Bio-Based Industries 2015 – forventede topics
Research and Innovation Actions
Conversion of lignocellulosic recalcitrant waste from biorefineries ................................................................. 2
Pre-treatment of lignocellulose with simultaneous removal of contaminants and separation of lignin and
cellulosic fractions ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Sustainable industrial molecules from lignocellulosic feedstock ...................................................................... 4
Practices increasing effectiveness of forest management ................................................................................ 5
Sustainable cellulose based materials ............................................................................................................... 6
Tailoring tree species to produce wood designed for industrial processes and biorefining purposes ............. 7
Valorisation of aquatic biomass ........................................................................................................................ 8
Innovative efficient biorefinery technologies ................................................................................................... 9
Innovation Actions - Demonstration Actions
Lignocellulosic feedstock into advanced biofuels ........................................................................................... 10
Lignocellulosic feedstock into building blocks, chemicals or materials .......................................................... 11
Innovative cellulose-based composite packaging solutions............................................................................ 12
Production of bio-based elastomers from Europe-grown feedstock .............................................................. 13
High purity bio-based intermediates and end products from fats and oils .................................................... 14
Valorisation of residues and side streams from the agro-food industry ........................................................ 15
Organic acids from unsorted Municipal Solid Waste ...................................................................................... 16
Overcoming low product yields from fermentation processes ....................................................................... 17
Innovation Actions - Flagship Actions
From lignocellulosic feedstock to advanced biobased chemicals, biomaterials or biofuels ........................... 18
Valorisation of cellulose into new added value products ............................................................................... 19
Innovative processes for sugar recovery from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) ............................................... 20
Conversion of lignocellulosic recalcitrant waste from biorefineries
Challenge
Existing biorefineries are not able to convert 100% of the lignocellulosic feedstock, generating large waste
streams (crystalline cellulose, lignin, sugar derived condensed polymers)….
Scope
Development of efficient processes able to convert lignin-containing side streams from lignocellulosic
biorefineries into biochemicals with higher value than energy and lower carbon footprint. In order to
maximise the impact for European bioeconomy, processes should be adaptable to different feedstocks…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 4 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 2.5 million Euro. It is expected
that 1 proposal can be financed.
Impact
 Closing the circle by utilising waste from 2nd generation biorefineries in order to improve resource
efficiency of the whole sector;
 Revalorisation of the lignin fraction in biomass into valuable products with a value that is at least 3
times higher as compared to the current energy value.
Type of action: Research and innovation actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Pre-treatment of lignocellulose with simultaneous removal of
contaminants and separation of lignin and cellulosic fractions
Challenge
Pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass is a crucial, although often overlooked, item: an optimised pretreatment can increase productivity and reduce costs of subsequent processing stages. The quality of
lignocellulosic feedstock is variable, both in terms of composition (i.e. sugar/lignin content) and in terms of
presence of contaminants derived from the cultivation phase (e.g. industrial chemicals, pesticides) and
harvest (e.g. soil)…
Scope
Development of a pre-treatment process that performs the separation of lignin and sugar fractions yielding
a contaminant-free feedstock for subsequent processes. Proposals should preferably aim for all-in-one
solutions, for example using (cocktails of) micro-organisms and/or enzymes that are able to simultaneously
break down lignin and degrade pollutants…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 3 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 2.5 million Euro. It is expected
that 1 proposal can be financed.
Impact
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At least 50% cost reduction for pre-treatment with respect to state of the art;
Improved yield of sugars from lignocellulose by 75%;
Removal of contaminants by >98%;
Increased consumer safety thanks to improved removal of contaminants in products;
Reduction in environmental impact thanks to lower energy consumption, lower waste generation.
Type of action: Research and Innovation actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Sustainable industrial molecules from lignocellulosic feedstock
Challenge
Substitution of fossil-based molecules and chemicals with sustainable, bio-based alternatives is particularly
relevant when dealing with chemicals which suffer from limited biodegradability, may pose health or
environmental concerns or lack versatility due to the limited range of chemical structures available as a
result of their synthetic origin.
