Bioeconomy Creative Competition: Show us the bioeconomy in your life!

Everyone has their creative side. Everyone is confronted with the bioeconomy in their daily lives. Every vision on the bioeconomy is unique. Are you a creative person between the ages of 14 and 35, do you live legally in the EU or Ukraine and are you interested in bioeconomy and/or bioeconomy related areas (food systems, forestry, climate change, rural development, blue bioeconomy… )? Carry…

European sustainability requirements for biomass in the EU ETS

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is currently working out how ETS companies can demonstrate as of January 1, 2023 that the biomass they burn meets European sustainability requirements. The NEa facilitates the ministry's communication with the ETS companies involved on this subject. Below you can read the message from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy: From January 1, 2023…

Sustainability of the bio-based value chain is strongly determined by land use

Ivan Camilo Vera Concha examined the sustainability assessments of existing and new bio-based value chains in bio-based materials, electricity and advanced fuels, under context-specific conditions. He notes that the impact it has on land use is particularly important in the assessment. He received his PhD from Utrecht University on Friday 8 July. Biomass for the production…

'To be or not to be a biobased commodity'

Assessment of requirements and opportunities for biomass lignocellulosic feedstocks In 2018, IEA Bioenergy Task 43 (Biomass Supply) launched an initiative to identify successful examples of biomass logistics and distribution points for bioenergy and the bioeconomy: bio-hubs. Pretreatments and densification at these bio-hubs make it possible to convert raw material flows from raw biomass into commodities…

Staatsbosbeheer and BAM will valorize residual flows from the forest

Staatsbosbeheer, construction company BAM Wonen, IBI2, Pontmeyer and Jongeneel have signed an agreement for the joint production, processing and processing of 75.000 square meters of 100% biobased and recycled sheet material for residential construction. The raw material for this is residual wood from Dutch forests and from the construction site. Staatsbosbeheer wants to recycle residual flows from Dutch nature reserves, such as clippings and branches and…

Five requirements for a real lignocellulosic biobased raw material

Commodities based on lignocellulosic raw materials are needed to connect biomass with the market, reduce costs and achieve security of supply. Without transportable and marketable lignocellulosic comodities, the potential of the biobased economy will not be realized. Researchers from Wageningen University & Research have assessed and described what a real lignocellulose commodity should…

The share of renewable energy is declining in the Netherlands: this is due to stricter rules for 'biomass' that can count as sustainable

The share of renewable energy in total energy consumption in the Netherlands fell last year. The main reason is a change in the European guidelines on biomass that counts as sustainable. The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reports this based on provisional figures. The consumption of solar and wind energy did increase in 2021…

Annual report 2021 'Use of woody biomass for energy generation' presented

The biomass annual report for 30 was presented and handed over on Thursday, June 2021, during the Business Meeting of Platform Bio-Economie. Jos Keurentjes, chairman of the Bio-Economie Platform, presented the first edition to Julie Fraiture, Economic Affairs & Climate, who received it on behalf of our client, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. Both emphasized the importance of factual figures to…

RWE still wants to 'green' the coal-fired power plant in Eemshaven and capture CO2

Energy group RWE still wants to make the coal-fired power station in Eemshaven greener. The coal-fired power plant can now produce more power again now that less natural gas is coming in from Russia. Because the coal-fired power plant can now temporarily operate at full capacity again, the management wants to talk to the cabinet about its old plans to make the power plant as 'green' and...

The share of renewable energy in the European Union must be at least 40 percent by 2030

By 2030, the energy mix in the European Union must consist of 40 percent renewable energy. This was agreed by the EU climate and energy ministers in Luxembourg. Minister Rob Jetten calls it a 'nice agreement', which must now be negotiated with the European Parliament. The EU wants to become as sustainable as possible in order to become climate neutral by 2050...

Make Dutch agriculture and horticulture climate champions

The Netherlands is on the eve of an unprecedented transition. In response to the letter to Parliament from Minister Jetten for Climate and Energy, parties at the Agriculture and Land Use climate table are calling on them to capitalize on their unique solutions for the climate transition. Realizing the transition not only requires appropriate tools, but also honest recognition of CO2 gains and a realistic…

NEa concludes that bio raw materials from Estonia in the Netherlands are sustainable

Minister Jetten (Climate and Energy) shares the conclusions of the Dutch Emissions Authority's research into the sustainability of bio-raw materials from Estonia intended for energy applications with the House of Representatives. Conclusion of report The conclusion of the research by the NEa states that the areas from the SOMO report can almost certainly not be related to bio raw materials that…

IPCC scientist: Europe can 'triple' biomass production while strengthening its green goals

The European Union could 'triple' the amount of biomass produced on a sustainable basis over the coming decades while helping to restore land damaged by industrial pollution, poor farming, erosion and climate change, says André Faaij. André Faaij is Director of Science at the Energy Transition unit of TNO, the Dutch independent research organization.…

