SECURECHAIN’s technical support to SMEs’ pilot projects relied on constant feedback between the SMEs and the team of local and international experts. Dedicated tasks targeting Sustainability and Financing helped to enhance the pilot project business concepts. To stimulate local SMEs, an open call for promising pilot project ideas was launched simultaneously in all model regions. The scope of the call was - on purpose - broad and open to all SMEs in bioenergy, without any preference for a given fuel type or conversion technology. The pilot project idea, however, had to show good potential to foster biomass mobilisation and/or market uptake of efficient bioenergy systems. In an evaluation, all proposals were ranked according to six criteria, and the most suitable ones were selected (20 out of 40 submitted proposals).
The award of an innovation voucher entitled an SMEs to obtain dedicated advice from a local consultant of their choice, to support the proposed solution and their business plan. Furthermore, the SMEs benefitted from the expertise of the consortium, which offered tailored, individual advice including: i) Assessment of locally available biomass supplies, ii) Technical appraisal and testing of new or improved equipment, iii) Feasibility of supply chain configurations and logistics, iv) Life Cycle Assessments of greenhouse gas emissions, v) Cost-benefit analyses and exploitation calculations, vi) Financial risk analyses, investment scenarios, business plans, vii) Certification trainings and company pre-audits, viii) Trainings e.g. on biomass harvesting, quality and business plan development.
SECURECHAIN developed and tested this approach within a variety of companies and regional settings. In total 20 pilot projects were initiated, which cover the entire bioenergy chain, from biomass harvesting and fuel production to energy conversion and recycling. The topics covered reflect the variety of technical bioenergy solutions proposed by SMEs:
• Biomass harvesting (8 pilots): Efficient harvesting of forest residues; biomass trade centre, improved biowaste sorting; low-impact harvesting in landscape maintenance; biomass logistics and trade centres; fast growing tree plantations; mixed feedstocks; efficient bio-briquets production; strategic storage facilities for quality wood chips
• Fuel production (4 pilots): Up-scaling wood chips and pellet production and marketing; wood waste recycling for energy use in wood industries
• Energy conversion (6 pilots): Optimal biomass boilers for small municipalities; collaborative / district heating networks, efficient mixed fuels; renovated heating systems, cogeneration plants; improved biogas plant; small CHP plants for village communities;
• Ash recycling (2 pilots): Wood ash pellets fertilizer
To ensure participation of more market actors, the project organised a series of outreach activities. The Learning Labs included meetings and workshops to sensitise local stakeholders about sustainable biomass use and bioenergy. Other participative events involved training sessions to raise capabilities of market actors, company visits, B2B seminars, presentations at industry fairs and conferences, and roundtables with public authorities and decision-makers. During study trips to other countries (Germany, Sweden, Austria), participants could visit various bioenergy companies and learn about best practice and latest systems (benchmarking).