Scope
Development of new efficient conversion and/or separation techniques for lignocellulosic biomass into
functional molecules for industry..
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 3 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 4.5 million Euro. It is expected
that up to 2 proposals could be financed
Impact
For proposals dealing with hydrophobic molecules:
 At least 2 new hydrophobic substances;
 Molecules with enhanced or equal properties , more than 10% reduced product costs and more
than 20% CO2-reduction with respect to conventional hydrophobic molecules e.g. fluorinates and
silanes.
For proposals dealing with terpenes:
 A 5 times higher value as compared to the heat value of the lignocellulosic feedstock;
 At least 3 new processes for the production of specialty chemicals / bulk chemicals, with market
size matching their available volumes;
 Beneficial economic impact to forest-based sector and underpining partnerships and synergies
across biorefinery related industrial sectors.
Proposals will contribute to reaching the BBI Specific Objective of developing new bio-based materials.
Type of action: Research and innovation actions.
Practices increasing effectiveness of forest management
Challenge
The European forestry sector can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of wood mobilisation to increase
its competitiveness, in terms of productivity, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. This requires an
improvement in the management efficiency of the forest value chain (from planting of the tree through the
harvesting phase and extraction from the forest, to be ready for further valorisation)...
Scope
Development of improved methods in order to achieve higher productivity in forest operation processes
leading to higher production of wood and less influence on the environment (damage on trees and ground),
and in general improvements in forest operations. Proposals should take into account all aspects including
forest regeneration and preservation of soil quality…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 2 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 1.5 million Euro. It is expected
that 1 proposal can be financed.
Impact
 Addressing relevant bottlenecks for development in European forestry, in particular related to the
cost of managing silviculture and harvesting operations;
 Improving accessibility to wood resources leading to a significant increase in productivity in forest
operations over a representative period of time: for instance, a 1% annual increase in forest
growth, projected on a 20 year period, would yield 22% increase with respect to the original
volume, roughly equivalent to 2 years of forest growth gained;
 Increasing forest operations output while minimising environmental impacts, for example reducing
soil disturbance, more efficiently performed thinning and/or more efficiently extracted grot
(residuals);
 Reducing the fuel consumption in the forest harvesting process by at least 15%.
Type of action: Research and Innovation actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Sustainable cellulose based materials
Challenge
Although market prospects of cellulose based products in textiles, films and thermoplastics are high, their
current market share is relatively small due to environmental and cost limitations of current cellulose based
processes such as viscose, lyocell and cellulose ester based ones…
Scope
Development of innovative cellulose dissolution processes and concomitant technologies enabling the
production of cellulose based products with innovative properties. Proposals should address the processing
and processability of cellulose pulp (e.g. dissolving pulp, recycled viscose, recycled cotton), into new
products such as textile fibres, films, and thermoplastic materials…
It is considered that a budget of of about EUR 2 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed
appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals with another
budget. The total funding available for this topic is 1.5 million Euro. It is expected that 1 proposal can be
financed.
Impact
 Delivering eco-friendly and cost-competitive cellulose products leading to a significant
improvement in environmental performance, cost and quality as compared to establised
alternatives;
 Strengthening market position of cellulose based products by a reduction of at least 10% of
investment and operating costs of newly developed cellulose dissolving processes as compared to
conventional ones;
 Achieving technological validation of at least one of the targeted cellulose-based products to be
ready for demonstration;
 In case of innovative textile fibres: Improvement of the mechanical properties, targeting the
performance of cotton and outperforming viscose fibres.
