FIBSUN focuses both on terrestrial and aquatic sources of biomass and will develop biorefinery processing for hemp (Cannabis sativa), wood (Populus spp., Robinia pseudoacacia, Salix spp.), cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.), cattail (Typha spp.) and common reed (Phragmites australis). FIBSUN’s target crops have been selected based on their suitability for abating desertification, organic matter loss or biodiversity loss, in a wide variety of pedoclimatic conditions. FIBSUN has established five sites on land that is either abandoned, or unsuitable for or unutilised in mainstream agriculture, due to economic or environmental challenges. The selected pilot sites are known to be responsive to management changes, and their suitability for biomass production has been confirmed. The first yields were measured, and soil quality assessed and comparisons to a degraded counterpart are in progress. Biomass batches were provided for laboratory and trials in the industrial facilities of the project partners and properties of hemp, cardoon, the selected wood species, cattail and common reed fibres have been performed at the laboratory scale in 2023-24, with promising results concerning their suitability for industrial applications.
FIBSUN will develop solutions for the construction, automotive and textile industries to replace fossil materials and provide sustainable alternatives. FIBSUN has started studying key factors for assessing the sustainability of biorefineries: feedstock types, conversion technologies and their respective conversion and energy efficiencies, manufactured product types (including co-products), and what products can be substituted by biobased products. Up-to-date life cycle analysis (LCA) methods were drafted to enable verifying the environmental sustainability performance of the novel biobased fibre processes and products and compare them to benchmarks.
Novel fibre substrates are needed to replace conventional materials and reduce the pressure to use woody biomass to the extent that the carbon sink of forested land is put at risk. The project has characterised the selected raw materials and fibres and continue to create innovative solutions for fibre processing and valorisation. FIBSUN has measured the fibre quality traits (mechanical properties and overall performance, e.g. fibre length, strength, stress resistance) of the piloted fibre products. Feedback from relevant industrial actors were collected and used as a basis for designing future industrial trials and feasibility of the selected business cases assessed.
Competitiveness in the construction, automotive and textile sectors is forecast to be increasingly based on sustainable growth. Novel value chains utilising non-fossil materials often suffer from undeveloped functional performance (e.g. logistical challenges, poor contract models), as well as underutilised potential for the cascading use of biomass. FIBSUN’s aim to fine tune all phases of the five PVT’s value chains, to facilitate fully functional production chains with improved resource efficiency and cascading use of raw materials, is still highly valid. FIBSUN has identified economic, social and environmental benefits and trade-offs in the value chains to increase the understanding of their connections. Reports on the PVTs were an important step towards showcasing the potential to implement biorefinery processes in realistic industrial environments. The first value chain analysis revealed weak points and provided valuable information on how best to improve the participating companies’ competitiveness. Methods for the environmental LCA were selected to enable and numerical proof of the improved sustainability in the piloted value chains.
