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Description
An innovative technology will be developed for the control of biomass gasification processes, the production of synthesized gas and the improvement of its quality, using MW pre-treatment of biomass pellets of various origins (IPUL). SINTEF will carry out numerical modelling of the dynamics of the advanced gasification process. KTU will conduct a full life cycle analysis of the developed technology, evaluating the costs and sustainability of this technology. The impact of the new technology on the environment will be studied and evaluated by TalTech. It is expected that experience of involved partners will facilitate to reach the project goal enhancing use of different regional biomass resources for energy production and will contribute to the implementation of the EU''s long-term strategy, reducing the impact of energy producers on the environment and achieving climate-neutral and efficient energy production by 2050. Respectively, it is expected that the improved project, which will be created in a frame of the BioTech project, will be an ambitious, multidisciplinary project, the aim of which is to expand experimental research creating science-based and advanced technology for syngas production and its quality control, which will be supported by advanced numerical modelling of gasification dynamics, full life cycle analysis and environmental impact assessment thus increasing the scientific value of the research. Effectively using the research synergy of the partners involved in the project from different countries of ES will significantly influence Europe''s progress towards the sustainability of energy production reducing the dependence of energy producers on centralized energy supply, the need of which has already been confirmed by events in Ukraine.
Summary of project results
The scientific collaboration between the Institute of Physics of the University of Latvia and partners SINTEF (Norway), Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania) and Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia) started in 2020. The project “Development of microwave-assisted biomass gasification technologies for heat and fuel production for climate neutrality in Europe (MiBio)” was prepared and submitted to the Baltic Research Programme call with the aim to intensify the applicability of biomass for efficient energy production by improving the key properties of biomass from different origins through microwave pre-treatment of biomass feedstocks. The project was evaluated positively, but there were insufficient funds to finance the project and the project was not implemented and no active scientific cooperation between the organisations developed. In order to intensify the cooperation between the partners, it was decided to participate in the Baltic Research Programme restricted call in 2023 in order to receive funding to write a new project to improve the MiBio project and resubmit it to one of the open calls for scientific research. Therefore, in collaboration with Norwegian (SINTEF), Lithuanian (KTU) and Estonian (Taltech) partners, we started work on the preparation of the new project entitled: “Project development for active control of thermochemical transformations of regional biomass resources with improved quality of produced energy and increased climate neutrality in Europe (BioTech)”.
BioTech aims to create a new project that meets the European Commission’s key objectives of developing innovative methods to reduce climate change by increasing renewable energy production and efficiency by at least 32% by 2030 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050 to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, including the Baltic Sea region. Building on and complementing the research planned in the Baltic Research Programme project MiBio, the BioTech project aimed to develop a streamlined project that is in line with the Horizon Europe priority “Efficient, Sustainable and Inclusive Use of Energy”.
The Biotech project consisted of developing five activities between May 2023 and April 2024, analysing the latest scientific research in the field relevant to MIBio’s research, searching for and analysing calls for proposals, evaluating the activities to be carried out in the new project, searching for partners and developing and submitting a new project proposal. The evaluation of the possible calls for proposals showed that our research, which was foreseen within the MiBio project and covers the funding period of the Biotech project, is best suited to the Horizon Europe call “CL5-2024-D4-01 (Efficient, sustainable and inclusive use of energy)” entitled “Alternative heating systems for efficient, flexible and electrified heat production in industry”.
An important step in the development of the BioTech project involved analysing the state of the research results in line with the aims and objectives of the innovative research to be carried out during the project. Previous research carried out by IPUL has led to the conclusion that microwave pre-treatment of biomass pellets of different origin provides an effective improvement of the structure, elemental composition and calorific value of biomass of different origin, which can be achieved by varying the microwave irradiation temperature or irradiation duration.
Changes in the elemental composition and calorific value of biomass significantly affect the thermal decomposition rates of its main components – cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin – leading to faster volatile compounds release, ignition and combustion. According to these changes, the heat capacity of the combustion process, the rate of heat release and the amount of energy produced per unit weight of biomass combusted increase accordingly. Improvements in the combustion of renewable fuels-activated biomass increase the amount of carbon burned, leading to an increase in carbon-neutral CO2 emissions but reducing the global warming impact of heat producers.
