The fashion industry is known for its significant ecological footprint. To reduce this impact, an interdisciplinary team from the University of Groningen is focusing on an innovative alternative: clothing made from mycelium, the root network of fungi. Thanks to a jubilee grant of €100.000 from the Gratama Foundation, they can continue this promising research. A collaboration between science and…
The sustainability of the shipping sector is slowly gaining momentum. Although the maritime sector accounts for around three percent of global CO₂ emissions, the transition to sustainable fuels is lagging far behind other sectors. However, there are opportunities, especially in the use of biofuels. A new report from IEA Bioenergy shows that these fuels…
ChemistryNL is making €5 million available for public-private partnerships that contribute to a sustainable chemical sector. Project proposals can be submitted until 16 September 2025. The new funding round focuses on three themes: water quality and monitoring, carbon capture & utilisation (CCU), and bio-based feedstocks for circular materials. Each theme will be allocated one third of the total budget, with a…
On 11 April 2025, the government presented its vision to make the Netherlands a global leader in biotechnological innovation and application by 2040. With targeted investments, low-regulation testbeds and a focus on social applications, the government wants to use biotechnology as a key technology for health, sustainability and economic growth. Biotechnology offers solutions for urgent social…
A look at new research examining biohubs – and why they’re essential for a sustainable future. The energy transition is driving the need for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Biomass plays an important role in this, but to efficiently collect, process and distribute these resources, a smart logistics approach is needed.…
Materiom, an organization that uses data and AI to support scientists, manufacturers and designers in the development of bio-based materials, has announced the launch of Materiom AI: an innovative chatbot that helps users discover biopolymers, ingredients and additives for sustainable materials development. The chatbot, powered by Google’s Gemini technology, is designed to simplify the…
New scientific research shows how plant residues can contribute to sustainable energy and raw materials On April 3, 2025, a groundbreaking study on agricultural waste, conducted by researchers Mihai Brebu, Daniela Ioniță, and Elena Stoleru, was published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports. The article, titled “Thermal behavior and conversion of agriculture biomass residues by torrefaction and…
The Dutch Sustainable Energy Association (NVDE) sees manure fermentation as a promising solution to the nitrogen problem that the Netherlands is currently facing. According to recent research by Common Futures, manure fermentation can reduce the nitrogen in agriculture by ten million kilos by 2030, which amounts to a quarter of the required nitrogen reduction. This development can help…
In 2024, the Dutch transport sector achieved an impressive increase in the use of renewable energy. According to the Dutch Emissions Authority (NEa), the share of renewable energy increased by no less than 50% compared to 2023. This development contributes significantly to the reduction of CO₂ emissions from transport fuels and marks an important step towards a more sustainable…
Until recently, data centers were largely background infrastructure—quietly plugging away enabling us to send emails, work online and stream our favorite shows. That all changed in November 2022, when OpenAI released the first iteration of ChatGPT. Since then, so-called 'hyperscalers', those investing in large-scale data centers such as Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet, have been…
As of today, 1 April 2025, the new EKOO-Biobased Circular (EKOO-BBC) subsidy scheme has been opened. This scheme, part of the Biobased Circular Growth Fund Programme, makes €2,5 million available for consortia that want to investigate the industrial and economic feasibility of innovative production and recycling processes and applications of biopolyesters. The subsidy is aimed at partnerships between companies and research organisations that…
In a world increasingly dependent on renewable energy sources, biomass gasification offers a promising route to climate-positive hydrogen production. IEA Bioenergy Task 33 recently published a comprehensive report examining the opportunities and challenges of this technology. Hydrogen from biomass: a promising innovation Hydrogen is often seen as a…
Wood, flax, elephant grass and other plant-based raw materials are gaining ground in construction. And not without reason: biobased building materials can play an important role in the fight against climate change. But how sustainable are these materials really? And how do they compare to traditional building materials such as concrete and plastic? These questions were central to a recent study by…
During the National Conference on the Circular Economy, six levels of government, including the central government, provinces, municipalities and water boards, officially signed the agreement on the Joint Forces of the Central Government and the Region on the Circular Economy 2025-2026. The aim of this collaboration is to accelerate and strengthen the implementation of the National Program for the Circular Economy (NPCE). Although the collaboration is broader than just…
Bioenergy can play a key role in the transition to sustainable energy, especially if it is deployed flexibly. But how do different countries view this? IEA Bioenergy asked its own experts. The energy transition requires an energy system that moves with the supply of sun and wind. Because these sources are not always available…
