Queen Máxima and Minister Elanor Boekholt-O'Sullivan of Housing and Spatial Planning paid a working visit to the Achterhoek on Thursday, September 3. At the invitation of Building Balance, they visited three locations in Hengelo and Doetinchem, where the path from renewable raw material to finished home could be followed step by step. The visit is part of a series…
For two consecutive years, less biomass passed through Dutch coal-fired power plants. Last year, that reversed. The plants burned approximately the same amount again as in 2023, and just as in previous years, the material burned consisted almost entirely of residual streams from the wood processing industry. However, its origin shifted remarkably strongly towards Asia. That states…
German consumption of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) has risen sharply this year, with direct consequences for trade flows with the Netherlands. Trade association UFOP reports that HVO consumption so far amounts to approximately 205.000 tonnes, significantly more than in the same period last year. Figures from the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control BAFA show…
The United Kingdom is expected to consume 10,35 million tonnes of wood pellets this year, four percent more than in 2025 and the highest level to date. This is stated in a report by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture, published via the Global Agricultural Information Network. To meet that demand, is…
Dutch green gas production increased by 17 percent in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. The Green Gas Platform announced this on August 24, based on injection figures for the first half of the year. In absolute terms, the increase amounts to an additional 28 million cubic meters…
Residual streams from forests, agriculture, and households now have numerous applications, ranging from green gas and heat to bio-based chemistry and materials. Two of these yield climate benefits in fundamentally different ways. With biochar, you heat the material without oxygen, are left with a carbon-rich product, and introduce it into the soil, where the carbon long…
A fermentation plant in Amsterdam supplies approximately one thousand tonnes of CO2 to the greenhouse horticulture sector every month. The gas is released during the production of green gas from organic waste streams and no longer disappears into the atmosphere, but enters the greenhouses as a fertilizer. Waste company Renewi collects the organic waste from restaurants, supermarkets, and households in the Netherlands and…
Nestlé’s coffee factory in Tutbury, UK, obtained 47 percent of the required steam from a biomass boiler running on used coffee grounds in 2025. A year earlier, this was 37 percent. Nestlé UK announced this on August 18. The increase is the result of adjustments to the process, enabling the factory to obtain 97,7 percent of the…
LTO Nederland believes that the proposed green gas blending obligation offers insufficient certainty that new production capacity will be added in the Netherlands. The organization wrote this in its contribution of August 12 to the online consultation on the ministerial regulation, which closed a day later. LTO supports the cabinet's ambition to substantially…
On August 12, the work vessel Kratt was christened at the Baltic Workboats shipyard on the island of Saaremaa. It is the first large work vessel of the Estonian State Fleet to run on biomethane, supplemented by a battery pack for electric propulsion. Starting in the autumn, the ship will lay and maintain buoys, monitor waterways, support marine research, and…
Raw material and auxiliary material from the same waste stream in new Argentine research. Researchers from Argentina have used pruning waste to create the carrier material for a catalyst that breaks down plant fibers into usable chemical building blocks. With this, the raw material and the auxiliary material come from the same source for the first time: plant-based residue. The study was published on August 12 in the…
The European Commission has approved two Dutch support schemes for the production of sustainable aviation fuel. Together, the schemes have a budget of 290 million euros. A notable aspect of the decision is the choice to support only those production routes that have been the hardest to get off the ground so far, including advanced biofuel from residual streams. The schemes target…
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has launched a new interactive map that provides insight into the sustainable technical potential of biogas and biomethane worldwide. According to the accompanying analysis, nearly 900 billion cubic meters of biogas can be produced annually from existing organic waste streams, enough to cover over 20 percent of current global gas demand. The map…
More and more municipalities in Europe are requiring residents to collect their vegetable, fruit, and garden waste separately. This growing stream of bio-waste needs to be processed somewhere, and this involves a choice that receives relatively little attention: opting for one large, central processing plant, or for smaller facilities close to the source. Researchers from the French institute SayFood published on 24…
On 17 July 2026, the European Commission presented its long-awaited proposal for the revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). The proposal establishes the legal framework for Phase 5 of the system, which runs from 2031 to 2040, and aligns with the European goal of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040…