Taking into account the influence of microwaves on the elemental composition of biomass and combustion process characteristics, the activities of the upgraded project will involve research on microwave treatments of biomass of different structure and composition to ensure efficient improvement of key characterisation parameters for bioenergy and biogas or biochar production. As a result of in-depth studies of these production processes and an analysis of the main aims and objectives of the Horizon call, the Horizon Europe project proposal “Alternative electric heating technologies for flexible, efficient and sustainable use of biomass in the energy transition” (Wood-e) has been prepared and submitted. Taking into account the main objectives of the project activities, it was concluded that the involvement of additional partners with experience in biomass processing with microwaves and plasma flow, life cycle assessments of these processes and their industrial applications would be desirable. As a result, a search and recruitment of partners was carried out, expanding the team of project implementers and bringing in partners from Belgium (MEAM), Greece (NTUA Veltis), Spain (INV) and an industrial partner from Latvia (Fortes). The Norwegian partner SINTEF took responsibility for the preparation and submission of the final version of the project, involving these experienced partners in the preparation of the project activities and main tasks. The in-depth project Wood-E has been prepared and submitted on time (18.04.2024). It involves innovative research to control and improve the thermal decomposition (gasification) of biomass with efficient production of bioenergy (electricity and heat) using alternative heat sources (microwave and plasma flow).
One of the main challenges of the project was finding the right tender for the project. Only one Horizon Europe tender was found, “Alternative heating systems for efficient, flexible and electrified heat production in industry”, with a topic, execution and submission timing that matched the Biotech project timeline.Therefore, intensive work was already started in December last year to find partners and to prepare a project suitable for this call. The search for partners was severely constrained by the strict conditions of this call in terms of the implementation of the research results in the industry, so that the project team was only established at the beginning of March. The new project consortium consists of SINTEF (Norway), University of Latvia (Latvia), Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania), Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia), MEAM International (Belgium) with expertise in the design and construction of microwave heating systems, National Technical University of Athens (Greece) with expertise in plasma tar conversion experiments, a partner from Veltis (Greece) with expertise in impact studies in different industrial sectors and business cases, and a consulting partner INV (Spain). In addition, an industrial partner Fortes (Latvia) with expertise in biomass gasification and bioenergy production (electricity and heat) was included to develop microwave and plasma heating systems as alternative heat source technologies for the cogeneration industry. SINTEF took the lead of the project, ensuring intensive work on the final version of the project. Thanks to the experience and expertise of the partners INVENIAM (Spain) and their advice, the project was prepared and submitted on time for evaluation.
The analysis carried out by the BioTech project shows that increasing global warming calls for a wider use of renewable biomass feedstocks for green and efficient energy production, which is becoming increasingly important and requires innovative scientific solutions to improve the key properties of biomass feedstocks in order to reduce the impact of energy producers on GHG emissions.
A detailed analysis of the state of the art of the research to be carried out under the Biotech project was essential for the selection of the Horizon Europe call for proposals, the aims and objectives of which are in line with the MioBio project framework, opening up opportunities for its development and complementarity.
The preparation of the Horizon Europe project was more complex as it involved the requirement to develop an innovative technology for biomass pre-treatment and bioenergy production on an industrial scale. This made it necessary to extend the project’s research by bringing in new partners. Bringing in partners with experience in bioenergy production and quality improvement opened the way to an innovative project whose results can deliver efficient bioenergy production at industrial scale with improved emission composition, ensuring greater use of local bioenergy resources while reducing the use of fossil fuels. Attracting new and experienced partners to the project was a decisive factor in ensuring the timely preparation and submission of the innovative project.
The new project will provide extensive research and data-based recommendations for the efficient use of biomass feedstocks from different origins for microwave heating and the development of efficient energy generation technologies for domestic heating and industry.
In addition, the aim and objectives of the selected Horizon Europe call activities include research related to improving and extending the results of numerical simulations of biomass thermal decomposition with research results at industrial scale. In addition, the project foresees studies related to life cycle analysis, sustainability, market analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis of the systems developed for bioenergy and biofuel production.
