Input ARBOR website
Actions (50 words)
Action 1: Establishment of a transnational task force on biomass
A number of organisational structures will assure an efficient internal and external communication of
ARBOR results. Partners will work together in a transnational task force (TNT) involved in the design,
implementation and evaluation of the different pilots, assuring a continuous flow of information
between the different regional partners.The specific regional implementation of the project will be
guided by 6 regional task forces (NTF) composed of Partners and local stakeholders from industry,
government, agriculture etc. NTFs relay the discussions from the TNT to the regional level and
translate them into local actions.
Contact: Geert Dangreau (POM W-Vl)
Action 2 : Benchmark report on biomass in NWE
The benchmark report is a comprehensive assessment on the use of biomass for bio-energy within
the project region. Statistics on availability of biomass are summarised. Regional strategies are
compared and innovative concepts already in place or under development are highlighted. At the
end of the project, an update on the evolution in statistics and policy will be published.
Contact: Viooltje Lebuf (POM W-Vl) & Anke De Dobbelaere (Inagro)
Action 3: Development of agro-side streams for energy
This action focuses on valorisation of three sidestreams (maize straw, leak leaves and stems of
Brussels sprouts) from agriculture for bio-energy. Nowadays crop residues are mainly left on field
after harvest. Some cause problems like e.g. N-leakage into groundwater, smell and plant disease
survival. Inagro looks at the potential for anaerobic digestion: collection on-field, pretreatment,
storage and biogas production.
Contact: Bart Ryckaert & Anke De Dobbelaere (Inagro)
Action 4: Development of closed loop systems of biomass valorisation by local authorities
Stoke o Trent, Utrecht
Action 5 : Development of synergy parks
Biomass synergies are sought for between industry and agriculture in West-Flanders (BE), VlaamsBrabant (BE) and Gelderland (NL). The aim is to optimise the valorisation of locally available biomass,
preferably for the production of bio-energy. This should reduce environmental impact of transport
and increase cost-effectiveness of waste management. Please check Pilot 8-12.
Contact:
West-Flanders (BE): Viooltje Lebuf & Geert Dangreau (POM W-Vl) & Anke De Dobbelaere (Inagro)
Vlaams-Brabant (BE): Erik Meers (UGent)
Gelderland (NL): Emiel Wubben (WUR)
Action 6 : Development of low-impact energy crops
Since space for energy crops is limited, this actions searches additional values for energy crops next
to biomass production. This action works out 4 pilots of low impact energy crops:
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Short rotation coppice: how can it serve biodiversity, agroforestry and valorisation of unused
industrial land besides biomass production?
Buffer stripes: what are cost-efficient harvesting techniques?
Contaminated land: how can contaminated land be valorised as a source of biomass?
Cover crops: which ones are suitable for energy production?
Please check Pilot 13-14 and Investment 2&5.
Contact:
Short rotation coppice: Pieter Verdonckt (Inagro), Viooltje Lebuf & Geert Dangreau (POM W-Vl)
Biomass on contaminated land: Sofie De Moor (UGent)
Buffer stripes: ?
Cover crops: ?
Action 7: Inventory of existing methods of gas, liquid and solid biomass conversion in
partner countries.
As part of investment 4, this action will look at the various existing conversion technologies. The
generated report will look at direct and indirect methods. A case study for a number of technologies
will be generated for a particular reason with a comparison to other regions. This action draws on the
strength and experience from the various regional representatives in the consortium.
Contact: Sacha Oberweis
Action 8: Evaluate energy content and emission properties of different biomass sources
identified in WP1.
As part of investment 4, this action will assess the fuel quality for various types of biomass samples
from each country and partner regions. A number of seminars will be run at Staffordshire University
to provide knowledge about the various fuel quality assessments and the differences in the various
types of biomass analysed.
Contact: Sacha Oberweis
Action 9: Create an inventory and evaluation of methods for the valorisation of digestate
from co-digestion
An inventory is made of techniques (state of the art and under development) and of resulting endproducts. Technical, economic and environmental data are collected. End-products are
physicochemically characterised. Plant availability and agricultural performance is investigated by
means of lab incubation tests and field trials. A market analysis is executed by contacting agricultural
users, chemical industry and fertiliser industry.
Please check Pilot 17.
Contact: Viooltje Lebuf (VCM)
Action 10: Innovation and technology watch
WUR & UCD
Action 11: Policy assessment
IZES
Action 12: Environmental assessment
CRTE
Action 13: Economic assessment
CRTE
Action 14: Strategy Development
IZES, CRTE
Pilots (60 words)
Pilots 1-3: Valorisation of straw of maize, stems of Brussels sprouts and leaves of leek
Pilots 1-3 will focus on the valorisation of straw from maize, leaves of leek and stems of Brussels
sprouts. These agricultural side streams will be fully characterised, and the best energetic conversion
technologies will be defined. Specific pretreatment techniques and the different technical and
logistical challenges to harvest and collect the biomass will be investigated. Several full scale test
loads will be run in commercial biomass plants.