Type of action: Research and innovation actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Tailoring tree species to produce wood designed for industrial processes
and biorefining purposes
Challenge
Wood is used as feedstock for a wide number of applications. The forest sector can enhance their revenues
when expanding its traditional businesses to the growing biorefinery business, where not only cellulose,
but all wood components are used for conversion into a variety of added-value biomaterials and green
chemicals…
Scope
Development of tree varieties with high production rates and tailored chemical structure, that improve the
economy and sustainability of wood processing, while enhancing downstream processing into chemicals
and/or new materials. Proposals should include innovative solutions for the engineering of the chemical
components in wood in such a way that it facilitates wood processing and/or yield chemical structures
customised for industrial needs of the growing biorefinery sector…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 4 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 2.5 million Euro. It is expected
that 1 proposal can be financed.
Impact
 Novel wood properties that will increase the efficiency of wood-based biorefineries and decrease
the use of energy during wood processing by at least 30%;
 Increase the overall profitability of forest-based sector, tree growers and forest owners throughout
Europe also thanks to better valorisation of wood by-products;
Type of action: Research and Innovation actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan
Valorisation of aquatic biomass
Challenge
Exploitation of “blue” biomass such as algae, microalgae and water plants represents a promising way for
reducing Europe’s dependence on imports (fish and vegetable oils, animal proteins), as well as pressure on
land resources by making available alternative feedstock for a number of applications in food, feed and
nutraceuticals…
Scope
Development of innovative multi step approaches for the extraction of proteins, oils, fatty acids and/or
bioactive compounds from aquatic biomass such as algae, microalgae, duckweed and seaweed and their
conversion and purification into high added value ingredients for food, feed and nutraceutical
applications…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 4 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 5 million Euro. It is expected that
up to 2 proposals could be financed.
Impact
 For proposals dealing with proteins and other nutritional ingredients:
o Development of new aquatic vegetal-based products for the food and feed markets with
high nutritional content, at least a 40% higher content in amino acid than wheat;
o Products with high nutritional value and digestibility (at least 50% protein assimilation)
and/or high functional value (binding, gluten replacement, gel forming);
 For proposals dealing with production of oil:
o High biomass yield in terms of oil in litres per hectare, at least more than 200 times better
than maize, equivalent to 6 times better than palm oil;
o Decreasing dependency on imports of vegetal and fish oil as a source for obtaining fatty
acids. Current import of oils represents 40% of the total in tonnage and 36% in value1; the
target is to make available technologies able to lead in the long term to a reduction by at
least 40% in the import of oils.
Type of action: Research and innovation actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
1
Calculated on the basis of EU production and import of rapeseed, sunflower, palm and anchovy oil. Sources: US Dept
Agric, IndexMundi. International fishmeal and Fish oil Organisation
Innovative efficient biorefinery technologies
Challenge
Biorefineries are at the heart of the bioeconomy development; establishment of competitive integrated
biorefineries that process biomass in a cascaded manner, and that are able to continuously operate yearround is one of the key challenges of the whole BBI Initiative…
Scope
Proposals should develop innovative biorefinery technologies and concept enabling the establishment of
new efficient biobased value chains. Proposals should aim to significantly increase the efficiency, yield and
cost-effectiveness of technologies converting various underutilized seasonal feedstock into costcompetitive building blocks and/or products in a cascaded manner…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 10 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 10 million Euro. It is expected
that up to 2 proposals could be financed.
Impact
Proposals should contribute to at least 1 of impacts as listed below:
 At least 20 % increase of conversion efficiency (product/ton of biomass in input) over state of the
art comparable technologies;
 Integrated processes leading to products with 5 times higher value than the current application of
the biomass;
 A 20 % improvement in resource efficiency (consumption of energy and water) over state of the art
comparable technologies;
 Year round operation due to smart combination, pre-treatment and storage of feedstock.
And proposals should contribute, as a portion, to at least 2 of the BBI-SIRA impacts as listed below:
 5 new building blocks based on biomass of European origin validated at demonstration scale,
further increasing to 10 in 2030;
 10 functionalized chemicals and materials developed, with demonstration of their economic
feasibility, lower environmental footprint and societal benefits;
 5 successfully demonstrated concepts for valorisation of proteins from plant residues;
 50 new biobased materials (e.g. such as specialty fibres, plastics, composites and packaging
solutions);
 30 new demonstrated ‘consumer’ products based on biobased chemicals and materials;
 10 new biodegradable, compostable or recyclable bio based products and materials for short life
application.