Elevion Group has signed an agreement to fully acquire the Italian biogas and biomethane specialist BTS Biogas. The Amsterdam-based company, part of the Czech energy group ČEZ, is buying all shares of BTS Holdings Italy from the American BTS Bioenergy Europe. The deal still needs to be approved by the Italian competition authority and energy regulator. BTS Biogas builds…
Axens has announced the start of the ERA project, which stands for Ethanol to Refuel Aviation. The French technology company calls it the first industrial facility in France to produce sustainable aviation fuel from advanced bioethanol. The plant is scheduled to become operational in 2030. The facility will have a planned capacity of 50.000 tonnes of SAF per year. A definitive…
The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) signed a cooperation agreement on July 9 with four European networks representing the regional side of the bioeconomy. These are the European Forest Institute (EFI), the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN), the European Regions Network for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ERIAFF)…
The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), together with its members, has published a new study on the European market for biobased products. The conclusion is clear: there is no lack of technology or ambition, but rather a regulatory framework that actually stimulates demand for these products. It is the first time that BIC has provided such substantiation…
Two Ukrainian agricultural companies have announced plans for the construction of four new biomethane plants. The joint investment amounts to over 43,7 million euros. It is one of the larger private investments in the Ukrainian biomethane sector since the country first exported biomethane to the European Union in 2025. The majority of the money comes…
The Cabinet decided on July 10 not to finance the second phase of the National Growth Fund Programme BioBased Circular. The decision follows the advice of the National Growth Fund Committee and means that the reserved 236 million euros will not be converted into a final allocation. BioBased Circular had planned for the follow-up phase, running from…
The Biomassafeiten.nl newsletter for June 2026 has been sent to everyone who signed up. This edition brings together the most important news of the past month, focusing on developments regarding biomass, bio-based raw materials, bioenergy, and the broader bioeconomy. In June, it was clearly visible how broadly the role of biomass is now viewed. The articles…
European biomethane production grew by 17 percent over the past year. At the end of June 2026, installed capacity stood at 8,2 billion cubic meters per year, more than 1 billion cubic meters higher than a year earlier. This is evident from the European Biomethane Map, an annual survey by the European Biogas Association (EBA) and Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). The…
The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) published its annual report for 2025 on 30 June. This public-private partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium funds projects that help scale up the European bio-based industry. By the end of 2025, the program supported a total of 220 projects, of which 88 were ongoing, and 30 had just started…
The legislative proposal for the green gas blending obligation has been formally taken into consideration by the House of Representatives. The proposal and the accompanying documents are now public, and the Committee on Climate and Green Growth has set the submission deadline for the report for July 2, 2026. On June 24, Members of Parliament already held a roundtable discussion with experts on…
In 2025, 22,7 percent of total energy consumption in the Netherlands came from renewable sources. A year earlier, this was 20,2 percent. Total renewable energy consumption rose to 401 petajoules, eleven percent more than in 2024, while total energy consumption fell to 1.767 petajoules. This is evident from preliminary figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics…
Limburg-based Vertoro has completed the first closing of a €17 million Series B financing round. The company, based at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen, converts plant-based residues into a renewable oil that can replace fossil raw materials in fuels and chemicals. With the capital, Vertoro aims to take the next step in scaling up…
Degraded soil and underutilized biomass can contribute to healthier ecosystems and stronger rural economies. This is stated by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) in a publication dated June 16, released around the International Day against Desertification and Drought. According to the consortium, various European-funded projects demonstrate how biobased solutions can contribute to land…
A European research consortium presented the results of the TITAN project, a Horizon Europe project that directly converts biogas into hydrogen and solid carbon, during a closing conference in Brussels. This approach can offer biogas producers an additional revenue stream, particularly in locations where connection to the gas grid is expensive or technically difficult. Biogas consists largely of…