Today, March 24, 2025, we are commemorating a special moment in the Dutch energy transition: Green Energy Day. This day marks the moment when all sustainable energy produced in the Netherlands that year is 'used up' if we were to use it consecutively. This year we have moved forward no less than 16 days compared to…
Minister Hermans (Climate and Green Growth) has sent the final draft Climate Plan 2025-2035 to the House of Representatives. This plan outlines the long-term strategy to make the Netherlands climate neutral in 2050 and contains concrete choices for the period 2030-2035. The Senate has also received a similar letter. A striking part of the Climate Plan is the role of bio-based raw materials…
BIC Trend Report 2024-2025 highlights the importance of biomanufacturing for Europe’s future Europe is facing a major transition towards a more sustainable industry. According to the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) Trend Report 2024-2025, biomanufacturing can play a key role in this transition. Biomanufacturing uses biological feedstock to produce materials and chemicals and…
Reudink, the organic animal feed producer and part of ForFarmers, is taking an important step towards sustainability by switching to biogas from local dairy farmers in Laren and Lochem. This transition is intended to make the production location in Lochem CO₂ neutral by 2026. The company reports this in a message on its website. Although Reudink already…
From 1 April 2025, entrepreneurs and researchers can apply for new subsidy opportunities for sustainable innovations in the built environment through the Energy & Climate Research and Development (EKOO) scheme. This scheme places a strong emphasis on innovative solutions for making homes and utility buildings more sustainable, including the use of biobased materials and circular applications.…
Interest in fibre hemp is growing steadily, mainly because of the valuable role it can play as a biobased building material. Building Balance, in collaboration with farmers, researchers and processors, has examined the developments and cultivation results of 2023 and 2024. The findings shed new light on the possibilities and challenges for hemp cultivation in the Netherlands. Hemp fibres…
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a new report on how bioenergy production can be better integrated into broader bioeconomy networks. Instead of using bio-resources for just one purpose, the report “Synergies for bioenergy supply chains in bioeconomy networks” advocates a system in which energy, materials and nutrients are combined more intelligently. Traditionally,…
In 2024, a milestone was reached in the Netherlands: for the first time, half of total electricity production came from renewable sources such as solar, wind and biomass. According to recent figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), electricity production from renewable sources increased by 10 percent to 61 billion kWh, while production from…
The tenth edition of the Circular Economy Week will take place from 17 to 22 March 2025. During this national event, pioneers, companies and governments will open their doors to show how circular entrepreneurship works in practice and how we can deal with raw materials and waste more intelligently. Biobased innovations and…
Europe is taking an ambitious step towards a sustainable future with the introduction of the Clean Industrial Deal, the successor to the Green Deal. This initiative supports countries and companies in their transition to sustainability, while strengthening economic resilience and competitiveness vis-à-vis major powers such as the United States and China. With this deal,…
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has announced that the opening of the Sustainable Energy Production and Climate Transition (SDE++) subsidy for 2025 has been postponed by one month. Entrepreneurs can submit their applications from 7 October to 6 November 2025. This postponement offers additional time to prepare high-quality applications. In order to…
French company Haffner Energy has opened a new production site in Marolles, where hydrogen is made from biomass. This means that no fossil fuels or large amounts of electricity are needed to produce hydrogen. Instead, the plant uses agricultural waste streams and other plant materials to produce hydrogen gas and biochar.…
A recent report from IEA Bioenergy Task 39 highlights the crucial role of advanced biofuels in reducing CO₂ emissions from the transport sector. The report, entitled “Monitoring the deployment of advanced biofuel demonstration facilities”, provides a comprehensive overview of the development and deployment of advanced biofuel facilities worldwide. Key findings: The report also highlights the…
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed an innovative method to capture drinkable water from the air using everyday biomass, such as food scraps, branches and shells. These “molecularly functional biomass hydrogels” can convert a variety of natural materials into sorbents that absorb moisture from the air. By combining these sorbents with mild…
This morning, with a cup of coffee in one hand and my phone in the other, I was reading an article about a possible US-Ukraine raw materials deal. According to the reports, the Americans would gain strategic access to Ukrainian raw materials such as lithium and cobalt – materials that are essential for batteries, electric cars and the energy transition. My first thought? What does this mean for Europe? And what does this mean for the Netherlands?
