773,672 7,106,680 2011-05-01 2016-04-30
for biofuel production
BIOFAT 268211 Collaborative project Biofuel from algae technologies 10,016,183 7,773,133 2011-05-01 2015-04-30
Marie Curie Career Optimal Design and Operation of Microbial Ecosystems for
DOP-ECOS 293953 100,000 100,000 2011-09-01 2015-08-31
Integration Grants Bioenergy Production and Waste Treatment
High algal recovery using a Salsnes Water to Algae
OPERATION SWAT 286840 Research for SMEs 1,345,061 1,060,477 2011-11-01 2013-10-31
Treatment (SWAT) filter technology
Hybrid algae cultivation system based on conditioned
SOLALGEN 286013 Research for SMEs environment with efficient light collection and distribution 1,483,818 1,136,008 2011-12-01 2013-12-31
system
Research for SMEs Novel algae-based solution for CO2 capture and biomass
ALGADISK 286887 3,198,327 2,416,600 2012-01-01 2014-12-31
associations production
Marie Curie
Renewable energy production through microalgae
ALGAENET 295165 International Research 709,800 709,800 2012-02-01 2016-01-31
cultivation: closing material cycles
Staff Exchange Scheme
AT~SEA 280860 Collaborative Project Advanced textiles for open sea biomass cultivation 4,661,996 3,399,793 2012-04-01 2015-07-31
Reduction of microalgae harvesting costs via the
AlGEMAX 315298 Research for SMEs development of an ultrasound flow cell to provide pre- 1,470,912 1,119,986 2012-10-01 2014-10-31
concentration
MC Innovative Training
ALFF 642575 The Algal Microbiome: Friends and Foes 3,794,115 3,794,115 2015-01-01 2018-12-31
Networks
Design of an agricultural greenhouse for intensive growing
ECO-LOGIC
683515 SME instrument Ph. 2 of microalgae in fresh / sea water with a syngas production 3,554,500 2,488,150 2015-08-01 2017-01-31
GREEN FARM
plant and organic farming of chickens and pigs outdoors
Removal of pharmaceutical micro-pollutants from waste
PHARM AD 661427 water by anaerobic digestion and its effect on nitrogen 183,455 183,455 2015-08-01 2017-07-31
Fellowships
recovery from digestate by micro-algae.
MC Research and
Development of Microalgae-based novel high added-value
ALGAE4A-B 691102 Innovation Staff 972,000 972,000 2016-01-01 2019-12-31
products for the Cosmetic and Aquaculture industry
Exchange
RIA - Research and Developing the next generation macro-algae based biofuels
MacroFuels 654010 5,999,893 5,999,893 2016-01-01 2019-12-31
Innovation action for transportation via advanced bio-refinery processes
131
Project Overall
number Budget
Improving photosynthetic solar energy conversion in
ERC-STG - Starting
SOLENALGAE 679814 microalgal cultures for the production of biofuels and high 1,441,875 1,441,875 2016-03-01 2021-02-28
Grant
value products
Bioenergetics in microalgae: regulation modes of
ERC-COG -
BEAL 682580 mitochondrial respiration, photosynthesis, and fermen- 1,837,625 1,837,625 2016-06-01 2021-05-31
Consolidator Grant
tative pathways, and their interactions in secondary algae
Development of an innovative algae based tertiary
INDALG 733718 SME instrument Ph. 2 2,098,984 1,469,289 2016-10-01 2019-03-31
wastewater treatment and value recovery system
INTERnational COmmercialization of innovative products
INTERCOME 733487 SME instrument Ph. 2 2,426,438 1,698,506 2016-12-01 2018-11-30
based on MicroalgaE
Sustainable Algae Biorefinery for Agriculture aNd
SABANA 727874 Innovation action 10,646,705 8,848,524 2016-12-01 2020-11-30
Aquaculture
Marie Curie Individual Bio-inspired photonics for enhanced microalgal
BIOMIC-FUEL 702911 251,858 251,858 2017-01-01 2019-12-31
Fellowships photosynthesis in biofuels
GENetic diversity exploitation for Innovative macro-ALGal
GENIALG 727892 Innovation action 12,224,238 10,885,817 2017-01-01 2020-12-31
biorefinery
BBI Research and Valuable Products from Algae Using New Magnetic
VALUEMAG 745695 4,789,000 4,789,000 2017-04-01 2020-03-31
Innovation action Cultivation and Extraction Techniques
BBI Research and Algae for a biomass applied to the production of added
ABACUS 745668 5,135,861 4,653,659 2017-05-01 2020-04-30
Innovation action value compounds
Using microalgae bioreactor technology to deliver the
world’s most cost-effective, energy-efficient and adaptable
ALGAMATER 767333 SME instrument Ph. 2 2,906,000 2,034,200 2017-06-01 2019-05-31
system for the treatment of toxic industrial and landfill
wastewater
Innovative cost-effective technology for maximizing