Biomass is considered a renewable feedstock for fuels and chemicals, but the material naturally contains too much oxygen to be directly usable. Before valuable molecules can be made from it, some of that oxygen must be removed, and catalysts are needed for this. In doing so, the industry often still relies on scarce precious metals such as platinum and…
The Cabinet is introducing a market-wide capacity mechanism to prevent the Netherlands from having insufficient electricity in the long term when solar and wind produce little. This could work out favorably for controllable bioenergy, as the new system rewards exactly what biomass and biogas plants do well: supplying power at the moment it is needed. Minister Van…
The European chemical umbrella organization Cefic wants the European Commission to introduce mandatory minimum shares for the use of bio-based raw materials in products. According to the organization, without such targets, insufficient market demand will be generated to scale up investments in the European bioeconomy. In a series of policy proposals, Cefic writes that the industry needs a…
The European Commission has launched three initiatives to accelerate the implementation of the European bioeconomy strategy. The most concrete component is a new alliance that aims to gather €10 billion in purchasing commitments from major European buyers of biobased products by 2030. The bioeconomy encompasses all economic activity based on biological raw materials from land…
Ukraine intends to increase biomethane production in the coming years. Biomethane is purified biogas that resembles natural gas in properties and can be fed into the gas grid. The Ukrainian Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture expects production to reach approximately 150 million cubic meters by the end of 2026. According to the ministry, demand from…
A broad coalition of green gas producers, grid operators, provinces, financial institutions, and energy suppliers has called upon the House of Representatives by letter to expedite the legislative proposal for the green gas blending obligation. The signatories fear that the consideration and vote in both Houses will take so much time that implementation as of January 1, 2027, will have to be postponed after all, and…
Companies and other stakeholders can respond to the Biomass Sustainability Decree. That decree must establish how companies demonstrate that the bio-based raw materials they use in the construction and chemical industries are sustainably produced. Bio-based raw materials can replace fossil raw materials in these sectors, thereby contributing to a climate-neutral and circular economy. At the same time, their production can…
Sustainable Biomass Program links greenhouse gas calculation to existing chain data The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has launched a calculation tool that enables companies with an SBP certificate to calculate and report their greenhouse gas emissions in the biomass chain. The GHG Calculator retrieves its data from the Data Transfer System, the system in which SBP shares information about certified biomass throughout the chain…
The chemical industry cannot do without carbon. It is found in virtually everything the sector produces: plastics and coatings, adhesives and solvents, fibers, cleaning products, and medicines. Currently, that carbon comes largely from oil, gas, and coal. Therefore, anyone wishing to make the chemical industry more sustainable cannot limit themselves to energy. The sector also has other…
The Netherlands and Brazil want to collaborate more closely on green hydrogen, bio-based raw materials, and a cleaner industry. Together with the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, TNO is investigating where the greatest opportunities lie. The goal is not only to exchange knowledge but, above all, to set up concrete projects between companies from both countries. The pressure…
The Cabinet is working on an electricity capacity market to ensure sufficient capacity remains available at times when solar and wind power supply little electricity. Fully coal-fired power plants cannot participate in this, writes Minister S. van Veldhoven-van der Meer of Climate and Green Growth in response to parliamentary questions from CDA MP Henk Jumelet. Other forms of controllable…
For years, the Netherlands held a firm place on the European energy map as a natural gas country. Following the end of gas extraction in Groningen, attention is shifting to a new role for the existing gas system. No longer exclusively as a carrier of fossil gas, but increasingly as infrastructure for green gas from manure, waste, and organic residues. The ambition…
The Green Elephant Alliance was launched during the European Biomass Conference & Exhibition. In this new collaboration, organizations are joining forces that aim to reduce the use of fossil raw materials. They focus on bio-based raw materials for fuels, chemicals, and materials. At the presentation, Peter Berben of ChemistryNL handed over an investment brochure to Rogier van Tooren on behalf of the alliance…
The European Commission wants to make farmers less dependent on expensive and imported fertilizers. In the new Fertiliser Action Plan, presented on 19 May 2026, Brussels links short-term support for farmers to a broader change of course. Bio-based fertilizers, digestate from fermentation, and recovered nutrients from residual streams are to play a greater role. High prices are affecting farmers…
