Final Report Summary - BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW (Current situation and potential of the biorefinery concept in the EU: strategic framework and guidelines for its development)
The identification, classification and mapping of existing and future biorefineries in the EU was a topic in the SSA projects: 'Current situation and potential of the Biorefinery concept in the EU: Strategic framework and guidelines for its development' (BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW) and the 'Assessment of Biorefinery concepts and the implications for agricultural and forestry policy' (BIOPOL). The main objectives were to provide an overview of existing biorefineries, pilot plants and major RTD projects in the EU, to generate a view of the integration level of biorefineries in existing and new industry sectors and to provide information on other aspects relevant for formulation of policy recommendations.
A close cooperation between the projects BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW and BIOPOL was initiated. Through this cooperation, maximum added value should be created for further development of advanced biorefineries in Europe. Among others, this involved joint efforts on mapping of existing and future biorefineries, which is a topic in both projects. The cooperation established between the two projects included initially a common survey of industrial acceptance of the biorefinery concept and was strengthened during the course of the programs by a common mapping analysis. To enhance the added value, complementary approaches were chosen for finalisation and upgrading this joint work.
The BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW team has followed a 'bottom up' approach and made 19 sites interviews and or visits of selected known EU biomass industrial processing and biorefinery initiatives (pilot, demonstration). This approach provides more information on background, rationale and history. Specific key factors leading to the successful development of biorefineries have been identified.
The BIOPOL team has selected and performed a 'top-down approach' consisting of a mapping of existing industry sectors where current biorefineries have developed or can be expected to evolve according to the industry survey, a mapping of the presence of specific feedstock for various bio- refinery types in the EU27+ and the occurrence of biorefinery pilots, demo's and major biorefinery related R&D projects in the EU27+.
A joint questionnaire was prepared by the EUROVIEW and BIOPOL consortia at the start of the project, and was sent to approximately 2 800 industrial stakeholders in Europe. Each partner from the BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW and BIOPOL consortia was in charge of disseminating the questionnaire to industrial parties within its country. The other EU countries that were not represented in the consortia were handled depending on special contacts of each partner within those countries. The stakeholders of this questionnaire were either existing industrial companies or under project within the next two years, or pilot plant. They were targeted among the following industry categories:
1. chemicals industry
2. paper and pulp industry
3. sugar / starch industry
4. biofuels and biodiesel industry
5. syngas industry
6. heat and power (only co-production)
7. industry that transform co-products
8. petrochemical industries (Total, BP)
9. food / feed industries.
As far as the 'top-down' approach followed by BIOPOL was concerned, the performed industry survey indicated that 'current biorefineries' are mostly so-called first-stage biorefineries or biomass processing industries (according to the chosen definition, these are not necessarily bio-refineries) in the industrial activity sectors:
- chemical industries (including biotechnology);
- sugar and starch sector;
- forestry sector (including pulp and paper);
- biofuels sector.
Furthermore, the identified biomass processing industries have been categorised as 'multiple industry companies', and 'other industries'. Based on these initial results, a two-fold approach was selected and performed by the BIOPOL team to finalise the mapping study, consisting of a top-down approach through:
- mapping the presence in the EU27+ of the industrial sectors given above where biorefineries can be expected now or in the future based on aggregate data from Eurostat and other sources;
- mapping of the presence in the EU27+ of a number of major biorefiney feedstock based on FAO and other data;
- production of maps locating all gathered data in the EU27+ countries.
In addition, the BIOPOL consortium performed an inventory aimed at:
- identification of existing or planned biorefinery plants in the EU27+;
- identification of biorefinery related R&D, pilot and demonstration projects in the EU27+.
The 'bottom-up' approach of BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW consisted in listing and analysing the main agro-industrial sites present in Europe, in order to identify which could be considered as biorefineries, or on the way to become a biorefinery, according to the various concepts and definitions retained by BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW partners. The selected sites covered the major type of resources that can be used in the biorefinery approach: sugar industry; sugar and starch industry; starch industry; oilseed industry, paper industry, waste industry. These industries were located in the various countries of BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW and BIOPOL consortium: Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Germany.
In conclusion, a few integrated biorefineries regarding the definition developed by the BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW consortium have been identified. The project team tried to propose a first classification of the different types of agro- industries among this terminology and their definition:
not a biorefinery: agro-industrial sites which use biomass but which cannot be defined as a biorefinery, considering the definition explain by the BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW consortium;
important R&D centre: pilot plant and demonstration plant alone working on biorefinery concept; biorefineries plants which can be classified among the four selected concepts (oilseed, cereal, green and forest-based and lignocellulosic biorefineries);
integrated biorefineries: different plants on the same site, which cannot be considered as biorefineries alones, but together part of an integrated biorefinery, or one plant using different type of feedstock, consequently different possible classification among the four selected concepts;
future biorefineries: considering information collected (some directly from the industrial survey concerning planning in the next 5 to 10 years) on projects that will transform the agro-industrials plant to a biorefinery site (construction of another plant close to the existing, pilot plant).
