(especially in the field of bio-based raw materials) There are a lot of conferences happening in the Netherlands these days. Open LinkedIn and you'll see one lineup after another. Because I'm in that bubble, meetings about energy and chemistry dominate my timeline. I attend some of them, like this week's annual Energy Day of the online magazine Energeia.
The upcoming elections promise to be exciting, not only politically, but especially for climate policy in the Netherlands. While the formation will undoubtedly revolve around purchasing power, migration, and security, an equally important issue lies beneath the surface: how do we proceed with our energy transition, and with biomass as a component of it?
While tensions are increasing worldwide and new priorities are being set, the sustainability of our energy and material supply remains more than necessary. For the reader of Biomass Facts this is a known fact, but how can we achieve this together. From the international cooperation within the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and Mission Innovation I see from…
The last year the European petrochemical industry has entered into a downward spiral with almost weekly announcements of closures of production facilities. For me as a chemist working in the industry for more than 25 years, it is really fascinating to observe an industrial transformation in real time! The war in Ukraine and more recently…
“Will anything come of it?” is the first reaction that makes you sigh when you see how much is being discussed in various international bodies about sustainability, but not being acted upon. We have just finished COP29 where we did not get much further than statements such as: “In connection with the climate threat, immediate…
Roger Blokland, co-founder of Relement, shares a fascinating insight into the development of his company and the growing role of biomass in the chemical industry in an interview with Biomassafeiten.nl. This interview shows the passion and dedication of these people, and shows how companies like Relement contribute to a more sustainable future, with biomass as an important raw material. Rogers' personal story is a good example of this.
Many sectors see a role for bio-based materials in the energy and raw materials transition. However, there are still many uncertainties: about the extent to which the available amount of bio-raw materials will be sufficient for the growing demand in various sectors, what the role of bio-raw materials is in the transition, and about the environmental effects of the cultivation of non-food crops. Of…
What about cutting down trees for woody biomass? There is regular discussion about this, especially on social media. Using facts, we explain that no trees are cut down specifically for woody biomass, but that woody biomass is a by-product of forest management and not a goal in itself. Woody biomass…
Biomass is our oldest source of energy (after the sun) but has largely been replaced by fossil fuels. In recent decades there has been a revival of the use of biomass, with the aim of replacing fossil fuels with sources with lower net CO2 emissions. A bio boiler emits CO2 and yet a bio boiler is considered…
On Friday, April 9, a letter was sent to the Informateur and the Group Chairs of VVD, D66, CDA, CU, PvdA, GL and SP with the call to anchor a number of points regarding biomass in the Coalition Agreement. The letter was signed by a broad coalition that is working on sensible and high-quality application of bio-raw materials (biomass). Of…