Japanese researchers have modified blue-green algae that produce and excrete fatty acids through photosynthesis. These fatty acids can serve as a feedstock for biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel and diesel alternatives. In science, blue-green algae are called cyanobacteria. They are not true algae, but photosynthetic bacteria. The study was published in Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts. Harvesting makes algae fuels expensive. Blue-green algae are already considered…
European rules for sustainable aviation fuel may steer producers toward routes that are more expensive and require more energy than necessary. This is the conclusion of researchers from the Swedish Chalmers University of Technology in a new study on fuels derived from solid biomass residues, including residues from forestry. According to them, current regulations do not align well with the most efficient…
The European bioenergy sector wants Brussels to anchor biomass, biogas, biomethane, and biofuels more firmly in new energy policy. Trade association Bioenergy Europe believes that these forms of renewable energy are too often viewed as standalone climate measures. Whereas, according to the sector, they can actually help to make better use of European raw materials and make the energy supply less vulnerable. That…
Camelina, an oilseed crop from the cruciferous family, is set to play a larger role as a feedstock for biofuels. The crop has long been under investigation for the production of biodiesel, renewable diesel (a diesel substitute based on vegetable oils and fats), and sustainable aviation fuel, internationally referred to as SAF. Why camelina is interesting for biofuels Camelina has a relatively low…
For the first time, there are official European rules for certifying techniques that remove CO2 from the atmosphere and permanently sequester it. The associated certification system entered into force this month, including for biochar. Participation is voluntary, but those who participate will face clear quality requirements. This is important news for the biomass sector: biochar…
The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) has published a new call for grants for projects in the biobased industry. Applications can be submitted until 22 September 2026, 17:00. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) is organizing an online information session on Wednesday 27 May 2026 regarding this call and related topics within the CIRCBIO destination…
Green gas must become a strategic pillar of a robust and affordable energy system. This is stated by Platform Groen Gas in a publication dated April 30. According to the trade association, the Dutch energy supply is under pressure due to geopolitical tensions, grid congestion, and the phasing out of Groningen gas extraction. In this context, green gas can contribute to more stable prices and…
Hygiene and health group Essity is participating in the European research project PROTEUS, which is working on bio-based superabsorbent materials derived from sustainably harvested brown algae. The company is investigating whether raw materials from the brown algae Laminaria hyperborea can be used in products such as baby diapers, menstrual products, and incontinence materials, as an alternative to current fossil-based plastics. From fossil superabsorbents to seaweed…
On April 22, 2026, consultancy firm Guidehouse presented a new report on biogases in Europe to the European Parliament. The meeting was organized by the European Biogas Association (EBA), the European trade association for the biogas sector. The central question: how much renewable gas can Europe produce itself from residual streams and waste in the coming decades? Biogas is produced through the fermentation…
An extensive scientific review study, published in the journal Biochar, concludes that biochar is one of the most versatile and promising materials in the fight against climate change. The material, made from biomass, can simultaneously sequester carbon, improve soil quality, increase agricultural productivity, and purify water. The study, compiled by an international team of researchers, synthesizes a…
The Rotterdam chemical industry could require up to half as many fossil raw materials by 2050, but only if large-scale, coordinated development is chosen. That is the central conclusion of a new study commissioned by the Province of South Holland into syngas chains in the Rotterdam Port-Industrial Complex (HIC). The study, conducted by Tekenkamer van de…
Researchers have developed a new catalyst made from biomass that offers a promising alternative to the scarce and expensive platinum currently used in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. The breakthrough, published in the scientific journal Biochar, shows how renewable raw materials can be converted into high-value materials for clean energy technologies. From wood biomass to…
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Netherlands is organizing the NL Company Day during EUBCE 2026 in The Hague. Part of this day is a structured matchmaking program aimed at establishing new international contacts within the bioeconomy. The event takes place at the World Forum and is part of the broader congress program, to which…
The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) has published its work programme for 2026. In total, over €170 million is available for projects within the European bioeconomy, distributed across thirteen thematic calls. Focus on large-scale biorefineries An important part of the programme is the focus on so-called flagship projects. These involve large-scale demonstration plants that…