Type of action: Research and Innovation actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Lignocellulosic feedstock into advanced biofuels
Challenge
Greening of air and land transport is one of the key environmental objectives for Europe, as well as one of
the strategic objectives of the BBI. Despite the advancements in hydrogen and electric propulsion, it is
foreseeable that the majority of land and air transport will be powered by liquid fuels for the near to midterm future; this in particular holds for air transport, where limitations due to weight of batteries and
safety requirements bound to compressed gas make alternative propulsion technologies impractical…
Scope
Demonstration of the techno-economic viability of efficient and sustainable processes for the conversion of
lignocellulosic feedstock into advanced biofuels able to be used pure or blended with conventional fossil
fuels in existing engines and propellers…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget between EUR 5 and 15 million would allow this
specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and
selection of proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 15 million Euro. It is
expected that up to 2 proposals could be financed
Impact
 Reduction of environmental impact and CO2 footprint when compared to traditional processes
(either fossil based and/or produced from 1st generation feedstock);
 Proposals addressing products derived from the cellulosic/hemicellulosic part should target a 2 - 3
times higher value than current products from these components;
 Proposals targeting lignin-based products are expected to show a value which is at least 3 times
higher than current lignin energy value;
 Accelerating the deployment of biofuel technologies towards achieving the EU Biofuel FlightPath
and the biofuels targets of the Renewable Energy Directive, as well as the implementation of the
SET Plan European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI); reducing the environmental impact with
respect to fossil based fuels (80% reduction in GHG emission);
 Proposals will contribute to reaching the BBI Specific Objectives of developing new bio-based
materials.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Demonstration actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Lignocellulosic feedstock into building blocks, chemicals or materials
Challenge
Opportunities are identified in the exploitation of lignocellulosic feedstock for the production of 2nd
generation building blocks, biochemicals and materials, which are now largely based on fossil derivatives or
on conversion of 1st generation sugars...
Scope
Demonstration of the techno-economic viability of efficient and sustainable processes for the conversion of
lignocellulosic feedstock into 2nd generation sugars and lignin, and further into valuable building blocks,
biochemicals or materials…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 15 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 10 million Euro. It is expected
that up to 2 proposals could be financed
Impact
 Reduction of environmental impact and CO2 footprint when compared to traditional processes
(either fossil based and/or produced from 1st generation feedstock);
 Products that have a 2 - 3 times higher value than current products from these raw materials;
 Demonstration of at least 2 bio-based products, showing favourable competition with their fossilbased counterparts with respect to cost-competitiveness, sustainability and performance;
 Proposals will contribute to reaching the BBI Specific Objectives of up-scaling and validating at
demonstration scale entirely new building blocks for the chemical industry and developing new biobased materials.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Demonstration actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Innovative cellulose-based composite packaging solutions
Challenge
Cellulose-based packaging composite materials, consisting of new compositions of cellulose fibres and
biopolymers, could be a viable fully bio-based alternative for fossil-based mouldable plastics (e.g. PET, PP,
PE and EPS) meeting the high demands of the packaging market…
Scope
Demonstration of the techno-economic viability of a cellulose-based composite packaging enabling a
reduction in weight and providing tailored shaped-to-purpose packages for various goods. Mechanical and
functional properties (e.g. wet resistance) must be assessed versus competing fossil-based products and
relevant regulations, in particular when considering packaging for food products. Proposals should prove
the economical access to sufficient raw material to set up the new value chain…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 5 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 5 million Euro. It is expected that
up to 2 proposals could be financed
Impact
 Delivering a safe 100% bio-based and biodegradable product. Products are expected to be at least
10% lighter than the fossil alternatives at the same functional properties and show a radically
improved environmental footprint over the product lifecycle;
 More than 50% CO2 emission reduction compared to a competing fossil-based packaging material;
 Proposals will contribute to reaching the BBI Specific Objective of presenting new close to the
market consumer products.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Demonstration actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Production of bio-based elastomers from Europe-grown feedstock
Challenge
Bio-based elastomers already represent a considerable market share, especially considering applications
where they cannot be fully substituted by synthetic counterparts (e.g. rubber and latex) due to their
superior mechanical properties…
Scope
Demonstration of the techno-economic viability of new Europe-based value chains for the production of
bio-based elastomers, e.g. rubber, from alternative feedstock and/or crops. Proposals should take into
account the whole chain from agronomics, i.e. selection and growth of suitable EU-based crops, to
conversion to the final product, via innovative processes overcoming known limitations of currently
available extraction processes and enabling valorisation of all plant fractions…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 10 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 7.5 million Euro. It is expected
that 1 proposal can be financed.
