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RUNFASTER4EU- Flagship demonstRation of Bio-based valUe chaiNs For vAloriSaTion of sustAinable oil cropS for marketable applications

Project description

Growing sustainable bio-based industries

Sustainable industry starts with smart farming. Meeting the growing demand for bio-based products requires crops that do not compete with food. The EU-funded RUNFASTER4EU project aims to address this by growing low-risk oil crops such as safflower and rapeseed on marginal lands that are unsuitable for food crops. By upgrading processing plants in Italy, the project will show how to turn every part of these plants into intermediate and high-value final products. It will work directly with farmers to make sure the process actually improves soil health and traps carbon in the ground. With plans to expand into Greece, Romania, Serbia and Spain, the project expects to demonstrate that large-scale bio-production can be profitable without hurting the planet.

Objective

RUNFASTER4EU will demonstrate the sustainability and replicability at industrial scale (TRL8) of a new value chain focused on the large-scale cultivation of low-ILUC-risk oil crops on marginal lands, avoiding competition with food or feed. These crops will provide vegetable oils and residual biomass for high-value bio-based products (cosmetics formulations, bio-stimulants, feed ingredients, herbicides, dielectric fluids, bioplastics, NIPU for vertical gardens) in a cascading approach. Building on previous and ongoing EU projects (FIRST2RUN, BRILIAN, MIDAS, CARINA), RUNFASTER will i) enhance bio-based value chains, prioritizing soil health and carbon sequestration, ii) upgrade two flagship plants in Italy (Matrica - Porto Torres, Versalis - Crescentino) and iii) realize Large-scale cultivations, i.e. safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), validating innovative agronomic practices with farmer involvement. RUNFASTER partners will demonstrate downstream processing and cascading valorisation of biomass, with products tested by end-user industries to meet SSbD standards. Sustainability, circularity, and safety will be assessed via Life Cycle and Ecosystem Services methods. RUNFASTER will engage local communities, provide guidelines and training for farmers, and develop an IP-compliant exploitation strategy and business plan for replication. The approach will also be validated in Spain, Greece, Serbia, and Romania on fragile (i.e. contaminated) soils with other crops, such as cardoon and rapeseed.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-JU-IA - HORIZON JU Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024

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Coordinator

VERSALIS SPA
Net EU contribution
€ 4 814 025,00
Address
Viale Alcide De Gasperi n. 2
20097 SAN DONATO MILANESE MI
Italy
Region
Nord-Ovest Lombardia Milano
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost
€ 8 023 375,00

Participants (17)