Biomass remains the primary route to sustainable carbon in many discussions. But bio-based processes also generate a second carbon stream, biogenic CO2. This is released during biomass processing, fermentation, and organic waste treatment. The EU-funded research project UNICO2RN aims to demonstrate how such CO2 streams can be captured and utilized as a raw material for microbial protein…
Researchers at Delft University of Technology, in collaboration with the South China University of Technology, have discovered a unique property in a group of enzymes naturally occurring in fungi. This discovery sheds new light on biochemistry, the science that studies how chemical processes work in living beings. The research, led by…
With the growing scarcity of sustainable bioresources, the biggest challenge is not only finding sufficient volume but also managing the complex variability. The international consortium Project OPAL presented groundbreaking results in which AI models and robotics take control in the laboratory. This maximizes the use of scarce bioresources and enables large-scale...
The reliance on petroleum for aromatics production can be reduced by better utilizing lignin. Researcher Dian Santosa (University of Groningen) presented his research on the conversion of this complex wood polymer into chemical building blocks such as benzene, toluene, and xylene on January 13, 2026. Lignin gives strength to wood and plants, but its irregular…
Reducing biomass to a stable particle size is a key step towards biofuels and biobased products. In practice, this leads to blockages, variable particle distribution, and machine wear. The American bioenergy hub BETO has cited material handling as a barrier to large-scale production for years. New computational models from Idaho National Laboratory address this bottleneck. Researchers combine...
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a new study shows that fruit waste can be turned into usable cooking fuel. Briquettes made from avocado pits and banana peels, supplemented with bagasse from the sugar industry, perform remarkably well in lab tests. They ignite easily, provide stable heat, and produce little smoke. This suggests opportunities for urban kitchens if the transition to production is feasible…
A new study shows that paper mills in the United States can significantly reduce their emissions through three interrelated pathways: electrification of steam and process heat, more efficient dewatering before drying, and replacing natural gas with biogenic waste streams. According to the authors, net zero becomes a reality once the power mix becomes cleaner and mills…
Dimethyl ether, or DME for short, is increasingly appearing as a clean fuel for cooking, freight transport, and industry. It's a gas that liquefies at low pressure, making it similar in use to LPG. A new study in Chemical Engineering Science by Yang and colleagues examines the life cycle of water use and other environmental impacts of DME from…
On October 6, 2025, the Yale School of the Environment published an analysis that puts hydrogen from biomass back on the map. The core is simple: biohydrogen can reduce emissions in industry and transport more quickly in the years before electrolysis is fully scaled up. This makes the route relevant as an accelerator, in addition to…
It sounds almost like magic: turning agricultural and forestry waste streams into new raw materials that can both provide energy and fuel the chemical industry. Yet, that's exactly what a group of researchers recently worked on. In a study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, they present an innovative technique, oxidative pyrolysis…
Imagine an aquarium with fine air bubbles constantly rising. In a photobioreactor, those bubbles do more than create an atmosphere; they introduce carbon dioxide into the water and remove oxygen. An Indonesian research team shows that smarter bubbling can significantly accelerate the growth of microalgae. The study was published on September 1, 2025, in…
Researchers in the United States are presenting a textile finish based on cottonseed oil. The goal is to make cotton water-repellent and wrinkle-resistant without formaldehyde and PFAS. The initial results will be shared this week at ACS Fall 2025 in Washington. According to the researchers, a simple chemical step can deliver similar functionality to traditional finishes, with a safer…
A study from the University of Zagreb was recently published in the scientific journal Drvna Industrija, in which researchers investigated new methods for making wood pellets suitable as a coal substitute. The reason is clear: many power plants and industrial facilities still use coal, while climate goals demand rapid alternatives. Conventional wood pellets can help, but…
The energy transition isn't just about technology or policy, but also about making choices that will endure if the future turns out differently than expected. Researchers from ETH Zurich and RWTH Aachen, among others, recently published a study that maps out exactly this. How do you use biomass in a way that not only...