GIDARA Energy announces next advanced methanol facility in the Port of Rotterdam

GIDARA Energy and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are pleased to announce GIDARA's next advanced biofuel facility in the Netherlands: Advanced Methanol Rotterdam (“AMR”). The plant, located in the port of Rotterdam, will convert non-recyclable waste into advanced methanol. The advanced methanol achieves CO 2 emission reductions as described in the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) and…

Biomass use in a circular bioeconomy

Governments must proactively develop policies to support and accelerate the development of a circular bioeconomy and strengthen research into this. This is stated by an international research group in a recent article in the journal Frontiers in Energy Research. The group presents a framework for a circular bioeconomy, which uses biomass not only for…

PBE Business Meeting June 30, 2022

Dear PBE donors and other interested parties, June 30th is the day! Finally another 'live' business meeting of the Bio-Economy Platform at the Amercentrale in Geertruidenberg. We have put together a nice varied program for you with relevant National & International themes. See attached agenda for the full program. You can register via the following link or by…

National Biobased Conference June 29

On June 29, TKI-BBE and the Biobased Economy Lectors' Platform will jointly organize the National Biobased Conference. It promises to be a day full of inspiration with attention to the latest developments in the field of production technologies, biobased materials and applications. Of course with plenty of opportunity to work on your network! Register to participate in the National Biobased Conference…

R&D Playground about green industry in the Northern Netherlands

The first edition of the new networking event in the Northern Netherlands: the R&D Playground will take place on June 9. The event will be held at the FC Groningen stadium, Euroborg. The R&D Playground is an initiative that brings professionals from companies and government institutions into contact with researchers, for example from the University of Groningen and the Biobased Economy Knowledge Center of…

Minister Jetten on climate goals: 'Trade-offs and considerations of different interests are unavoidable'

Trade-offs and considerations of different interests are unavoidable in order to achieve the Dutch climate goals. Rejecting several options such as CCS, biomass and nuclear energy makes climate goals unattainable. This is stated by Minister Rob Jetten for Climate and Energy in the government's appreciation of the latest reports from the UN climate panel. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published in February…

Potentially large CO2 savings in Central and West Brabant through timely construction of infrastructure

The business community in the Central and West Brabant region is ready to make a significant contribution to making the Dutch economy more sustainable in the coming years. Plans are ready from 6 leading companies for, among other things, CO2 capture and utilization, electrification of production processes and the production of green hydrogen. Together, these projects can even lead to…

The possibilities of biomass in the transition to clean energy

The four technical universities of the Netherlands work together on various energy themes to accelerate towards a CO2-neutral society. In a series of videos, leading scientists from TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, University of Twente and Wageningen University and Research explain what technology they work with and how they collaborate on research and infrastructure to facilitate the energy transition...

Enviva and MOL Drybulk reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the biomass supply chain

Enviva Inc., the world's largest producer of sustainable wood bioenergy, and MOL Drybulk Ltd. (MOLDB), a subsidiary of Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. (MOL), a leading global maritime transport group, announced that they have signed a supplementary memorandum of understanding to deploy an environmentally friendly bulk carrier (EFBC) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in…

WEBINAR REDII Sustainability Criteria: Demonstrating Compliance – 2nd Edition

From July 2021, EU member states should have transposed the Renewable Energy Directive into national law, which requires biomass and bioenergy producers to demonstrate that they meet sustainability requirements. Where are we with the implementation of the REDII criteria? As of May 2022, only a limited number of the 27 Member States have fully implemented the directive,…

Stop subsidizing new biomass projects puts ambitions at stake

Biomass was one of the alternatives to fossil fuels. The government wants to get rid of it more quickly. New subsidy applications will no longer be processed. But we also want to get rid of fossil fuels. For the climate and for our energy independence. According to critics, this is now in danger. RTL Z News had an item about this: https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/tv/video/5308175/biomassa-klimaat-veiligheid-gas-poetin

Overijssel is opting for renewable energy using biomass

The province of Overijssel will again invest money in biomass that involves burning wood. Financing for this was suspended last year because it could not be guaranteed that only sustainably grown wood was used. But it turns out that making demands is not allowed. According to the provincial government, biomass is 'necessary' for the energy transition and to achieve the climate challenge. An…

IPCC report: 'The evidence is clear: the time for action is now. We can halve emissions by 2030.”