BBI Research and
BIOSEA 745622 aquatic biomass-based molecules for food, feed and 4,491,383 2,611,223 2017-06-01 2020-05-31
Innovation action
cosmetic applications
Bio-based Industries Microalgae As a Green source for Nutritional Ingredients for
MAGNIFICENT 745754 Research and Food/Feed and Ingredients for Cosmetics by cost-Effective 5,886,579 5,330,573 2017-06-01 2021-05-31
Innovation action New Technologies
Multifunctional Cellulose Magnetic Hybrid (CMH)
CMHALGAE 751637 Nanomaterial for Integrating Downstream Processing of 160,800 160,800 2017-08-02 2019-08-01
Fellowships
Microalgae
MONSTAA 749910 Metabolism of Novel Strains of Arctic Algae 231,642 231,642 2017-09-01 2020-04-30
Fellowships
MC Research and
Development of microalgae-based natural UV Sunscreens
ALGAECEUTICALS 778263 Innovation Staff 1,129,500 1,129,500 2018-01-01 2021-12-31
and Proteins as cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals
Exchange
132
Annex 9. Biomass biorefineries projects
Acronym Project no. Funding scheme Project name Overall Budget EU Funding Start End
SME focused Integrated bioconversion of glycerine into value-added
PROPANERGY 212671 2,748,295 1,823,893 2008-01-01 2011-12-31
research project products and biogas at pilot plant scale
SME focused Sustainable and integrated production of liquid biofuels,
GLYFINERY 213506 4,973,221 3,754,806 2008-03-01 2012-02-29
research project bio-energy & green chemicals from glycerol in biorefineries
CSA-SA - Support Development of advanced biorefinery schemes to be
BIOREF-INTEG 212831 1,452,930 995,082 2008-06-01 2010-05-31
actions integrated into existing industrial fuel producing complexes
CSA-SA - Support Developing advanced biorefinery schemes for integration
SUSTOIL 213637 1,178,874 992,197 2008-06-01 2010-05-31
actions into existing oil production/transesterification plants
Forest biorefineries: Added-value from chemicals and
Large-scale
AFORE 228589 polymers by new integrated separation, fractionation and 10,746,919 7,600,000 2009-09-01 2013-08-31
integrating project
upgrading technologies
Sustainable products from economic processing of biomass
SUPRA-BIO 241640 Collaborative project 17,460,612 12,318,163 2010-02-01 2014-07-31
in highly integrated biorefineries
BIOCORE 241566 Collaborative project Biocommodity refinery 20,522,739 13,920,237 2010-03-01 2014-02-28
European multilevel integrated biorefinery design for
EUROBIOREF 241718 Collaborative project 36,648,416 23,073,794 2010-03-01 2014-02-28
sustainable biomass processing
SYNPOL 311815 Collaborative Project Biopolymers from syngas fermentation 9,939,222 7,344,554 2012-10-01 2016-09-30
Marie Curie Initial Sustainable biomass conversions by highly efficient
SUBICAT 607044 3,943,850 3,943,850 2013-10-01 2017-09-30
Training Networks catalytic processes
Multi-product integrated biorefinery of algae: from carbon
MIRACLES 613588 Collaborative Project 11,911,245 8,991,903 2013-11-01 2017-10-31
dioxide and light energy to high-value specialties
D-FACTORY 613870 Collaborative Project The microalgae biorefinery 10,083,864 7,177,440 2013-12-01 2017-11-30
Valorisation of biorefinery by-products leading to closed
VALOR-PLUS 613802 Collaborative Project loop systems with improved economic and environmental 9,950,805 7,413,755 2013-12-01 2017-11-30
performance
CSA - Coordination
INNPROBIO 652599 Forum for Bio-Based Innovation in Public Procurement 1,971,806 1,964,869 2015-03-01 2018-02-28
and support action
Marie Curie Int.
VALOWASTE 624609 Valorisation of waste streams from the agro food sector 230,037 230,037 2015-06-01 2017-05-31
Incoming Fellowship
BBI Innovation Processing Underutilised Low value sugarbeet Pulp into
PULP2VALUE 669105 11,428,348 6,589,180 2015-07-01 2019-06-30
action - Demo VALUE added products (PULP2VALUE)
Combined Ultrasonic and Enzyme treatment of
US4GREENCHE BBI Research and
669055 Lignocellulosic Feedstock as Substrate for Sugar Based 3,803,925 3,457,603 2015-07-01 2019-06-30
M Innovation action
Biotechnological Applications
Research and SUNlight-to-LIQUID: Integrated solar-thermochemical
SUN-to-LIQUID 654408 6,150,031 4,450,618 2016-01-01 2019-12-31
Innovation action synthesis of liquid hydrocarbon fuels
BBI Innovation Flagship demonstration of an integrated plant towards
EXILVA 709746 44,698,677 27,433,611 2016-05-01 2019-04-30
