In order to foster the development of sustainable biomass-based energy technologies, different fields of research must be integrated.
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The table below presents the current and future key areas of R&D regarding bioenergy
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Stage
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Emerging technologies
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Future technologies
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Biomass resources
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• New energy crops
• New oilseed crops
• Bio-waste management
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• Bio-engineering of new energy plants
• Development of low-energy agricultural production systems
• Aquatic biomass (algae)
• IT methods in land and biological systems management
|
|
Supply systems
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• Use of new agro-machinery
• Biomass densification
• Other simple pretreatments (e.g. leaching)
• Logistics of supply chains
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• Biorefining
• Biotech-based quality monitoring throughout the whole procurement chain
• IT tools for supply chain modelling and optimal management
|
|
Conversion
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• Advanced combustion
• Co-combustion
• Gasification
• Pyrolysis
• Bioethanol from sugar and starch
• Bioethanol from lignocellulosic material
• Biodiesel from vegetable oils
• Advanced anaerobic digestion
|
• Biohydrogen (hydrogen from bioconversion of biomass)
• Plasma-based conversions
• Advanced bioconversion schemes
• Other novel conversion pathways (e.g. electrochemical)
• Novel schemes for down-stream processing (e.g. of pyrolytic liquids or synthetic FT-biofuels)
|
|
End products
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• Bioheat
• Bioelectricity
• Transport biofuels
• Upgraded solid biofuels (pellets)
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• Use of hydrogen in fuel cells
• Use of FT-biofuels in new motor-concepts e. g. CCS (Combined Combustion Systems)
• New bio-products (biotech)
• Complex, multi-product systems (IT)
• CO2 sequestration; other new end-use “cultures” (e.g., user-friendliness, “closed cycle”)
|
|
System integration
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• Normalisation and standards
• Best practices
• Economic/ecological modelling and optimisation
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• IT-based management
• Socio-technical and cultural design of applications
• Sustainability based on global as well as local effects
|
Source: Risoe energy report 2, 2003
Most of the current EU R&D programmes related to bioenergy are carried out within the 6th Framework Programme and the Intelligent Energy for Europe framework.
- The Sixth Framework Programme covers Community activities in the field of research, technological development and demonstration (RTD) for the period 2002 to 2006 http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/home.cfm
- "Intelligent Energy - Europe" (EIE) is the Community’s support programme for non-technological actions in the field of energy, precisely in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. The duration of the programme is from 2003-2006. http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/intelligent/index_en.html