GENEVA, April 4 – In 2010-2019, average annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at the highest levels in human history, but the growth rate has slowed. Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1,5°C is unachievable. However, there is increasing evidence for climate action,…

Researchers are developing an energy-efficient reactor that turns sewage water into biofuel and hydrogen

Scientists at the US Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed an innovative flow cell reactor that can refine sewage into valuable chemicals while simultaneously generating hydrogen that can be used to power vehicles or generate heat. This refinement process is potentially CO2 neutral and could ultimately even be CO2 negative. Led by Juan A.…

Researchers find improved process to convert waste wood into fuel

Ethanol is usually produced by the fermentation of sugars from starchy raw materials such as corn, or from lignocellulosic biomass, such as wood or straw. It is a fuel that can make the transport sector CO2-free. In collaboration with the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) in Finland, researchers from the Straubing Campus for Biotechnology and Sustainability of…

Province of Overijssel: 'Biomass needed to achieve climate goals'

The province of Overijssel wants to invest money again in biomass that involves burning wood. According to the provincial government, biomass is 'necessary for the energy transition and to realize the climate challenge'. The financial tap of the Overijssel Energy Fund must therefore be turned on again for certain applications of biomass. This mainly concerns heating applications, such as the heating of monumental buildings…

Pyrochem wants to chemically recycle 1 million tons of waste annually into new raw materials for chemistry

A lot of plastic waste such as agricultural foil or crisp bags cannot now be recycled because it is too dirty or consists of multiple layers. The PyroCHEM project aims to make the chemical industry more sustainable by optimizing and scaling up the chemical recycling of plastic waste and the pyrolysis of other (biomass) residual flows. The ambition: annually from 2030…

Provincial support for making bioenergy installations more sustainable in Ede

More than 10.000 more connections to the Ede heating network and fewer CO2 and nitrogen emissions. With the Cleaner than Fossil project, Bio-energie de Vallei wants to become one of the cleanest bio-energy installations in the world. The province of Gelderland and the municipality of Ede contribute financially to this project. “With this subsidy we contribute to…

Sustainable energy producers can do without subsidies due to high energy prices

Due to high energy prices, many producers of sustainable electricity and biogas are no longer dependent on government subsidies. This will result in a significant windfall for the government, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate expects. The producers themselves also benefit. “Wind and sun do not need a euro of subsidy at the moment,” says Olof van der Gaag,…

Urgenda target not achieved last year

The Urgenda target was not achieved last year: greenhouse gas emissions have actually increased. Dutch greenhouse gas emissions increased by more than 2 percent last year compared to 2020. The so-called 'Urgenda target', of at least a 25 percent reduction compared to 1990, was therefore not achieved, according to provisional figures from the Central Bureau for the…

'Coal-fired power stations in the Netherlands will quickly open further in the energy crisis'

Coal-fired power stations in the Netherlands must be opened further in the short term to make our country less dependent on polluted Russian natural gas. Several energy experts argued for this in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, now that the Netherlands has been plunged into a gigantic energy crisis. Andre Faaij, scientific director of TNO, told MPs on Wednesday that the use of our modern…

Less CO2 emissions locally with HER+ subsidy

Innovative projects that lead to lower CO2 emissions are desperately needed to achieve the energy transition (transition to sustainable energy). Entrepreneurs sometimes encounter high start-up costs. The Renewable Energy Transition (HER+) subsidy can make the difference in allowing local projects to continue in that phase. The HER+ subsidy scheme is open until March 31...

The Netherlands can save almost five billion cubic meters of natural gas within a year

The possible savings within four years are 10 billion cubic meters. The Netherlands can consume much less natural gas in the short term through a combination of rapid energy savings and accelerated sustainable generation. The coming 'winter peak' in demand for natural gas may therefore be lower: savings of almost five billion cubic meters are possible within a year. Within about…

Focus on sustainability hinders climate action

Author: Sible Schöne The focus on a sustainable energy supply hinders the effective approach to the climate problem, believes Sible Schöne. “We are preparing the Netherlands for the future – climate neutral, fossil-free and circular – with a clean energy supply and green industrial policy.” This is the opening sentence of the climate paragraph of the coalition agreement. The sentence illustrates that there are broad…

INDUSTRIAL POLYMERS NOW SUSTAINABLY MADE FROM LIGNIN

Among the many problems with plastic, it's manufactured from a fossil resource. The BBI JU-funded EUCALIVA project has developed a sustainable alternative that grows on trees. Lignin is a natural polymer present in most plants. Since one of its main functions is stiffening, rigid plants such as trees generally contain large amounts. Humans have not traditionally valued…

Cosun Beet Company will extract bioplastics from beets

Cosun Beet Company will receive a subsidy of €3 million from the province for the arrival of a sustainable bio-refinery factory in Delfzijl. In this innovative factory, sugar beet pulp from the sugar factory in Vierverlaten is converted into new vegetable products. These products can be used as environmentally friendly replacements for small pieces of plastic (microplastics) in, among others: paint, detergents, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.