The dairy industry annually produces large volumes of whey permeate – a residual flow that has little economic value. While the protein-rich part of whey finds its way into food or animal feed, the sugar-rich and mineral part often remains as a low-value waste product. Yet this liquid holds surprising potential for the biobased industry. It…
In a recent paper in Scientific Reports, researchers present a method to develop a bio-based material that has similar properties to conventional leather. The basis of this material is fungal biomass, grown on bread waste. The study contributes to the search for more sustainable and circular alternatives to animal and synthetic leather. The research team used surplus…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
Starting this month, the West Brabant region will have a new facility aimed at accelerating innovations in the materials and energy transition. MNEXT, a collaborative initiative of Avans University of Applied Sciences and HZ University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with vocational training institute Curio, will open a brand new research lab on the Steenakker industrial estate in Breda. The festive opening will take place…
A new scientific article, published in Energy, Sustainability and Society, emphasizes the importance of the circular bioeconomy for better cooperation between different systems, such as energy, agriculture and industry. The article is based on research from IEA Bioenergy Task 40 and Task 44 and focuses on how we can improve our economy and technologies…
Research carried out by Liverpool John Moores University's School of Biological and Environmental Sciences has led to a breakthrough in the commercial production of Miscanthus grass, a key material for the growing biomass energy sector. The research focuses on increasing Miscanthus seed production, which is essential for large-scale planting and sustainable energy production.…
On July 10, the Scientific Climate Council (WKR) published its advice 'Clearing the air?'. The core of the report is that the Netherlands and Europe should not only focus on CO₂ reduction, but also on carbon removal. Biogenic CO₂ is mentioned as one of the techniques to achieve this. Deputy WKR director Heleen de Coninck said about it on BNN VARA: "That can be done, for example, by using biomass, and the CO₂ emissions from that consumption are then captured and stored deep underground". Several media picked up that message. On EénVandaag, viewers were explained how storage of short-cycle biogenic CO₂ contributes to combating climate change. With pictures!
Wood is widely used for the production of everyday goods such as building materials, furniture, packaging materials and even textiles. Bark, which makes up 10-15% of a tree trunk, is a byproduct of wood processing and has only current value in energy production. What if softwood bark could be turned into a valuable source of…
The 2nd edition of the four-day Biobased Battle took place in March. 142 students from 7 different colleges in the Netherlands and Finland worked in multidisciplinary teams on corporate sustainability issues. The target? Presenting the best practical biobased solutions! The Biobased Battle 2024 is organized by Avans/MNEXT, HAN, HZ, Karelia, LAB, OAMK and…
The new Master's program in Materials & Energy Transition (MET) from Avans University of Applied Sciences seems likely to start in September 2024. The Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization has taken a positive decision. This means that students can officially register via Studielink in mid-April. Teacher-researchers Ad Breukel, Michiel Michels and Mertijn Weeda are in the team…
Enlargement of a biochar particle that has preserved the pore structure of the wood. Photo: TNO TNO has recently developed an innovative method called “EnerChar” to produce clean carbon on a large scale. This method makes it possible to produce biocarbon with various properties, while simultaneously generating heat and capturing CO2. The…
Wageningen researchers convert useless grass from roadsides and nature reserves into raw material for paper and cardboard. That could mean a boost for the local economy. 'We save trees in Scandinavia and the transport of paper to the Netherlands becomes unnecessary.' In a test room of ACCRES in Lelystad, the test and development location for sustainable energy and green…
ChemistryNL provides financial support to 11 new research projects at the intersection of biobased and chemistry. A total of one million euros will be allocated for these projects, which will be carried out by consortia of knowledge institutions and companies. Since the merger with TKI BBE, ChemistryNL has been working on the integration of the biobased economy field in various ways. The support…
Woody biomass and wheat straw are all sources of the natural polymer lignin. More than 50 megatons of lignin are produced annually on a commercial scale. Most of this is burned to produce energy, while it could also be used to make useful chemicals. However, what is a big problem when producing…
UT researchers Frieder Mugele and Wim Brilman have received a Demonstrator grant from NWO to build a pilot installation that can separate biogas into carbon dioxide and pure biomethane. In the installation, the researchers use a material they have developed that allows for better and cheaper separation than with existing technologies. The production of biogas involves…
The film premiered at the 7th Central European Biomass Conference in Graz. It shows how sustainable forest management, climate protection, timber construction and the energy transition are all connected and how we can jointly phase out oil, natural gas and coal, explains Franz Titschenbacher, President of the Austrian Biomass Association. At the moment there is a lot going on…
The Center of Expertise Biobased Economy is expanding their focus from solely biobased to multiple themes within the materials and energy transition. That calls for a new name… MNEXT! The materials and energy transition are two major challenges that we will face as a society in the coming years. Both transitions focus on a sustainable future and are…
Mark your calendar, because the 22th Circular Biobased Products (CBP) Symposium, formerly known as CBPM, will take place in Wageningen on Thursday, June 10. Just like previous editions, it promises to be an exciting program. Expect insights into R&D strategies from key industrial players across the value chain and the latest updates from Wageningen University & Research…
Wageningen Food & Biobased Research has developed a binder-free technology to make building panels from vegetable waste streams, without the need for glues or resins of fossil origin. Now that the housing construction challenge in the Netherlands coincides with ambitious climate goals, bio-based construction is receiving a lot of attention. Materials made from natural fibers from local residual flows can play a role in this…
“I have developed skills in working with people in different areas or cultures.” Says student I. Conroy, who, together with more than 100 students from 11 colleges in Finland and the Netherlands, participated in the Biobased Battle 27 from March 30 to 2023. The nail on the head as far as Mara van…