Impact
 Demonstrate economic sustainability in view of future developments of large size plants;
 Demonstrate cultivation of suitable feedstock with low or zero Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC),
addressing where applicable the issue of remediation of marginal land, with positive impact on the
creation of green jobs and revitalisation of rural areas;
 Mechanical and functional properties of the elastomer will be comparable (90% or better) as in
comparison to conventional counterparts, and preferably with additional functionalities for new
market segments;
 Reduced environmental impact of the extraction process, in particular regarding use of water and
treatment of effluents;
 Improved separation and valorisation of other fractions of the crop e.g. lignocellulosic and/or resins;
 Process yield of at least 5 kg elastomer from 100 kg of raw material input;
 Proposals will contribute to reaching the BBI Specific Objective of establishing new bio-based value
chains.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Demonstration actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
High purity bio-based intermediates and end products from fats and oils
Challenge
Vegetable oils and fats represent a promising feedstock for the production of added value products. They
can be used as a substrate for biopolymers, both for replacing their petrochemical counterpart, but also to
provide new application properties for new markets…
Scope
Demonstration of a techno-economically viable process for the conversion of vegetable oils into one or
more of the following products segments:
(i)
chemical building blocks using olefin chemistry; in particular demonstrating the production of
tailor made biopolymers for surfactants, detergents, cosmetics, paints, lubricants, resins and
high-value plastics;
(ii)
high purity end products (e.g. cosmetics, nutraceuticals) by innovative and reproducible
methods (e.g. biotechnological or thermal) together with high efficiency separation and
purification steps.
Proposals should prove significant improvements of cost-efficiency and environmental performance, as
well as address the development of higher purity bioproducts with improved nutritional properties…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 5 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 5 million Euro. It is expected that
up to 2 proposals could be financed
Impact
 50% cost reduction and increased efficiency by a new process for a wide range of biobased
products (surfactants, detergents, cosmetics, paints, resins and plastics);
 Reduction of more than 50% of energy;
 Reduction of wastes: reduction from 1% to 5% of unwanted by-products formation and suppression
of undesired pollutants;
 Reduction of production costs of 10%;
 Opening up new markets to new fatty acid and glycerine qualities, such as the confection of food
products but also cosmetics and top-range industrial products like lubricants or detergents;
 Demonstrate a decreased environmental impact on the whole value chain.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Demonstration actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Valorisation of residues and side streams from the agro-food industry
Challenge
Residues and side streams from the agro-food industry are currently underutilised: agricultural residues
such as leaves, weeds and grass are often left to rot on the land (releasing nitrogen and phosphorous into
the soil, of which only a small fraction is taken up by new plants), while side streams of fruit, vegetables and
crop processing are at best used as feed or fertilisers, while having significant opportunities for further
valorisation in new applications and markets…
Scope
Demonstrate the techno-economic viability of the valorisation of side streams or residues of the agro-food
industry into valuable products (e.g. fibres for biomaterials, fertilisers, proteins for food/feed, active
components for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics or bioindustrial applications)…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 10 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 15 million Euro. It is expected
that up to 2 proposals could be financed
Impact
Proposals re expected to contribute to at least two of the impacts listed below:
 Demonstration of a complete new value chain with higher added value products for new markets,