The European Commission recently presented its vision for the future of farming and food in Europe, aiming to achieve a competitive, resilient and sustainable agri-food sector by 2040. A key player in this transformation is the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), which is committed to providing bio-based solutions to…
In the transition to a circular and biobased economy, biomass plays an essential role. It not only offers sustainable solutions, but also increases self-sufficiency and reduces dependence on fossil sources outside Europe. To facilitate this transition, TNO and its partners have developed the advanced biorefinery technology Fabiola. This technology converts various biomass residual flows into…
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has published a new report that provides insight into the use of materials in the Dutch economy. This report, entitled 'Energetic versus non-energetic use of materials', shows how fossil and biotic raw materials are used and what the consequences are for the circular economy. Materials can be used in…
The European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA) launched its new video on 12 February 2025, highlighting the crucial role of the bioeconomy in the transition to a climate-neutral, circular and resilient Europe. EUBA represents key sectors within the bioeconomy, including agriculture, forestry, biotechnology, sugar, starch, vegetable oils, pulp and paper, bioplastics, renewable ethanol and…
Green Chemistry, New Economy (GCNE) plays a crucial role in making the chemical industry more sustainable. This initiative helps companies transition to a circular economy, where fossil resources are replaced by renewable and circular alternatives. The GCNE Monitor 2024 report by TNO Vector outlines the challenges, opportunities and contribution of…
The application of CO2 utilization in ethanol production offers promising opportunities to reduce emissions and promote circular processes. Recent research by IEA Bioenergy presents several practical examples in which CO2 emissions are no longer considered as a waste product, but are reused in valuable applications. Sustainable applications of CO2 Ethanol production emits a significant amount of CO2…
An interdisciplinary team of scientists from King's College London and Swansea University, in collaboration with researchers in Chile, are working to develop a new type of self-healing asphalt that can repair its own cracks without the need for maintenance or human intervention. This innovative asphalt, which uses biomass waste, could extend the life of roads…
The Dutch economy is 18,5 percent sustainable. This is evident from the sixth edition of the New Economy Index (NEx), an annual study by MVO Nederland. Although the index has increased by 1,0 percentage point compared to 2024, the increase has leveled off over the past six years. According to Ankie van Wersch, director-manager of MVO Nederland,…
Implementing a circular bioeconomy in the construction sector is a necessary strategy to address our global climate crisis. As each solution has practical and environmental limitations, it is clear that creating a material palette of renewable biogenic building materials will increase access to bio-based construction. Photosynthetic organisms, including marine biomass such as seaweed and…
At the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin, agriculture ministers from more than 70 countries unanimously expressed their support for a sustainable bioeconomy. Led by German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, the ministers expressed their ambition to strengthen the contribution of the bioeconomy to global food security, to preserve biodiversity and…
Making the chemical sector and derived materials more sustainable is a crucial and urgent challenge to achieve the EU’s climate neutrality target by 2050. The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) have jointly commissioned a study by the nova Institute. This study focuses on the question of whether there is sufficient sustainable…
The aviation sector may account for a relatively small proportion of global carbon emissions (2.5%), but it remains one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise. A large part of the solution lies with the scale-up of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with the International Air Transport Association expecting SAF to contribute 65% to achieving net-zero…
Flemish biotech startup Zymofix has developed an innovative technology to convert low-value biomass waste streams, such as agricultural residues, into useful microorganisms. These microbes can be used to improve soil health, break down pollutants and replace traditional chemical processes in various industries. This was recently explained on the VLAIO website.…
During the annual WOCODA event, which focuses on innovative housing concepts and sustainable public housing, an important milestone was reached in the transition to biobased construction on 30 January. Eight leading construction companies – BAM Wonen, BARLI, Bouwgroep Dijkstra Draisma, GeWoonhout, Heddes, Heijmans, Hurks and Plegt-Vos – jointly signed a declaration of commitment with Building Balance. In doing so, they confirm their…
