All subjects
Heat & Power

BIOFIT aims to retrofit European industry with bioenergy

Bioenergy is an essential renewable energy form providing an estimated 60 percent of current renewable energy supply in the EU28. Bioenergy technologies are becoming more advanced and diverse, leading to the energy-efficient production of power, heat and cooling and transportation fuels. Retrofitting is one of the fast ways to increase Europe’s renewable energy share by making the energy production of existing industries more sustainable, something that the EU project BIOFIT aims to facilitate.

Bioenergy technologies are becoming more advanced and diverse, leading to the energy-efficient production of power, heat and cooling and transportation fuels. Retrofitting is one of the fast ways to increase Europe’s renewable energy share by making the energy production of existing industries more sustainable. This is something that the EU Horizon 2020 funded project BIOFIT that was launched in October 2018 aims to facilitate (photo courtesy BTG Biomass Technology Group).

Launched in October 2018, BIOFIT is a three-year European Union (EU) project funded under the Horizon 2020 (H2020) research and innovation programme. The project aims to facilitate the introduction of bioenergy retrofitting in five specific European industries, first-generation biofuels, pulp and paper, fossil refineries, fossil-fired power, and combined heat and power (CHP) plants.

The BIOFIT consortium consists of fourteen industrial and academic partners from eight European countries: Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Finland, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Spain and, Sweden. The project is led coordinated by Netherlands-headed BTG Biomass Technology Group.

Ten retrofit cases

Retrofitting means often lower capital costs, shorter lead times, faster implementation, less production time losses and lower risks. Core actions in BIOFIT are highlighting existing bioenergy retrofits and developing ten retrofit case studies in collaboration with industrial partners.

In parallel, the broader industry will be engaged and supported by five Industry working groups (fora).

Via the fora we can show industry the benefits of bioenergy retrofitting, while making sure that views of all those involved are heard, so we warmly invite all relevant stakeholders to participate in BIOFIT Industry fora, explained John Vos, Project Manager, BTG Biomass Technology Group.

Gaining acceptance of bioenergy in both industry and by the general public is also a focus of the project.

In almost every country in Europe the acceptance of bioenergy is subject of debate. If industry cannot ensure – and demonstrate – sustainable use of biomass, public opinion will turn against bioenergy, remarked Patrick Reumerman, Coordinator, BTG Biomass Technology Group.

Facts

About BIOFIT

The consortium partners are BTG Biomass Technology Group BV (BTG), The Netherlands; WIP Renewable Energies (WIP), Germany; BIOENERGY 2020+ (BE2020), Austria; Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnützige GmbH (DBFZ), Germany; Centre for Research & Technology, Hellas (CERTH), Greece; VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (VTT), Finland; Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Spain; Energikontor Sydost AB (ESS), Sweden; JP Elektroprivreda BiH d.d.-Sarajevo (EPBiH), Bosnia and Herzegovina; Technip Benelux B. V. (TFMC), The Netherlands; Stichting Wageningen Research (WR), The Netherlands, Swedish Biofuels AB (SB), Sweden; Hellenic Petroleum S.A. (HELPE), Greece and Biocarburantes de Castilla y León S.A.(BCyL), Spain. The ten retrofit case studies are Biocarburantes of Castilla y Leon, Spain (1G biofuels); Swedish Biofuels, Sweden (1G biofuels); AustroCel Hallein, Austria (pulp and paper); Hellenic Petroleum, Greece (fossil refineries); Elektroprivreda BiH, Tuzla Bosnia-Herzegovina (fossil-fired power); EP Produzione, Italy (fossil-fired power); Elektroprivreda BiH, Kakanj Bosnia-Herzegovina (CHP) and Sölvesborgs Energi, Sweden (CHP). The EUR 2.6 million three-year project, grant no.817999, is fully funded under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Most read on Bioenergy International

Get the latest news about Bioenergy

Subscribe for free to our newsletter
Sending request
I accept that Bioenergy International stores and handles my information.
Read more about our integritypolicy here