produced from a residue from the agro-food industry;
 Maximise the sustainability of the value chain by improvement of environmental impact and cost
efficiency of resulting products as compared to state of the art benchmarks;
 Integrated process with more than 40% of the stream to be valorised to high added value additives;
 Reduction of environmental impact;
 Demonstration of products with a 2-5 times higher value than the current applications of the side
stream, leading to a significantly higher total valorisation of the agricultural crops, thus improving the
competitive position of food crops and contributing to rural developments and growth of jobs in rural
areas.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Demonstration actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan
Organic acids from unsorted Municipal Solid Waste
Challenge
The biodegradable fraction of MSW, mainly consisting of food residues and other organic materials, could
be an economical and sustainable feedstock for many biorefining purposes: however, in order to ensure
market uptake, the produced chemical building blocks must have a suitably low cost and good quality…
Scope
Demonstration of the techno-economic viability of a separation of the biodegradable fraction of MSW and
its conversion to organic acids. Proposals should demonstrate the techno-economic viability of an efficient
sorting and separation technology for the biodegradable part of MSW and an efficient and cost-effective
conversion to organic acids. Proposals are expected to proof a high conversion rate of the MSW to organic
acids and at the same time achieve a sufficient cleanliness of the non-biodegradable by-products enabling
further processing and recycling…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 15 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 7,5 million Euro. It is expected
that 1 proposal can be financed.
Impact
 Achieving a 90% separation rate of biodegradable fraction from unsorted MSW leading to reduced
need for landfill or incineration, and valorisation of waste;
 Achieving a yield in the fermentation broth of organic acids at least equal to 100 kg per ton of
unsorted MSW.
 Successful performance of the project will allow the developed biotechnology to be demonstrated
and exploited at industrial scale
Type of action: Innovation actions – Demonstration actions
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Overcoming low product yields from fermentation processes
Challenge
Fermentation processes cover a wide range for the production of industrial relevant products (e.g. alcohols,
acids, proteins, amino acids, specialty carbohydrates)…
Scope
Demonstration for a specific molecule or categories of molecules (e.g. gaseous products, organic acids) of
technologies that significantly increase the fermentation process yield by overcoming the specific limiting
factors of the considered value chain (renewable feedstock, microorganism, product)…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget of about EUR 10 million would allow this specific
challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of
proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 5 million Euro. It is expected that
1 proposal can be financed.
Impact
 Higher process yields of at least 20% compared to the state of the art;
 Cost reduction of at least 15 % compared to conventional down-stream processing of the
fermentation broth;
 Increasing the overall productivity will further lead to more economic feasible processes proved in
demonstration scale.
 Successful performance of the project will allow the developed biotechnology to be demonstrated
and exploited at industrial scale
Type of action: Innovation actions – Demonstration actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
From lignocellulosic feedstock to advanced biobased chemicals,
biomaterials or biofuels
Challenge
Second generation feedstock is lignocellulosic biomass, including agricultural, wood and forest residues,
residues from agro-industrial processing and forest-based industries, and residues from 1st generation
conversion plants…
Scope
Demonstration of the techno-economic viability of transformation of multiple second generation feedstock
(e.g. from agro-residues or wood processing waste or from residues of 1st generation conversion plants)
into one of the following applications:
i) bioethanol
ii) diols..
