The focus of the ETIP-SABS team was the support of the activities of the ETIP Bioenergy and to provide biofuels and bioenergy information to the public. ETIP Bioenergy is a contact point regarding information about research, technological, market, political, regulatory and financial developments and deployment activities such as the set-up, commissioning and operation of pilot and demonstration facilities, in relation to advanced biofuels and bioenergy.
A key task in the project was the implementation of the new structure and scope of ETIP Bioenergy. ETIP Bioenergy membership had to reflect the broader scope (in relation to EBTP) and the gaining importance of new end use sectors such as marine and aviation. ETIP Bioenergy now fully integrates the European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP), active since 2006, and the European Industrial Initiative Bioenergy (EIBI), which commenced in 2010. The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and the ETIP Renewable Heating and Cooling (ETIP RHC) are now represented in the SC. Cooperations with other organizations were started or intensified.
ETIP Bioenergy had a key role in drafting the Implementation Plan of SET-Plan Key Action 8 Renewable Fuels and Bioenergy. ETIP Bioenergy industrial experts co-chaired the Temporary Working Group for Action 8. The Implementation Plan that contains concrete R&I activities, and proposes relevant funding opportunities for their realization, was approved on 13th June 2018 by the SET-Plan Steering Group.
Within the project duration the EBTP website was relaunched with a completely new design and many new features building on the extensive existing contents.
The demonstration project database was continuously updated and currently includes 196 entries.
The reports and research project database contains over 316 resources including reports, presentations and journals about advanced biofuels and bioenergy. Topics cover feedstocks, conversion technologies, end use, sustainability, markets and policy. The stakeholder database currently lists 642 biofuel-related entities as well as individual biofuel and bioenergy experts.
Five new factsheets on different aspects of biofuels and bioenergy have been produced:
• aviation biofuels
• marine biofuels
• bioenergy RES hybrids
• biomass combined heat and power facilities
• biorefinery concepts.
The overall adjustments of the website including the modern layout, the content update as well as the new factsheets reflect renewed quality which is available for every stakeholder and underlines the achievement that the project compiled scientifically sound information about technological, market, political, regulatory and financially as well as deployment activities.
The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) from June 2016 has been actively presented at numerous workshops and occasions which also provided the chance to discuss the importance of the document and its topics to many stakeholders from the bioenergy and biofuel sector as well as recommendations for the SRIA update. The SRIA 2016 served as a key background document for the Temporary Working Group for the SET Plan Implementation Plan, Action 8.
In order to further strengthen the public presence of ETIP Bioenergy, promote sustainable advanced biofuels and other bioenergy carriers and gather feedback, recommendations and remarks from a broader panel of stakeholders, the consortium organized four public events. Each event had different scope and target groups, as well as thematic focus. Nonetheless, they have all been designed so to promote dialogue among different stakeholders on the main topics of the current bioenergy and advanced biofuels debate.