Greening chemistry for a faster transition to a circular, waste-free society: that is what ARC CBBC (Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium) stands for. The consortium is a partnership between Utrecht University, the University of Groningen, Eindhoven University of Technology and partners from the chemical industry, such as AkzoNobel, Shell and BASF. NWO…
According to Yale University, biomass is widely considered a renewable alternative to fossil fuels and many experts say it could play a key role in the fight against climate change. Biomass stores carbon and can be converted into bio-based products and energy that can be used to improve soil, purify wastewater…
Hanze University of Applied Sciences and GasTerra have signed a cooperation agreement for the construction of a research facility for renewable gas and circular raw materials. Both parties want to give a strong boost to the development of sustainable energy supplies. The new facility, the so-called REMO lab, will be located on the grounds of the Center of Expertise Energy (EnTranCe) of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences,…
Almost everything around you is painted or has a coating. Water-based paint is increasingly the norm, but this paint is also not completely free of components made from oil. Hanneke Siebe, researcher at the University of Groningen, is working on a completely sustainable paint based on gum arabic. The State University reports this…
Researchers from Okayama University have discovered an effective mechanical compression system for drying plant biomass for energy generation without the need for thermal drying. This is important because plant biomass contains more than 50% moisture, requiring mechanical methods (or heating and natural seasonality) to reduce this to around 35% – to…
This winter, the Royal Dutch Society of Sciences and Humanities will organize an essay competition around the theme 'towards an optimal energy transition'. The Netherlands wants to make the switch to sustainable energy in the short term. The climate goals, but also the high energy costs, help to emphasize the urgency of this transition in society. But to make the transition quickly and…
European forests are increasingly affected by natural disturbances, a new observational study shows. An international team of forestry scientists from Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the European Forest Institute (EFI) and 19 other research organizations from across Europe examined forest disturbances in Europe over the past 70 years and reported a statistically significant increasing trend…
German researchers at the University of Hohenheim see grass as a new protein source that can be used for pig and poultry farming. In the ProGrün project they are not only investigating how grass can be used to obtain high-quality proteins for feeding poultry and pigs, but also for a range of other high-quality materials. Grass contains…
Our ever-increasing use of plastics is leading to growing environmental concerns, especially regarding the use of fossil resources and greenhouse gas emissions. In his dissertation, Paul Stegmann from Copernicus shows that we need to drastically improve our recycling efforts and switch from fossil to biogenic raw materials if plastics want to fit into a…
More than 550 scientists have signed a letter to the European Commission warning of the deteriorating state of Europe's forests and calling for climate-smart forestry – including timber harvesting for bioenergy – to strengthen their resilience to global warming . Forests play an essential role in our…
How do we get through the winter with the impending gas crisis approaching? The European Commission wants European countries to use less gas as quickly as possible. Among other measures, it also looks at an all-time energy reserve available in rural areas of Europe: wood. There is currently an astonishingly large growing timber stock of 26…
According to leading environmental scientist Michael Obersteiner, director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, the global target of reaching 1,5 degrees is unthinkable without biomass. Speaking at the World Bioenergy Association's media partnership event with Euractiv, Professor Michael Obersteiner from the University of Oxford, a co-investigator for the IPCC climate change reports, explains…
On July 14, 2021, the European Commission presented a new climate package under the European Green Deal, which includes the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), the 2030 Forest Strategy and the 2030 EU Biodiversity Strategy. These new regulations have consequences for forests and the timber industry. In the past, sustainable forest management was…
Today's society could not exist without plastic, from cheap mass-produced products to specialized high-tech materials. However, the use of plastics also has disadvantages. These include the consumption of fossil fuels and increasing amounts of waste. Making high-quality plastics from biomass that can be broken down into reusable components could be a new strategy to…
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…
It is becoming increasingly clear that both divesting from fossil fuels and avoiding the build-up of plastic in the environment are essential to meeting the challenges of climate change. To this end, significant efforts are being made to develop degradable or recyclable polymers made from non-edible plant material, referred to as “lignocellulosic biomass”. Producing…
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.…
Researchers have developed a new joint system that harvests energy from the sun and, with the addition of biomass, can provide 100 percent of the heating needed for a one-story house throughout the year. In the warmer months, the system can generate excess electricity that can be sold to the grid. It…
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…
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,…
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.…
After being cut down, tropical forests can in many ways regenerate – and do so within just a few decades. After ten years, the soil is almost as before. After 25 years, the leaves and wood have regained their old density. And after 25 to 60 years, the thickness of the trees and…
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...
Biomass is currently not in good shape as an option to contribute to climate goals. But in terms of CO2 emissions, biomass power plants are sometimes the least bad option for some types of fuel. This is evident from Steef Hanssen's dissertation. 'The debate about biomass has been killed,' says Steef Hanssen of the Environmental Sciences department. 'The consensus...
The rate at which the climate is changing is unprecedented in at least two thousand years and possibly much longer. In addition, some aspects of climate change threaten to become irreversible for a period of centuries or even thousands of years, such as rising sea levels. Without drastic measures, the world must prepare for significantly greater…