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget between EUR 25 and 60 million would allow this
specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and
selection of proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 40 million Euro. It is
expected that up to 2 proposals could be financed
Impact
 Opening up significant potential for job creation in rural areas. Creating green jobs facilitating the
development of entrepreneurial activities throughout the entire value chain, with advantages for
the primary sector (i.e. agriculture and forest), the secondary sector (e.g. logistics, bioproduct
transformation industry) and the tertiary sector;
 Achieving 2nd generation products (alcohols, diols as well as diacids) that are more sustainable as
well as competitive with conventional ones (oil based and/or1st generation ones);
 Proposals dealing with bioethanol:
o bringing dry matter content in the fermentation process down to less than 20%,
demonstrating improved Capex and decreased energy use;
o Achieve specifications of the ethanol matching those required by downstream processing
and/or regulations where applicable (e.g. in the case of bioethanol for road transport
applications);
 Proposals dealing with diols and diacids: demonstrating at least 2 bio-based materials with more
that 80% of bio-based content;
 Contribute to reaching the BBI Specific Objectives of presenting new close to the market consumer
products and setting up flagship biorefineries.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Flagship actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Valorisation of cellulose into new added value products
Challenge
Cellulose is a well known and widely exploited material. Besides its traditional uses, recent technological
developments open up the opportunity for new, even higher added value applications while significantly
improving the environmental performance of the concerned industrial sectors…
Scope
Demonstration of the techno-economic viability of biorefinery concepts leading to new cellulose-based
products with tailored functionalities into either of the following applications:
i)
ii)
Microfibrillar cellulose (MFC) based additives
lightweight structural composites based on (biobased and /or conventional) polymers
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget between EUR 25 and 60 million would allow this
specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and
selection of proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 40 million Euro. It is
expected that up to 2 proposals could be financed
Impact
 Opening up significant potential for job creation in rural areas. Creating green jobs facilitating the
development of entrepreneurial activities throughout the entire value chain, with advantages for
the primary sector (i.e. forest), the secondary sector (e.g. logistics, bioproduct transformation
industry) and the tertiary sector;
 Proposals dealing with microfibrillar cellulose will realise MFC-based products with validated
potential for exploitation in at least 10 applications in 5 market segments (food and/or industrial
applications); match or outperform properties of competing conventional products (e.g. synthetic
polymers like acrylics, gums, hydrocolloids, thickeners and high molecular weight polymer
stabilizers), where the CO2 footprint must be 25% lower than competing technologies;
 Proposals dealing with structural composites will realise products that replace pure fossil based
materials, with at least 25% weight reduction and a 100 times reduced tool wear compared to state
of the art materials. Composite materials will be converted into at least 20 applications, thus
increasing the competitiveness of leading European industries such as automotive or chemical
industry, along the value chain.
 Contribute to reaching the BBI Specific Objectives of presenting new close to the market consumer
products and setting up flagship biorefineries.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Flagship actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.
Innovative processes for sugar recovery from Municipal Solid Waste
(MSW)
Challenge
Improved waste management is a key issue for a better resource exploitation and efficiency. The organic
fraction of MSW represents an abundant, though highly variable, biobased feedstock; 60% in weight of the
MSW is rich in sugars and therefore suitable for conversion into biobased chemicals and fuels…
Scope
Proposals should demonstrate the techno-economic viability of the industrial scale plant for the
valorisation of the organic fraction of MSW, including efficient separation of the organic fraction and pretreatment converting MSW into a suitable substrate for subsequent conversion into end products, e.g.
bioethanol…
It is considered that proposals with a total eligible budget between EUR 25 and 50 million would allow this
specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and
selection of proposals with another budget. The total funding available for this topic is 20 million Euro. It is
expected that 1 proposal can be financed.
Impact
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Moving MSW from a problem to an economic opportunity;
At least a 70% yield is expected for the saccharification-fermentation process;
Purity of the final products in line with EU legislation for immediate access to the market;
Reduction of CO2 emissions by 70% with respect to landfilling;
Opening up new business models and creating new job opportunities in rural areas;
Contribute to reaching the BBI Specific Objectives of presenting new close to the market consumer
products and setting up flagship biorefineries.
Successful performance of the Flagship will allow expansion of the demonstrated biotechnology to
other waste processing plants, contributing to the BBI strategic objectives to stimulate the
mobilisation and utilisation of waste to be increased.
Type of action: Innovation actions – Flagship actions.
The applicable conditions are set out in the Annex of the annual Work Plan.