The BiomassTradeCentreII project aims at increasing the production and the use of energy from wood biomass by organising motivation events that will engage identified target groups to invest in biomass business and biomass logistic and trade centres (BLTC) in 9 EU countries (Austria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain). The aim is to present clear, integrated and market oriented information to potential investors: farmers and forest owners, forest entrepreneurs, wood energy contractors and other stakeholders regarding business opportunities to produce and sell energy products and services to the market. It will also foster wood energy contracting between biomass providers and potential users.
Local biomass markets in many countries are fragmented and unorganized. Biomass logistic and trade centres (BLTC) are a new and innovative way to develop and organise local biomass supply. BLTCs are regional centers with optimized logistics and trading organization, where different biomass fuels (firewood, chips, pellets, energy crops etc.) are marketed at guaranteed quality and prices.
Goals
The project started in may 2011 and is financed through the Intelligent Energy for Europe Programme. The structure of the project follows the production and value chain “from standing trees to heat or electricity sold to end users”.
During the project’s lifetime we are planning to support:
- At least 80 initiatives for new wood biomass business in rural areas and at least 50 initiatives from forest owners to start with new activity at the farm (start with wood biomass business). To achieve this goal nearly 300 events (workshops, trainings, demo events, match-making events and study tours) were organised in participating countries.
- Establishment of at least 18 new Biomass trade and logistics centres (BLTC) and enlargement of existing BLTC (in Austria and Germany). To reach this goal workshops and open days were organised and investors will be supported by feasibility studies.
- At least 20 initiatives for establishment of energy contracting systems. To reach this goal workshops and study tours for investors and end users of heat were organised.
- Implementation of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) system in wood biomass business. To reach this goal a simplified QA/QC system for small biomass businesses will be prepared and tested in selected companies.
- Implementation of CEN standards for solid biofuels into local and national markets. To support this network of laboratories for wood biomass quality analysis will be established and cooperation among laboratories will be supported.
Available docoumentation and reports
- A series of reports on the state-of-the-art of wood biomass production in the 9 participating countries were prepared in 2011 and updated in 2012.
- A list of relevant topics on advanced techniques and technologies in biomass production is also available. This document “Technical backgrounds for advanced techniques and technologies in biomass production” gives an overview of the latest research and development achievements in this field. This limited collection of existing knowledge in the field of wood biomass resources and technologies can be used by farmers and forest owners, forest entrepreneurs and companies, members of machinery rings, experts working in this field or by others interested in wood biomass.
- A Wood Fuel Handbook was prepared and available in English, Italian, Slovenian, German, Croatian, Spanish, Catalan, Greek and Romanian language.
- Biomass trade&logistic centres – 3 steps for s successful project realisation is a guideline to support the establishment of BLTCs.
- Detailed catalogues of forestry companies and biomass producers in all participating countries were also published and availalbe in digital and print versions which also include good practice examples of wood biomass production in 3 different production chains from each project country.
- all the available documentation on woody biomass is available at http://www.biomasstradecentre2.eu/publications/.
An observatory on wood fuel prices
Another activity connected with development of local markets is collecting the wood fuel prices – twice per year. Prices for wood fuels in the participating countries are collected and reported in short reports available here . A new report will be published in April 2013.
Fuel quality and analysis
For those that are more interested in wood fuel quality we are developing a special part of our web page. The most important part is a list of more than 20 wood biomass laboratories with all contact informations.
Any other wood biomass laboratories interested to be included in this network can send us their contact datails and they will be added.
If you are interested to start with wood biomass business or you are already in this business and you need more information please contact a project partner from your respective country to ask for additional information.
This post was written by Dr. Nike Krajnc, project coordinator, head of the Department for Forest Technique and Economics – Slovenian Forestry Institute
Practical demonstration of machinery organised in the frame of the project
Project partners visiting one of existing biomass trade centres in Austria