Pilot 4-5: Valorisation of woody biomass in Stoke-on-Trent and of grass from verges in
Province of Utrecht
Stoke on Trent, Utrecht
Pilot 6-7: Valorisation of organic waste and sewage sludge in Saarland and of greenery
cuttings and landscape material in Bliesgau
IZES
Pilot 8-12: Synergy Parks in Province of West Flanders and the Province of Flemish
Brabant
In West-Flanders an inventory is made of supply and demand of organic waste streams from industry
and agriculture in the region of Roeselare, the centre of the agrofood industry. From this inventory
opportunities will be deduced that could improve local energetic use of biomass. In Flemish-Brabant
a concrete case (Ecowerf) is being investigated to explore the possibilities of energy recuperation
from municipal waste by anaerobic digestion. Specific attention is given to social economy
integration
Central contact person West-Flanders: Viooltje Lebuf (POM W-Vl)
Central contact person Vlaams-Brabant: Erik Meers (UGent)
Gelderland?
Pilot 13-14: Multifunctional Short Rotation Coppice and Biomass buffer stripes
In West-Flanders 7 ha of SRC has been planted in the spring of 2012 at 8 different sites. 5 sites are at
unused industrial sites, 2 will support biodiversity in agricultural areas and 1 is intended to improve
animal wellbeing at a laying hens farm. Nog 30 woorden resterend voor biomass buffer stripes.
Please check Investment 2&5.
Central contact person SRC: Viooltje Lebuf (POM W-Vl) and Pieter Verdonckt (Inagro)
Pilot 15-16: Harvesting biomass from marginal land or non-used land and Biomass from
cover crops
Biomass production on soils that are unfit for agricultural use, or during periods that are not suited
for food crop production will be investigated. For example in the Campine region, research will be
conducted on the production of energy crops on metal contaminated land. Also a crop rotation
scheme will be introduced in this context to investigate the potential of cover crops. Another
approach to this topic will be crop production on brownfields and fallow land.
Central contact person: Erik Meers & Sofie De Moor (UGhent)
Pilot 17: Pilots on nutrient recovery
In West-Flanders a field trail will start up in spring 2013 to assess the potential of nutrient
recuperation from digestate for agricultural use. A selection of end- and side products of digestate
treatment will be evaluated with respect to plant availability of nutrients, biomass yield and impact
on plant and soil quality.
Central contact person: Erik Meers & Evi Michels (UGhent) and Bart Ryckaert (Inagro).
Pilot 18: Biogas Hub
Prov Utrecht
Investments (70 words)
Investment 1: Closed loop biomass system pilot project
Stoke on Trent
Investment 2 & 5: Multifunctional Short Rotation Coppice
In West-Flanders 7 ha of SRC was planted during spring 2012. POM West-Flanders realized 4 ha of
new SRC plantations on industrial land, while Inagro planted 3,5 ha on agricultural land. Arbor budget
was used for the purchase of planting material (willow cuttings and poplar rods), appointing a
contractor for the preparation of the soil, the planting itself and for the subsequent weed control
(mechanical and chemical) during the first months.
The objective was to search for locations where several goals can be met by planting SRC while
minimizing competition with food production. Therefore we chose locations as unused industrial
sites , combining SRC with free range chicken and combining biomass production while supporting
biodiversity in agricultural landscape.
In all the pilots there was an agreement with the companies and farmers to maintain the trees during
at least a period of 10 years. The companies that were willing to cooperate with POM were MIROM
(Roeselare), OB&D (Meulebeke), Vyncke (Harelbeke), Vanhalst (Wevelgem) and Cras (Brugge).
Besides these, two farmers ( in Zonnebeke and Oostkamp) chose to combine biomass production
with biodiversity measures. While a third farmer chose to plant SRC in an agroforestry system
combining the production of free range eggs and bioenergy production.
Please check Pilot 13-14.
Biogas hub Utrecht
Provincie of Utrecht
Investment 4: Centre of Excellence for Biomass
The establishment of this centre will be a major step in bringing a closer focus on the role of biomass
as a key source of renewable energy. The Centre will be used for demonstrating some of the
technologies investigated in action 7 as well as the fuel quality assessments from action 8. The
Centre will also be used for demonstration and seminar purposes. The biomass boiler will be
integrated into the central heating system of the University building and drive an absorption
refrigeration unit. A wood gasification unit will be used to generate a gas mixture to be injected into
an IC engine to generate power from biomass.
Contact: Sacha Oberweis
Investment 6: Multifunctional use of buffer strips
DLV Plant