The construction sector is one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions, but fortunately there are more and more sustainable alternatives available. Did you know that the use of concrete and steel in the construction of a house emits as much CO2 as twenty return flights between Amsterdam and New York? An important step towards sustainable construction is biobased insulation. This…
When carrying out work in nature reserves, these must be carried out within the framework of the Nature Conservation Act. To make this practically possible, a code of conduct has been drawn up. When working within the guidelines of this code of conduct, one remains within the framework. In December 2024, the administrative court ruled on a…
Aromatics are the backbone of many products we use every day, from adhesives and coatings to cleaning agents and agrochemicals. Traditionally, these substances are derived from petroleum, but renewable alternatives are gaining ground. Cashew Shell Biorefinery (CSBR), located at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen, the Netherlands, is leading the way. The company has developed a technology to…
From residual flows to wind farms From 28 January 2025, entrepreneurs can once again submit applications for the Energy and Climate Innovation Demonstration (DEI+) subsidies. This year, the total budget has increased to €370 million, a significant increase compared to the €305 million in 2024. All ten themes within the scheme will be opened simultaneously, which immediately offers entrepreneurs the opportunity…
The Flemish bioeconomy is growing at a rapid pace, according to the most recent figures from the Flemish Bioeconomy Monitor, presented by Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele. “The Flemish biobased economy contributes to more than one third of the total added value of our industry. With this, we even surpass neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands and Germany,” says Diependaele…
The CBE JU Info Day 2025 is scheduled for 3 April in Brussels. The event will showcase the recently announced €165 million funding opportunities, aimed at advancing a sustainable circular bioeconomy in Europe. This hybrid event will offer participants the opportunity to engage in in-depth sessions on 13 different funding topics.…
In a controversial move, US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will once again withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. At a rally at the Capital One Arena, Trump signed the official executive orders ratifying the departure. The move is seen as a powerful symbolic act in Trump’s bid to overhaul climate policy…
We hear and read daily that the Cabinet is not always on the same page. It is becoming increasingly clear that this division also hinders policy choices. Stimulation of green gas, produced from biogenic residual flows, is one of the first dossiers to fail as a result. Blending obligation For years, work has been done on a legally required percentage in…
Bioenergy Europe releases 2024 Landscape Report Bioenergy Europe has released its 2024 Landscape Report, a comprehensive analysis of the role of bioenergy in Europe’s transition to a net-zero economy by 2050. The report provides key insights for policymakers and market players, highlighting the contributions of bioenergy to decarbonisation, energy independence and economic competitiveness. “The 2024 Landscape Report…
IEA Bioenergy has published a report on the implementation of bioenergy in the Netherlands. This report is based on data from the World Energy Balances and Renewables Information 2024 of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and includes additional information from the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee, national experts and sources such as FAOstat and Eurostat. The report provides a…
The new year has begun, and with the end of the holidays the question arises: what happens to the Christmas trees? Municipalities throughout the Netherlands are calling on their residents to help collect them and rewarding them in creative ways. Cleaning up Christmas trees together After the holidays, many municipalities collect Christmas trees. This…
Building materials can play a crucial role in the fight against climate change. A study published on Science.org found that completely replacing traditional building materials with carbon-storing materials could sequester up to 16,6 billion tons of CO2 annually. This is equivalent to about half of global CO2 emissions in 2021. This approach offers an opportunity to…
In 2024, for the first time, more than half of all electricity generated in the Netherlands came from renewable sources such as wind, sun and biomass. Despite this milestone, a significant portion of green energy was lost due to a lack of storage and network capacity. According to annual figures from Energieopwek.nl, 54% of the electricity in the Netherlands was…
In this first full week of the new year, I would like to wish everyone all the best for 2025! I hope you had a nice, warm holiday season, ended 2024 in a beautiful way, and started this new year full of fresh energy.
