First-ever eEUBCE gets underway

The overarching and recurring concept expressed by the full range of speakers is that domestic bioenergy can both stimulate the post-pandemic economy recovery and decarbonise the environment at the same time, if based on well-designed and sustainable biomass supply chains, as pointed out by Dr David Chiaramonti, Polytechnic of Turin, in its scientific opening speech.

He also emphasized the strategic role that biofuels could play to contribute to fuel security and energy storage when considering the EU’s large storage capacity in the gas grid and liquid fuel tanks.

Bioenergy and the bioeconomy can be also enablers for sustainable agriculture, sustainable biomass resources can be made available in large amounts while achieving synergies with sustainable farming, forest management and the restoration of degraded lands, as clearly explained by Professor André Faaij, Scientific Director at TNO the Netherlands in its keynote speech.

Professor Faaij emphasized that sustainable European biomass potentials can cover one-third of the future primary energy supply; comparable to the role of mineral oil today.

BECSS a major opportunity

Advanced technologies and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) offer pathways to supply high-quality fuels and heavy industries with negative emissions. These are major opportunities that should not be missed for the post-pandemic economic recovery. A concept backed Giovanni De Santi, Director of the Directorate for Sustainable Resources European Commission: “the bioeconomy is key to drive the green transition towards a climate-neutral economy,” he said.

Deploying a sustainable and circular bioeconomy will boost the competitiveness of the bio-based sectors and support the creation of new value chains across Europe, while restoring and enhancing the overall status of our natural resources. The European Commission Knowledge Centre on Bioeconomy provides the knowledge base for a sustainable and circular bioeconomy that operates within safe ecological limits.

The panel debate also provided different expert’s views on the relation between bioenergy, the bioeconomy, and what is needed to ensure they can fully contribute to economic recovery. During the final debate, panelists explained also the single most important issues to attract finance to the bioenergy and bioeconomy sector:

Our world is on fire, we have to do something, we need to do it quickly and we can do this together. Bioeconomy has the potential to have a great impact on a sustainable future and also in job creation, we need to enable our economies to come out from the COVID crisis, said Jennifer Holmgren CEO LanzaTech aptly describing the current situation.

The conference will continue through July 9, the complete recording of the Opening session can be viewed here.