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
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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
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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
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• 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)
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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”)
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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
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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