Programme Outline

1.1 Biomass resources and potentials
Assessments of biomass potentials and land availability at regional, national and international levels;
Assessment of recoverable biomass potential;
Biomass mobilisation and logistics;
Spatial modelling and remote sensing;
Resources mapping.

1.2 Innovative biomass production for energy integrated into traditional agri-forestry systems
Innovative agri-forestry systems including biomass production for energy and materials;
Bioenergy production integrated into agriculture and forestry;
Biomass plantations increasing sustainability and ecosystem services;
Novel crops, multi-purpose crops, intercropping and alternative cropping systems;
Low ILUC impact feedstocks;
Crops from marginal and degraded lands;
Soil quality and soil fertility improvement - compost, digestate, biochar;
Phytoremediation solutions for contaminated lands.

1.3 Algae and aquatic biomass production systems
Identification, assessment and optimisation of algae strains;
Technologies and systems for micro and macro algae cultivation, nutrition and harvesting;
Integration of wastewater treatment into algae systems;
Algae production systems, marine farming systems;
Aquatic waste streams;
Aquaculture and aquatic waste streams;
Algae harvesting, drying, oil and chemical extraction.

1.4 Agroforestry residues and by-products
Supply of biomass and biomass by-products and residues from agriculture and forestry;
Biomass mobilisation: characterisation, harvest technologies, logistics and storage;
Resource efficient agriculture and forestry;
Agro-food waste;
Agro-industrial feedstocks and side streams.

1.5 Municipal and industrial wastes
Potential of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) for bioenergy, biofuels and bioproducts;
Availability of biowaste from MSW;
Techniques for source separation;
Industrial wastes;
Downstream use of pulp and paper waste;
Sewage sludge, slaughterhouse waste;
Integrated waste management systems.

2.1 Sustainability, socio-economic aspects and public acceptance
Sustainability aspects of biomass production and use;
Sustainability schemes, sustainability standards and products certification;
Socio-economic aspects, benefits and socio-economic opportunities;
Competition and risk mitigation of the increased use of biomass;
Bioenergy, food security and local, traditional use of biomass;
Actions for sustainable economic growth;
Bioenergy contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG);
Improving citizen awareness and acceptance;
Promoting good practices for bioenergy.

2.2 Environmental impacts
Biomass and land use, agricultural intensification, water and air emissions from biomass production and conversion;
Biomass production preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services;
Land use change impacts, monitoring and addressing indirect land use changes;
Land use and land governance;
Biomass production and water use, energy, land and water interactions;
Trade-offs between different impacts;
Environmental Life Cycle Assessments.

2.3 Climate impacts and GHG performance
Climate impacts of biomass, biofuels, bioenergy and bio-based products production;
Assessment of climate change mitigation potential;
GHG emissions, LULUCF and sustainable forest management;
Assessing direct and indirect land use change impacts;
Carbon storage on land and materials;
Innovative carbon utilisation options;
Assessing GHG of biomass pathways;
GHG Life Cycle Assessment.

2.4 Biomass strategies and policies
Policies for the sustainable and circular economy;
Agriculture, forestry and rural development;
Bioenergy policies and targets for 2030 and beyond;
Bioenergy and bio-based products contribution to a low carbon economy, LULUCF emissions and Emissions Trading Scheme;
The role of bio-based products for the 2030 and 2050 targets;
Biomass and rural development, opportunities in the sustainable and circular economy;
Strategies for international cooperation;
Strategies for the integration of bioenergy into a low-carbon economy;
Strategies for the integration of bio-based products into the chemical industry.

2.5 Resource efficient economy
Approaches for efficient management of natural resources (land and water);
Promoting resource efficient value chains;
Sustainable circular economy and cascading use of biomass;
Competition and risks of the increased use of biomass;
Opportunities of biomass use for food, feed, fuels, bio-based products;
Innovation, growth and job creation;
Exploiting the value of co-products;
Cross-sectorial synergies to avoid over-exploitation.

3.1 Biomass integration into energy systems
Innovative solutions for small communities, integrating bioenergy and other renewables;
Integrated bioenergy RES hybrid systems and technologies;
Bioenergy for electricity grid stability and gas grid balancing concepts;
Bioenergy in renewable energy communities and buildings;
Bioenergy solutions for rural electrification concepts and off-grid systems;
Biomass in district heating and cooling, poly-generation energy networks;
Greening the gas grids (biomethane, hydrogen etc.).

3.2 Biomass use in biorefineries
Biorefinery platforms for bio-based products, energy and fuels;
Integrated and innovative biorefineries concepts;
Process design and business development;
Integration of biochemical and thermochemical processes into biorefineries;
Biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes of biomass to fuels, energy, bio-based products;
Multi-purpose and versatile schemes;
Renewable energy utilisation;
Assessment tools for biorefineries.

3.3 Strategies for bio-based products in the chemical industry
National, regional, local strategies;
Market uptake initiatives and policies;
Perspectives for bio-based chemicals and materials and contribution to the climate neutrality goals;
Strategic decisions for bio-based products and chemicals;
Assessing most promising value chains, processes and concepts;
Economics, incentives and subsidies towards developing a bio-based economy.