action - Flagship large scale supply and market assessment of MFC
Bio-based Industries
BIOSKOH’s Innovation Stepping Stones for a novel
BIOSKOH 709557 Innovation action - 30,122,314 21,568,194 2016-06-01 2021-05-31
European Second Generation BioEconomy
Flagship
BBI Innovation BIO-based products from FORestry via Economically Viable
BIOFOREVER 720710 16,212,634 9,937,997 2016-09-01 2019-08-31
action-Demo European Routes
STAR4BBI 720685 BBI Coordination Standards and Regulations for the Bio-based Industry 995,878 995,878 2016-09-01 2019-08-31
133
and Support action
Research and
BIOMATES 727463 Reliable Bio-based Refinery Intermediates 5,923,316 5,923,316 2016-10-01 2020-09-30
Innovation action
MACRO BBI Research and MACRO CASCADE – Cascading Marine Macroalgal
720755 4,455,064 4,156,356 2016-10-01 2020-09-30
CASCADE Innovation action Biorefinery
BBI Research and New enzymatic oxidation/oxyfunctionalization technologies
EnzOx2 720297 5,000,000 3,000,000 2016-11-01 2019-10-31
Innovation action for added value bio-based products
BBI Innovation Valorisation of mushroom agrowastes to obtain high value
FUNGUSCHAIN 720720 8,143,661 5,700,547 2016-11-01 2020-10-31
action - Demo products
BBI Research and Direct and indirect biorefinery technologies for conversion
InDIRECT 720715 2,089,671 1,347,948 2016-11-01 2019-10-31
Innovation action of organic side-streams into multiple marketable products
Research and Advanced biofuel production with energy system
Ambition 731263 2,494,986 2,494,986 2016-12-01 2019-11-30
Innovation action integration
Research and Fuel and chemicals from lignin through enzymatic and
FALCON 720918 6,555,884 6,148,784 2017-01-01 2020-12-31
Innovation action chemical conversion
Research and
RES URBIS 730349 REsources from URban BIo-waSte 3,377,915 2,996,689 2017-01-01 2019-12-31
Innovation action
Marie Curie Indivi-
TASAB 706642 Towards a sustainable algal biorefinery 183,455 183,455 2017-01-01 2018-12-31
dual Fellowships
ERC Consolidator The Lignin-First Approach for the Full Valorisation of
LIGNINFIRST 725762 1,999,756 1,999,756 2017-03-01 2022-02-28
Grant Lignocellulosic Biomass
Research and Scenarios for integration of bio-liquids in existing
4REFINERY 727531 5,965,474 5,965,474 2017-05-01 2021-04-30
Innovation action REFINERY processes
Commercial flagship plant for bioethanol production
BBI Innovation
LIGNOFLAG 709606 involving a bio-based value chain built on lignocellulosic 34,969,215 24,738,840 2017-06-01 2022-05-31
action - Flagship
feedstock
Demonstration of an integrated innovative biorefinery for
BBI Innovation
URBIOFIN 745785 the transformation of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into 15,061,283 10,946,366 2017-06-01 2021-05-31
action - Demo
new BioBased products (URBIOFIN)
From bio-based feedstocks via di-acids to multiple
BBI Innovation
PEFERENCE 744409 advanced bio-based materials with a preference for 44,818,923 24,999,610 2017-09-01 2022-08-31
action - Flagship
polyethylene furanoate
BBI Research and Sustainable structural and multifunctional biocomposites
SSUCHY 744349 7,411,151 4,457,195 2017-09-01 2021-08-31
Innovation action from hybrid natural fibres and bio-based polymers
BBI Innovation
From forest to feed: enable the wood industry to bridge the
SYLFEED 745591 action - 15,579,451 10,892,599 2017-09-01 2021-08-31
protein gap
Demonstration
AGRICHEMWHE BBI Innovation An integrated biorefinery for the conversion of dairy side
744310 29,949,323 22,007,931 2018-01-01 2021-12-31
Y action - Flagship streams to high value bio-based chemicals
Sustainable and efficient bio-chemical catalytic cascade
BioCatPolymers 760802 Innovation action 5,351,985 4,362,048 2018-01-01 2020-12-31
conversion of residual biomass to high quality biopolymers
Research and Biological routes for CO2 conversion into chemical building
BioRECO2VER 760431 6,990,938 6,812,188 2018-01-01 2021-12-31
Innovation action blocks
Research and Engineered microbial factories for CO2 exploitation in an
ENGICOIN 760994 6,986,910 6,986,910 2018-01-01 2021-12-31
Innovation action integrated waste treatment platform
IProPBio 778168 MC Research and Integrated Process and Product Design for Sustainable 684,000 594,000 2018-01-01 2021-12-31
134
Innovation Staff Biorefineries
Exchange
135
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EUR 29910 EN