The government is taking an important step towards a circular economy by making plastics more sustainable. In a recent letter to the House of Representatives, Minister Hermans of Climate and Green Growth and State Secretary Jansen of Infrastructure and Water Management announced a bill for a circular plastic standard. This standard will oblige companies to use sustainable bio-based raw materials from 2027 onwards.
Statistics Netherlands (CBS), in collaboration with the Royal Association of the Dutch Chemical Industry (VNCI) and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), has conducted a pilot study into the use of biomass as a raw material. This study, based on data from the 2023 reporting year, marks an important step in monitoring the…
Good news for homeowners and companies who want to make their homes or buildings more sustainable: as of today, subsidies can once again be applied for via the Investment Subsidy for Sustainable Energy and Energy Conservation (ISDE). With an increased budget of 600 million euros, an increase of 40 million euros compared to last year, the scheme has been further expanded and made more accessible.…
As 2024 draws to a close, we would like to send you a warm Christmas greeting! This year, we have once again enjoyed sharing valuable information about biomass with you. The conversations we have had with companies that work with biomass in various ways have not only been educational, but also very inspiring. It is fantastic to see how versatile and innovative this sector is, and we are grateful for all the insights we have gained.
A broad coalition of more than 70 companies, industry associations, networks and NGOs has jointly called for creating market demand for clean industrial products in a letter to European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra. This call is essential to secure the future of European industry and to promote sustainable growth. Without immediate action, investments in…
The challenges in the field of sustainability and the growing construction task require innovative solutions. Biobased construction is a promising development that not only contributes to a circular economy, but also offers opportunities for reducing CO2 emissions and improving the living environment. For TNO, biobased construction is an important spearhead, where plenty of attention is paid to…
Relement has entered into an offtake agreement with Worlée Chemie GmbH, a leading German chemical company. This agreement secures a fixed quantity of Bio MPA, an innovative and biobased raw material for use in coating resins. Bio MPA, Relement’s first product, will be produced on a tonne scale via contract manufacturing by the end of 2025. This material was developed to replace fossil…
In November 2024, the Tech Tour Bio Based Industries Program took place in Wuppertal, preceding the annual forum of Circular Valley, the event’s sponsor. The program brought together investors and innovative entrepreneurs to scale up sustainable projects and make them market-ready. According to William Stevens of Tech Tour, this is not…
The Stedendriehoek region will take an accelerated step in biobased (re)construction from 2025. The use of biobased materials – natural and ecologically responsible raw materials – not only reduces CO2 emissions, but also requires less energy during production. This sustainable construction method fits in seamlessly with the urgency to green the construction sector. Municipalities and partners in…
One of the first municipalities in Denmark is exploring the potential of biochar to reduce CO₂ emissions and improve the urban environment in an EU-funded experiment. The Danish municipality of Vallensbæk is taking an innovative step in its climate policy with a pilot project testing the use of biochar in urban landscaping. The goal? Reduced water and…
In the ambitious CIRCUROAD program, Rijkswaterstaat, companies, governments and knowledge institutions are working together to develop and apply fossil-free, biobased asphalt on all Dutch roads. On December 4, 2024, this unique chain collaboration reached an important milestone: the construction of three test sections with biobased asphalt on the InnovA58. Replacing fossil bitumen with biobased binder The Netherlands produces…
Last week, the PHA2USE project was concluded at the Greenwise Campus Innovation Center, together with the consortium partners. This project has made a significant contribution to the scaling up of technologies for the production of PHA from sewage sludge and has shown that this can be a viable business model. Positive results Over the past four years,…