Among the 110 answers from the questionnaire, 89 industries have not been characterised as biorefineries, but 9 agro-industries have been classified as biorefineries or part of an integrated site of a biorefinery (integrated biorefinery), 8 as future biorefineries and 4 as R&D centre, pilot or demonstration plant on biorefinery subject.
More details on the project's findings and conclusions can be found at the projects' websites, at: BIOPOL, EUROVIEW.
A close cooperation between the projects BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW and BIOPOL was initiated. Through this cooperation, maximum added value should be created for further development of advanced biorefineries in Europe. Among others, this involved joint efforts on mapping of existing and future biorefineries, which is a topic in both projects. The cooperation established between the two projects included initially a common survey of industrial acceptance of the biorefinery concept and was strengthened during the course of the programs by a common mapping analysis. To enhance the added value, complementary approaches were chosen for finalisation and upgrading this joint work.
The BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW team has followed a 'bottom up' approach and made 19 sites interviews and or visits of selected known EU biomass industrial processing and biorefinery initiatives (pilot, demonstration). This approach provides more information on background, rationale and history. Specific key factors leading to the successful development of biorefineries have been identified.
The BIOPOL team has selected and performed a 'top-down approach' consisting of a mapping of existing industry sectors where current biorefineries have developed or can be expected to evolve according to the industry survey, a mapping of the presence of specific feedstock for various bio- refinery types in the EU27+ and the occurrence of biorefinery pilots, demo's and major biorefinery related R&D projects in the EU27+.
A joint questionnaire was prepared by the EUROVIEW and BIOPOL consortia at the start of the project, and was sent to approximately 2 800 industrial stakeholders in Europe. Each partner from the BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW and BIOPOL consortia was in charge of disseminating the questionnaire to industrial parties within its country. The other EU countries that were not represented in the consortia were handled depending on special contacts of each partner within those countries. The stakeholders of this questionnaire were either existing industrial companies or under project within the next two years, or pilot plant. They were targeted among the following industry categories:
1. chemicals industry
2. paper and pulp industry
3. sugar / starch industry
4. biofuels and biodiesel industry
5. syngas industry
6. heat and power (only co-production)
7. industry that transform co-products
8. petrochemical industries (Total, BP)
9. food / feed industries.
As far as the 'top-down' approach followed by BIOPOL was concerned, the performed industry survey indicated that 'current biorefineries' are mostly so-called first-stage biorefineries or biomass processing industries (according to the chosen definition, these are not necessarily bio-refineries) in the industrial activity sectors:
- chemical industries (including biotechnology);
- sugar and starch sector;
- forestry sector (including pulp and paper);
- biofuels sector.
Furthermore, the identified biomass processing industries have been categorised as 'multiple industry companies', and 'other industries'. Based on these initial results, a two-fold approach was selected and performed by the BIOPOL team to finalise the mapping study, consisting of a top-down approach through:
- mapping the presence in the EU27+ of the industrial sectors given above where biorefineries can be expected now or in the future based on aggregate data from Eurostat and other sources;
- mapping of the presence in the EU27+ of a number of major biorefiney feedstock based on FAO and other data;
- production of maps locating all gathered data in the EU27+ countries.
In addition, the BIOPOL consortium performed an inventory aimed at:
- identification of existing or planned biorefinery plants in the EU27+;
- identification of biorefinery related R&D, pilot and demonstration projects in the EU27+.
The 'bottom-up' approach of BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW consisted in listing and analysing the main agro-industrial sites present in Europe, in order to identify which could be considered as biorefineries, or on the way to become a biorefinery, according to the various concepts and definitions retained by BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW partners. The selected sites covered the major type of resources that can be used in the biorefinery approach: sugar industry; sugar and starch industry; starch industry; oilseed industry, paper industry, waste industry. These industries were located in the various countries of BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW and BIOPOL consortium: Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Germany.
In conclusion, a few integrated biorefineries regarding the definition developed by the BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW consortium have been identified. The project team tried to propose a first classification of the different types of agro- industries among this terminology and their definition:
not a biorefinery: agro-industrial sites which use biomass but which cannot be defined as a biorefinery, considering the definition explain by the BIOREFINERY EUROVIEW consortium;
important R&D centre: pilot plant and demonstration plant alone working on biorefinery concept; biorefineries plants which can be classified among the four selected concepts (oilseed, cereal, green and forest-based and lignocellulosic biorefineries);
integrated biorefineries: different plants on the same site, which cannot be considered as biorefineries alones, but together part of an integrated biorefinery, or one plant using different type of feedstock, consequently different possible classification among the four selected concepts;
future biorefineries: considering information collected (some directly from the industrial survey concerning planning in the next 5 to 10 years) on projects that will transform the agro-industrials plant to a biorefinery site (construction of another plant close to the existing, pilot plant).
Among the 110 answers from the questionnaire, 89 industries have not been characterised as biorefineries, but 9 agro-industries have been classified as biorefineries or part of an integrated site of a biorefinery (integrated biorefinery), 8 as future biorefineries and 4 as R&D centre, pilot or demonstration plant on biorefinery subject.
More details on the project's findings and conclusions can be found at the projects' websites, at: BIOPOL, EUROVIEW.