Name: Maria GEORGIADOU

Name: Thomas SCHLEKER

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2019

© European Union, 2019

The reuse policy of the European Commission is implemented by Commission Decision

Which technologies are covered?

• Wind energy • Hydropower

What are the main outputs?

The project produces the following report series:

 Technology Development Reports for each technology sector

 Technology Market Reports for each technology sector

How to access the reports

Table 1. Technology Readiness Level scale used by Horizon2020

1.2 Data sources

2.2 Biochemical processing

 Pressure Swing Adsorption, where CO2 is separated by adsorption on solid surface

 Membrane separation, where pressurized (5 – 20 bar) biogas passes through a membrane

2.3 Thermochemical processing

2.3.4 Hydrothermal processing

Table 3. Typical parameters of the hydrothermal processing options

HydroThermal Carbonization (HTC) converts biomass into a value-added product (hydrochar)

HydroThermal Gasification (HTG) is a process that involves a reaction at high temperature

HydroThermal Liquefaction (HTL), also known as hydrous pyrolysis, is a biomass to bio-liquid

2.3.5 Biomass gasification

Although several projects were implemented worldwide, biomass gasification is still at

2.4 Algae for bioenergy

Biorefineries integrate production of high-value, low-volume and low-value, high-volume

 conversion processes: mechanical (e.g., fractionation, extraction, pressing, pretreatment),

Figure 1. Biorefinery concepts

Table 4. Overview of the main characteristics of different biorefineries

Figure 3. EU funding for bioenergy technologies and number of projects

Algae HTL Algae HTL

Figure 4. Share of technology-related bioenergy projects

3.3 Cross-cutting bioenergy issues: international projects

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), as intergovernmental organisation,

Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (Agency for Renewable Resources, FNR) in Germany

3.4 Biochemical processing

3.4.2 Anaerobic digestion: international projects

3.5.2 Biomass combustion: international projects

A project investigated thermal carbonisation, and hydrothermal carbonisation to produce biochar

3.5.4 Torrefaction: international projects

In Canada, British Columbia Bioenergy Network (BCBN) funded in 2014 $1 million to

Source: Cremers et al 2015, ETIP, 2018.

Integrated biomass pyrolysis with gasification, thermo-catalytic reforming, and hydro

3.5.6 Pyrolysis: international projects

3.5.7 Hydrothermal processing

Table 6. Selection of R&D pyrolysis plants worldwide

Project Country Status TRL Output

Source: IEA Task 34, 2018.

Table 7. Selection of R&D Hydrothermal Liquefaction plants worldwide

Project Project name Country Type Outputs

3.5.10 Biomass gasification: international projects

A flagship gasification facility in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, UK, is expected to become

3.6 Algae for bioenergy

3.7 Algae for bioenergy: international projects

Some projects aimed to develop advanced biorefinery schemes to integrate biomass-processing

3.9 Biorefineries: international projects

3.10 Other support programmes

Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Climate-KIC is a