Dankwa County in Ghana’s Central Province will be the setting for an innovative pilot: ofi (olam food ingredients), a global supplier of natural food ingredients, together with LOTTE, Fuji Oil and MC Agri Alliance, announce the first cocoa biochar project. This circular biomass initiative converts rejected cocoa pod husks into biochar through combustion in special biochar coning machines. Biochar saves…
The European textile sector has taken a big hit in recent decades due to competition from cheaper Asian producers. But there is hope on the horizon. According to Sanabel Abdulbawab, researcher sustainable textile chains at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, Europe can develop a new, sustainable textile sector by investing in natural biobased fibres. “Europe can take the lead…
The Optoppen.org platform has been officially launched. This English-language website offers a wealth of information and tools to stimulate the biobased topping up of buildings. The goal: to contribute to climate goals, to use urban space more efficiently and to extend the lifespan of existing buildings. The topping up of buildings, whereby additional living or working floors are added,…
Tackling emissions from land use change (LUC) is one of the biggest challenges in bioenergy programs. This is also true for Brazil’s RenovaBio policy, which is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels. New research, conducted as part of IEA Bioenergy Task 45, has tested the effectiveness of RenovaBio’s so-called ‘conversion-free’ criteria in…
“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…
At the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, Afke van Rijn, Director General Environment and International of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), announced that 233 parties have now joined the Dutch ambition for clean heavy road transport. This is almost double compared to last year. Among the new endorsers are major players such as Maersk and two new countries: Mozambique and Ethiopia.
ChainCraft and Royal Avebe have signed a Heads of Agreement, laying the foundation for a strategic partnership. The partnership focuses on utilizing Avebe’s residual potato juice flows, which are converted into high-quality circular fatty acids and fertilizers using ChainCraft’s innovative fermentation technology. The Ter Apelkanaal location, located on and near the…
Staatsbosbeheer is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. In this context, Staatsbosbeheer’s forests will be in the spotlight during a number of autumn debates this year. The debate of 17 October was entitled “A new Veluwe needed for the raw materials transition?” During the debate, the following people gave a short in-depth reflection: Gert-Jan Gruter (Avantium, special professor…
In a candid conversation with Timo van Roosmalen and Wim de Laat of BioscienZ, it became clear how deeply rooted their passion is for biotechnology and sustainable innovation. BioscienZ, founded by Wim de Laat, is a company that specializes in developing processes that convert biomass into valuable applications such as food ingredients and industrial materials. This makes the company an important example of how people with passion work towards a more sustainable future.
Since 1 January 2024, EU member states are required to collect bio-waste separately under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD). However, current collection within the EU27 (plus Norway and the UK) is still stuck at only 5.112.788 tonnes per year, which is less than 26% of the theoretical potential. The vast majority of bio-waste (garden and food waste), which…
An international team of scientists, including researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), is working on a project to extract nickel from the ground using plants. This research, which is funded by a grant of 1,35 million euros from the American Department of Energy, promises to offer an environmentally friendly alternative to the…
In a world where sustainability is becoming increasingly important, there are companies that are leading the way in developing innovative solutions to replace fossil resources with biobased alternatives. One of those companies is Eco-Point, where Jacco Quist, Product Manager, has been working with passion and dedication to make cleaning agents more sustainable for over 25 years. In this article, we share Jacco's insights and Eco-Point's philosophy.