A group of sixty experts presented concrete measures at the second Grid Ready Forum in Brussels to accelerate the injection of biomethane into European gas grids. The infrastructure is already in place, but regulatory fragmentation and technical barriers are slowing down the rollout. Delays in the implementation of EU gas rules threaten to hinder the rollout, precisely at a moment…
The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), together with more than twenty European trade associations, has signed a joint letter to the European Parliament. The coalition calls on MEPs to explicitly retain agriculture and the bioeconomy in the next major European research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe 2028-2034. The reason for this is a draft report that on 13 March 2026…
The European Commission, through CORDIS, has released the results of BioUPGRADE, a now-completed research project into new applications of natural polymers from biomass. The project focused on the use of cellulose, hemicellulose, and chitin in, among other things, packaging materials, conductive inks, and hydrogels. BioUPGRADE ran from 2021 to the end of 2025 and was led by…
The European Investment Bank and the Italian energy group Eni have secured a loan of 500 million euros for a new biorefinery in Sannazzaro de' Burgondi, in Lombardy. With the funds, Eni intends to convert part of the existing refinery for the production of biofuels. The plant is scheduled to produce HVO diesel and sustainable aviation fuel starting in 2028. The…
Agricultural waste streams usually end up in compost, animal feed, or energy production. Researchers at the University of the Basque Country have now described a different application. They produced anode material for sodium-ion batteries from sunflower husks, a waste stream that normally has little economic value. In trials with small button cell batteries, these cells continued to function for up to 1.000 charge and discharge cycles. The study fits into…
New research from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology shows that, under a favorable scenario, Europe has enough biomass residue streams to completely replace fossil fuels in road transport. The potential is also significant in the shorter term. As early as 2030, more than half of fuel demand could be met by renewable liquid fuels. The…
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research and Utrecht University have developed a method to produce a versatile chemical building block from plant residues using electricity. The approach avoids toxic liquid bromine and uses a simpler reactor. The results have been published in ChemSusChem. The chemical industry relies heavily on fossil fuels and dangerous process steps…
Biomass is emerging in a debate where the sector seemed to be fading into the background in recent years. Not through a call for new subsidies or additional co-firing, but in the discussion regarding security of supply and the question of how the Netherlands keeps its electricity system robust as pressure mounts. The reason for this is the renewed attention to existing…
Since March 17, companies and knowledge institutions have been able to submit a pre-registration for a new call for proposals within the MOOI scheme for carbon removal. Notably, the RVO explicitly mentions scope for long-term storage of CO2 in products, including storage of CO2 from air, water, or biogenic point sources, and storage of CO2 in materials consisting of biomass. …
A broad group of European industrial organizations wants biomethane to be given a stronger place in European Union policy. In a joint statement dated March 24, the signatories call on Brussels to involve biomethane more explicitly in energy security, industrial competitiveness, and climate policy. According to the organizations, biomethane can help to reduce the use of fossil natural gas…
Europe potentially has sufficient capacity to meet a large part of its own demand for renewable energy and bio-based raw materials. This is evident from a recent analysis reported by Hernieuwbarebrandstoffen.nl. The outcome provides more direction regarding the role of biomass within the energy transition. The discussion on biomass often focuses on availability. The analysis shows…
A European consortium is launching a large-scale project to demonstrate that organic food waste can serve as a raw material for high-quality plastics. Within the CIRCLE project, seventeen partners are working on an industrial biorefinery that converts food waste streams into lactic acid and polylactic acid PLA. The project has a budget of approximately 27 million euros and is supported…
The General Court of the European Union has rejected the objections of environmental organisations against the European rules on biomass. As a result, biomass will provisionally continue to count within the EU rules that determine which investments qualify as sustainable. This is an important signal for the bioeconomy, as the European Commission is allowed to continue its current course. The case was…
On 17 March, the Council of the EU adopted conclusions on the new European bioeconomy strategy. In doing so, the Member States express support for an approach in which competitiveness, sustainability, innovation, and investment are central. According to the Council, the bioeconomy must develop into a competitive and sustainable pillar of the European economy by 2040.