3.4 Market implementation, investments & financing
Market uptake initiatives and policies;
Initiatives for decarbonisation of the economy;
Challenges of scale-up and market implementation of new technologies;
Support schemes;
Economics and financing of bioenergy projects;
Economics and financial bio-based projects;
Risk assessment of financing;
Global bioenergy and bio-based products markets;
Biomass trade, contracting and logistics;
Innovative business models.

4.1 Biomass pretreatment for solid fuels and production of intermediates
Biomass pretreatment and densification;
Physical, chemical, physico-chemical and biological methods for biomass pretreatment;
Process development and  optimisation;
Characterisation and utilisation of solid fuels and intermediates;
Logistics, storage and distribution.

4.2 Advanced biomass combustion
Innovative concepts for small scale and medium scale combustion;
Advanced and innovative small scale and medium scale systems;
Large scale advanced combustion systems;
Process modelling and monitoring;
Advanced process and emission control systems;
Tri-generation (power, heat and cooling);
Innovative concepts and thermodynamic cycles;
High efficiency, increased steam parameters plants;
Bioenergy and Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) enabling negative GHG emissions.

4.3 Gasification for power, CHP and polygeneration
Fundamental studies;
Technology development;
Process modelling and monitoring;
Gas cleaning and upgrading;
Syngas utilisation in engines, turbines and fuel cells;
Advanced process control systems;
By-products utilisation.

4.4 Gasification for synthesis gas production
Fundamental studies;
Technology development;
Advanced gasification systems;
Gas cleaning, reforming and upgrading for BTL and SNG applications;
Process control systems;
By-products utilisation.

4.5 Anaerobic digestion for biogas and biomethane production
Anaerobic digestion process improvement;
Advanced plant and fermenter concepts;
Optimising conversion, improving design and process integration;
Dry fermentation and thermophilic processes;
Anaerobic digestion of innovative feedstocks (straw, waste, algae, etc.);
Biogas utilisation for power, CHP and poly-generation;
Biogas upgrading to biomethane;
Biomethane injection into the grid.

5.1 Pyrolysis
Production of liquid bioenergy carriers from solid biomass;
Fundamental studies;
Technology advances;
Process modelling, improvement and optimisation;
Bio-oil purification, upgrading and utilisation (combustion, chemical extraction, gasification, etc.);
By-product utilisation;
Wastewater treatment;
Energy balance and techno-economic analysis.

5.2 Hydrothermal processing
Advances in hydrothermal liquefaction, gasification and hydrothermal carbonisation;
Process fundamentals and studies;
Technology and process improvement;
Biocrude production, purification, upgrading;
Value-added compounds extraction;
Energy balance and techno-economic analysis.

5.3 Oil-based and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels
Oil-based fuels and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels from lipids and lignocellulosic biomass;
Bio-Synthetic Natural Gas (Bio-SNG);
Algae biofuels production, technology advances;
Bioprocesses for microbial oils production;
Innovative processes for synthetic fuels production from lignocellulosic biomass (biomass based electrofuels);
Co-processing biomass feedstock with fossil fuels in common processes;
Technology and process improvements;
Energy balance and techno-economic analysis.

5.4 Bio-alcohols from sugars, starch and lignocellulosic biomass
Biochemical routes for lignocellulosic ethanol, other alcohols production;
Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass;
Enzymatic hydrolysis and microorganism fermentation into alcohols;
Novel C6 and C5 fermentation techniques;
Progress on ethanol production from sugar and starch;
Innovations in bio-alcohol production from lignocellulosic biomass;
Process advances;
Downstream wastewater treatment;

5.5 Synthetic fuels from biomass and hydrogen
Synthetic fuel production processes;
Technological innovations of Power-to-X (Power-to-gas, Power-to-liquids, etc.);
Renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO), Recycled Carbon Fuels (RCF);
Hydrogen production pathways: thermochemical, electrolytic, photolytic, biological processes;
Hydrogen and fuel cells for stationary and mobile applications;
Alternative fuels and hydrogen logistics and infrastructure;
Technico-economic assessments.

6.1 Processes for bio-based chemicals and materials
Advances in renewable chemicals;
Production of high-added value organic compounds;
New products from biomass: bio-based chemicals and polymers, bio-catalysts, additives; bioplastics, etc.;
Production of organic fertilizers and compost;
Nutrients cycles and recovery (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium).

6.2 Biorefinery platforms for bio-based chemicals and polymers
Fuels and chemical building blocks from synthesis gas;
Production of value added chemicals and macromolecules from lignin;
Production of fine chemicals from sugar and oil platforms;
Process development, maximising conversion efficiency;
Technical and biological barriers and economic considerations.

6.3 Co-production of biofuels and biochemicals
Combined production of fuels, chemicals and materials from biomass;
Innovative processes integrating fuel production into bio-based refineries;
Process integration;
Co-production options and economics;
Technical and economic assessments.