The recent re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States has caused a lot of controversy, especially in the areas of climate policy and renewable energy. Trump is known for his pro-fossil fuel industry and his skeptical attitude towards climate change. This attitude could have far-reaching consequences, not only for the domestic policy of…
Chemist Laura Jansen of Radboud University has succeeded in making a well-functioning soap from sugar beet pulp – a residual product of sugar beet. This breakthrough offers a sustainable alternative to the usual soaps. Jansen received her PhD on 8 November for this innovative research. Sugar beet pulp is a residual product that is created after sucrose has been removed from the sugar beet…
A surprising discovery off the volcanic coast of Italy could fundamentally change our approach to carbon capture. Meet Chonkus, a cyanobacterium that grows rapidly and naturally sinks to the ocean floor. What started as a simple expedition by international scientists near the Italian island of Vulcano turned into a major discovery. With wetsuits on,…
Following the European Parliament elections in June, the new European Commission is now in the final stages of being formed. From 4 to 12 November, the commissioners-designate, formally presented by President Ursula von der Leyen, will be subject to hearings at the European Parliament in Brussels. Each candidate will have three hours of…
Let the children come to me, all, all the children… Almost everyone who has ever been to church in their youth will have sung this classic. It has certainly stuck with me, probably because the text is so welcoming (or in a modern term: inclusive). And without the…
Net greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union (EU) fell by 8% last year, marking a significant step towards climate neutrality. The sharp decline was mainly driven by reduced coal use, increased renewable energy sources and lower energy consumption across Europe, according to the latest estimates in the…
Staatsbosbeheer has a new product in its Hollands Hout line: facade cladding made of finger-jointed, finely sawn larch facade parts, originating from FSC®-certified forests. These sustainable wooden facade parts are delivered ready-made, including fire class D, assembly instructions and a paint finish with a guarantee system. Staatsbosbeheer works with Boogaerdt Hout from Krimpen aan de Lek for distribution, which distributes the product via its dealer network.
Professor Jack Saddler, co-author of an IEA Bioenergy report on the aviation sector, argues for the deployment of biofuels as the most viable route to carbon neutrality in aviation by 2. According to Saddler, governments will have a crucial role to play in achieving the targets. However, fully decarbonising the aviation sector will require significant investment, with the…
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.
Market research agency Buildsight has developed a monitor that measures the use of biobased products in the construction sector. The National Biobased Construction Monitor closely follows developments in residential construction, renovation projects and utility construction, and provides insight into the rise of sustainable materials. “Our field workers have an extensive list of products that can occur on a construction site,” explains…
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released its annual Renewables 2024 report, which analyses the current and expected use of renewable energy sources through 2030. While renewable fuels are crucial for a sustainable future and the energy transition, their share is growing more slowly than desired. According to the report, renewable fuels will account for only 2030% of global…
On Tuesday 22 October, Avantium, a Dutch company in renewable and circular plastics, celebrated the official opening of its new factory in Delfzijl. This factory will produce a special bioplastic called PEF. The ceremony was officially performed by Her Majesty Queen Máxima. Avantium’s new factory is unique in the world because it is the first…
In collaboration with Staatsbosbeheer and Natuurmonumenten, startup FC-i is developing a groundbreaking biobased insulation material, based on fungi and natural waste flows. An article on Warmte365 explains how this innovative product makes the construction sector more sustainable. FC-i (First Circular Insulation) makes insulation boards from a mix of grass, reed and wood chips, bound by fungi (mycelium). The material offers a…
There are still many misconceptions about the use of biomass as a sustainable energy source. While biomass can play a crucial role in making our energy supply more sustainable, there is uncertainty about how it can be used efficiently and responsibly. According to the IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme from 2023, it is possible to use biomass…
Biogenic CO2 will become increasingly important in the future as a replacement for fossil CO2 in the chemical and food industries, as a source of CO2 for Carbon Capture and Storage (for negative emissions) and as a renewable carbon source for carbon-based e-fuels or e-products. Purifying CO2-rich residual gas from biogas plants is a promising option to generate renewable CO2.
Dutch inland shipping can achieve a significant CO2 reduction in the short term by blending FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters), reports TNO. In order to further investigate the possibilities and possible risks of this biofuel, TNO is starting a one-year field test. The aim is to inform the sector objectively about the safe application…
The Demonstration Energy and Climate Innovation (DEI+) subsidy scheme is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. In this decade, Dutch companies have collectively invested around €1,76 billion in innovative projects that contribute to reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions, thanks to the DEI+ subsidy. A large proportion of the companies that used this scheme, around 60%, belong to the medium and large…
To stimulate the use of bio-based products, the Circular Biobased Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) has launched the Go for bio-based campaign. This campaign aims to increase awareness of bio-based products as sustainable, affordable and efficient alternatives to traditional fossil-based products. Many people are still not aware of…
