BioFuEl Biofuels and Bioelectricity -A Network of Excellence providing the future energy supply of Europe Claus Felby Center for Biomas and Plant Fiber Technology Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University Denmark

Energy sources, world Source Shell/ECN 2001

Biomass based energy n Plant oils –Biodiesel n Solid biomass –Heat and electricity n Fermentable sugars –Starch and cellulose for ethanol production

Background for the network n Why use biomass as an energy source? u Oil is a scarce resource u Europe is becomming more and more dependent on oil i.e. oil import from non-EU countries are increasing u Greenhouse effects –Kyoto protocol calls for reduction of CO 2 emission u The ”biobased” economy must be established in the 21’st century u Biomass can provide a substantial part of our energy supply u On a short term biomass is the only possibility for substitution of fossile fuels for transportation

Europe’s supply of liquid fuels n The problem Petrochemicals u Scarce resource u CO 2 pollution u Strategic and political weapon u Low security of supply u Cheap n The solution Biomass (ethanol and diesel) u Renewable u CO 2 neutral u Can be grown and exploited anywhere u High security of supply u Expensive (yet) u Processing to gasoline or diesel can be combined with use as solid fuel

Electricity from Biomass n CO 2 neutral n Low energy density compared to fossile fuels n Wood u Good combustion efficiency, little or no corrosion u Contineous supply u Medium priced n Agricultural residues u Poor combustion efficiency due to corrosive alkaline salts u Batch supply (one harvest period only) u Low priced n Green electricity is already an established energy source in several EU-countries

Biomass –Supply and process chain Forest and agriculture crops & residues Municipal & Industrial waste Collection & storage Pre-treatment Solid biofuels Combustion for heat and Electricity Liquid Biofuels Ethanol (hydrolysis and fermentation) Bio-diesel (extraction/purification/modification) Biochemicals Fermentation (Thermochemical (pyrolysis, HTU, syngas)

co 2 h2oh2o land for quality of life land for energy land for materials biomass in environment and society Raw materials harvest Food production Cattle energy transformation Food Harvest Energycrops harvest Food consumption Energy consumption Produce chemicals, pharmaceuticals, building materials logistics/ pretreatment produce End useopslag Feed Harvest Use of products and materials land for food land for feed

Europe on the biomass world map n European science and industry are leading within a number of core technologies for biomass exploitation. n Fuel ethanol is already an established and growing industry in the US. n Large research programs focused on biofuels are running in the US. n European research is mainly done on a national basis with little coordination between countries. n Europe is about to loose its advantage, if not….

Concept of the network n An energy supply based on biomass must be a multidisciplinary effort n The logistics needed are a challenge. Biomass has volume and is degradable n An attractive possibility is to establish e.g. ethanol production units close to existing power plants already using biomass. n The structure of the network combining the knowledge and expertise within biomass for both fuel and electricity maximises the potential synergy within the area. n The network will assemble a critical mass of the highest qualified European researchers and industry within exploitation of plant biomass.

Network Organisation Coordinator Management team Member Brussels Activities Symposia PhD program Research schools Exchange Etc.

Network activities n Scientific u Identify bottlenecks and critical areas u Setup selected short and medium term goals n Organisational u Build the best possible forum of researchers within the area, an open and active network –key issue is synergy n Educational u Exchange of scientists –inside and outside network u PhD programmes u Research schools

Partners n Universities and research centers u Microbiology u Agri- and Silvi-culture u Chemistry u Physics u Engineering u Economy u Ecology n Industry u Biotech u Biofuel producing companies u Power companies