For a long time, lignin was primarily considered a troublesome component of wood. The substance has a complex structure and is therefore not easy to utilize for high-value applications. In materials research, that perception is shifting. Researchers are increasingly looking at lignin as a building block for bio-based materials with specific functions, for example in nanoparticles, fibers, and additives for plastics. That development stands…
Biomass is primarily known as a source of heat, fuels, and chemical building blocks. New research in Nature Communications reveals a different application. Researchers describe how diverse biomass streams can be converted into hard carbon, a material that can be used in the negative electrode of batteries. The study focuses on so-called hard carbon. That material applies…
The Netherlands produced a record 132 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in 2025. New figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) show that renewable sources now account for 49 percent of total electricity production. Biomass remains a stable factor in this, contributing to security of supply and grid balance.
Bioscientist Vincent Eijsink of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences has received the 2026 Novonesis Biotechnology Prize. He is receiving this award for research that has clarified how tough biomass can be broken down much more efficiently. This insight is crucial for processing plant-based waste streams into biofuels, chemicals, and materials. A persistent mystery in…
The European bioeconomy continues to grow, but the transition from innovation to large-scale production remains challenging. This picture emerges from the 2025 Annual Report of the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC). The sector is expanding, attracting new members, and receiving increased attention in Brussels. At the same time, the question remains how new bio-based processes and…
The Netherlands is getting a national expertise center to help companies make new chemical substances and materials safer and more sustainable right from the start. TNO, the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), the VNCI (Association of Netherlands Industry and Employers), and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management joined forces on March 2, 2026. The center will focus on the principle of Safe and Sustainable by Design…
On March 4, 2026, the European Commission presented the Industrial Accelerator Act. With this plan, Brussels aims to grow the manufacturing industry to 20 percent of European GDP within ten years. For the bioeconomy and chemical sectors, the proposal includes concrete instruments to facilitate the transition to sustainable raw materials. Faster construction...
The Better Biomass Board of Experts has decided to no longer accept Guarantees of Origin (GOs) as official transaction documents for biomethane. This measure applies to all biomethane with a production date from 1 January 2026 onwards. Traders and producers within the Better Biomass scheme must now use a specific transaction document from the certification scheme itself. The…
The European Commission will publish the first call for accreditation of certification bodies within the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) framework in April 2026. This step marks the start of the practical implementation of the European system for carbon removal certification, which was adopted last year. The schedule for the remainder of 2026 was shared on March 2,…
During the DeCarbon Copenhagen 2026 conference, held from February 24th to 26th, the role of biomass in European industrial sustainability was analyzed. The experts present concluded that biogenic carbon is essential for sectors where few technological alternatives are available. The conference brought together representatives from the biomass trade, heavy industry, and digital…
During the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, the European Member States discussed the implementation strategy for bio-based fertilizers. The dialogue focused on removing technical barriers to RENURE products, which play a role in the transition of European agriculture and biochemistry. The core of the discussions in Brussels was the practical implementation…
While Ukraine's large-scale energy infrastructure faces persistent instability, the Dutch business community is working on practical, decentralized alternatives. By deploying Dutch biomass technology, towns and cities are becoming less dependent on the vulnerable central electricity grid. This approach, coordinated by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serves…
The energy company EemsGas has been awarded a €30 million investment subsidy for the construction of a biomass gasification plant in the Eemsmond region. The total investment for the project amounts to approximately €100 million. The subsidy will be used to build a plant that produces green gas from B-grade wood (demolition wood). The project is a…
In May 2026, The Hague will host the 34th edition of the European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE). This event is considered one of the most influential platforms for the biomass sector worldwide, bringing together more than 1.500 delegates from the scientific, business, and policy sectors. The central theme of this edition is…
On February 13, 2026, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) presented its recommendations for the base amounts of the SDE++ scheme for 2026. In collaboration with TNO and DNV, the parameters for the upcoming subsidy round were established. For the bioenergy sector, the report provides important frameworks for scaling up green gas and the use of biomass…
Bioenergy is the largest source of renewable energy in the European Union. Bioenergy Europe's recently published 2025 Landscape Report shows that the sector contributes to the stability of the energy supply through low dependence on external energy sources, particularly in heat supply. The report analyzes the current state of the EU energy system based on…
The European Commission states in a new report that industrial capacity for advanced biofuels must increase by a factor of 30 by 2030 to meet climate goals. The publication emphasizes that the current focus on refinery capacity alone is insufficient; the entire economic chain surrounding the collection of bio-based feedstocks must be revised. Scaling up is essential for…
The Dutch government has sharpened its ambitions for the European bioeconomy. In a recent BNC factsheet, the government responds to the European Commission's new plans. The core message: The Netherlands is committed to a circular chain in which bio-based raw materials are optimally utilized, with strong synergy between high-quality materials and sustainable energy supply. With the publication of…
Brussels is fully committed to a fossil-free future for European industry. The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) announced in mid-January 2026 that €172 million will be allocated to 24 new innovation projects. This investment should pave the way for the large-scale production of sustainable materials, chemicals, and fuels on European soil.