CO2 emissions have fallen sharply due to increased use of biomass

Urgenda target for greenhouse gas emissions achieved in 2020. Emissions from coal-fired power stations have halved in 2020, as a result of a sharp decline in the use of coal. At the same time, the share of biomass in the energy sector has increased sharply (130 percent), according to figures from the Dutch Emissions Authority. The drop in emissions is partly due to corona.…

Answer from Minister Jetten (Climate and Energy) to questions about the message 'More CO2 emissions caused by biomass again'

Answer from Minister Jetten (Climate and Energy), also on behalf of the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management (received February 7, 2022) See also Appendix to Acts, meeting year 2021-2022, no. 1363 1 Do you share the opinion that it is unacceptable that the CO2 biomass emissions increased by 16 percent in 2020? [1] Answer Just as your Chamber looks…

Danes will make biogas in the Netherlands

A new player in biogas is coming to the Netherlands. The Danish company Nature Energy already has eleven installations and branches in Denmark and focuses mainly on the production of biogas from manure and biodegradable waste products. We want to build more than ten power stations in the Netherlands in the coming years," says project developer Simon Aarskov. The first conversations…

How do we keep the energy transition affordable?

The climate goals require a rapid energy transition. Many people consider replacing their natural gas boiler with an alternative, such as a heat pump or a bio boiler. The government wants the transition to be feasible and affordable for everyone and strives for a climate policy that is cost-effective. But how do we keep the energy transition affordable? In which…

Climate issue is an important part of the coalition agreement: at least 55 percent CO2 reduction in 2030

Today the four coalition parties present their coalition agreement. The core of the coalition agreement is: offering perspective by tackling the major issues of this decade. Such as the future of agriculture, the problems in the housing market and the undermining of the democratic constitutional state. And of course the approach to the climate issue. The coalition agreement includes…

Sustainable projects are missing out on money due to 'unnecessary' subsidies for CO2 storage

This year, the national subsidy fund for sustainable energy projects will probably be largely claimed by projects for CO2 storage under the North Sea. But due to the high CO2 price, they currently do not need that subsidy at all, while other projects are falling by the wayside, experts tell NU.nl. This year, a total of 12 billion euros in subsidies were requested via...

Facts and figures from Staatsbosbeheer

The management of Staatsbosbeheer sites produces many useful raw materials that they can reuse as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Tons of bio-raw materials are released from Staatsbosbeheer sites every year in the form of residual wood (prunings, branches, tree tops) and grass clippings (from natural grasslands, heathland and reeds). This amount is approximately the same every year because it…

Forest in Europe is growing

According to the most recent statistics from Bioenergy Europe, considerably more forest area has been added. The forests are also growing fast, the 'forest density' is increasing. The Netherlands, together with Luxembourg, is a small player among the forest giants in the forest landscape. An additional forest the size of the municipality of Amsterdam The European forests are in…

Future for local and organic quinoa

Gerard van Mastwijk harvested a beautiful, clean quinoa this year. He is one of thirty Dutch growers who grow this pseudocereal. Marc Arts of GreenFood50 expects that the crop has a future in the Netherlands. Varieties and cultivation are in development and processors and consumers have a preference for organic or locally grown quinoa. The quinoa cultivation…

Climate target 2030 requires energetic implementation of existing and new policy

Greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands are expected to decrease by 38-48 percent in 2030 compared to 1990, based on the established and proposed policy. This means that the government's target of emitting 2030 percent less in 49 than in 1990 is not yet in sight. Recent plans, including from the Budget Memorandum, can contribute to further reduction...

The EU obtains more energy from renewable sources than from fossil fuels

Renewable energy has overtaken fossil fuels as the primary energy source for the first time in the European Union. A new report from the European Commission states that renewable energy, such as wind and solar energy, as well as biomass and hydroelectric power stations, accounted for 38 percent of electricity generated in the EU last year. Fossil fuels accounted for 37 percent.…

Opinion: Activism against biomass could lead to more climate change

Bending scientific insights or selectively shopping in scientific findings is harmful to society. That is the response of five scientists in response to recent statements and an opinion piece in the Volkskrant, Fenna Swart, Johan Vollenbroek and Maarten Visschers recently called on Minister Stef Blok to issue a directive for the combustion of biomass in Brussels...

IEA calls for a quicker cessation of coal to achieve climate goals

Countries must stop using coal more quickly, otherwise climate goals will not be achieved. That is the conclusion of the international energy agency IEA on Tuesday. Reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050 is necessary to limit the long-term increase in global average temperatures to 1,5°C...

Bart Dehue, Vattenfall: Residual heat, geothermal energy and biomass make heating networks even more sustainable

While natural gas prices are skyrocketing, Bart Dehue, green heat program manager at Vattenfall, talks with undisguised enthusiasm about the alternatives: sustainable heat from residual heat, geothermal energy and biomass. And he vents about the permit procedures that sometimes take longer than the construction of a heating network. Disinformation fuels polarization in the biomass debate...