The biomass supplied from Malaysia to energy company RWE for co-firing in Dutch power plants meets current legal sustainability requirements. This is the conclusion of the Netherlands Emissions Authority (NEa) in a research report published Thursday. According to the regulator, this provides no legal basis for terminating subsidies or taking enforcement action. The research was…
In a recently published report, IEA Bioenergy concludes that the integration of biomass and hydrogen plays a crucial role in achieving climate goals. The analysis, titled "Biomass and Hydrogen: Allies for Net Zero," argues that these two energy carriers should not be viewed as competitors, but as complementary technologies that enhance the efficiency of renewable energy.
The chemical industry is exploring ways to replace fossil oil and gas with renewable sources. Last week, TNO presented new results from the Photons-to-Chemicals (P2C) project. This project uses sunlight directly to convert biogenic CO2 and green hydrogen into raw materials for the chemical industry. Biomass plays a key role in the transition to a…
The rules for supplying fuel to the Dutch transport sector have changed significantly. Effective January 1, 2026, the previous annual obligation has been replaced by the new "Fuel Transition Obligation." This is more than just a name change: for suppliers, it means a stricter focus on actual CO2 reduction and an extension of the rules to inland and maritime shipping. Companies…
As the days grow shorter and the festive lights come on, we look back on a year full of activity in the world of bioresources. We saw new initiatives blossom and established projects grow. It was heartening to see that knowledge sharing is effective. Increasingly, questions came from the sector and from policymakers who want…
The hunger for computing power for AI and cloud services is putting enormous pressure on the energy grid. While governments struggle to integrate new data centers, a recent study in the journal Energies points a new way: by combining biomass, residual heat, and nature-inclusive design, the data center can transform from an "energy guzzler" into a useful neighbor. Data centers are the…
HES Botlek Tank Terminal in Rotterdam will allocate sixty-five percent of its storage capacity to biofuels starting January 1, 2026. This is made possible by a new long-term contract with a major customer. With this step, the terminal is more than two years ahead of its own strategy, which aimed for sixty percent by 2028. The decision is well…
IEA Bioenergy published a new report on nitrogen flows from biomass combustion. The key point is that burning woody or agricultural waste streams handles nitrogen differently than fossil fuels. With biomass, a smaller portion of the nitrogen in the fuel is released as NOx. A significant portion remains in ash or is converted into harmless N2.
A new British-Ukrainian initiative is using miscanthus (elephant grass) to restore and sustain Ukraine's fragile energy supply. The project, called MERIT, focuses on utilizing abandoned and contaminated land. The goal is twofold: to create a reliable, decentralized energy source for reconstruction and to restore soil quality. Terravesta, a British company specializing…
BoerenNatuur and LTO Nederland are publishing a guideline that aims to bridge the gap between pilot projects and policy within the Common Agricultural Policy. The core principle is simple: ensure that pilot projects and policy work together systematically from the outset, organize process management, and ensure that promising outcomes are truly implemented in regulations and practice. Between 2021 and 2024, 22 pilot projects were conducted…