In line with the objectives of the Baltic Research Programme, which aims to strengthen multilateral relations between the Baltic States and donor research organisations, the Biotech project has fostered research collaboration between the Institute of Physics at the University of Latvia and donor partners from Norway, Lithuania and Estonia, as well as developed new partnerships. The new project application foresees research to develop an industrial scale innovative technology for efficient energy production, thus strengthening the cooperation between partners, which is defined as the main added value of the donor partner. The Norwegian partner (SINTEF) took responsibility for the preparation and submission of the improved project, with partners from Latvia (IPUL, Fortes), Lithuania (KTU), Estonia (TalTech). Belgium (MEAM), Greece (NTUA, Veltis) and Spain (INVENIAM). The partners involved in the project have experience in biomass characterisation and improvement (IPUL, TalTech), biogas and bioenergy production (IPUL, Fortes), biomass treatment with microwaves (IPUL, MEAM), improvement of combustion of volatiles using plasma flow. (NTUA) and in cost and sustainability assessment of these new technologies for industrial applications (KTU, Veltis). More efficient industrial-scale bioenergy production using these alternative technologies will lead to a wider and more efficient use of indigenous renewable energy sources, limiting greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental impact of energy producers, which can be qualified as key benefits of the new Horizon Europe project application under development.
Application of different skills of the 9 partners involved in the project with experience in experimental research (IPUL, Taltech), numerical simulation (SINTEF), industrial application of processes developing thermochemical conversion of biomass (Fortes) and partners’ skills in process management, using microwave torrefaction of biomass (MEAM, IPUL) and plasma flow induced combustion control of volatiles and tars (NTUA) will contribute to the sustainability of the partners’ collaboration not only at project level but also beyond the project lifetime. It should be noted that the experience of the donor partner SINTEF in numerical modelling of biomass thermal decomposition will be effectively used to scale up microwave-induced biomass quenching for industrial applications with process optimisation. In fact, the cooperation between the partners during the implementation of the project, assessing the skills of each partner, their equipment and programmes after the implementation of the project can be used to ensure a wider use of locally available biomass feedstocks of different origin in each country and their selectively pre-processed mixtures, efficient energy production by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. This makes it possible to reduce greenhouse carbon emissions (CO2) during energy production, limiting the impact of energy producers on the Earth’s climate change.
In conclusion, the BioTech project achieved significant outcomes:
- Beneficiaries: The immediate beneficiaries were the research partners and industrial participants involved in the biomass energy sector. However, the broader impact of the project is on the environment and public health, by reducing GHG emissions and promoting cleaner energy sources.
- Technological Outcomes: The project successfully developed methods for more efficient biomass processing, utilizing MW and plasma heating technologies. These innovations are expected to increase the efficiency of CHP generation and enable renewable biofuel production with improved heating value and reduced environmental impact.
- Long-term Sustainability: The project’s outcomes, particularly the use of renewable biomass feedstocks and the improvement in energy production technologies, are designed to continue contributing to sustainable energy solutions after the project''s completion. By reducing GHG emissions, the project aligns with global climate change mitigation goals.
- Environmental Impact: The BioTech innovations aim to limit the carbon emissions associated with energy production, contributing to climate neutrality. The technologies developed in the project are expected to reduce fossil fuel reliance in the energy sector, providing a cleaner alternative for heat and power generation.
Indicators achieved in the project: 1 joint project application for further funding was submitted, 4 researchers were supported.
Summary of bilateral results
The BioTech project significantly strengthened cooperation between Baltic and Donor states. Notably, the project leveraged expertise from SINTEF (Norway), which provided leadership in numerical simulations of biomass processing, while partners from other countries contributed expertise in various stages of the project. The main achievements in this regard include:Added Value of Cooperation: The project''s success in expanding its network and securing expertise in biomass processing technologies was directly linked to cooperation with donor partners, particularly Norway. SINTEF’s involvement was crucial in scaling up the MW and plasma-based technologies for industrial use.Research Collaboration: The project fostered strong collaboration between research institutes across Latvia, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, and other countries. By integrating diverse expertise, the project built a comprehensive approach to biomass processing.Sustainability of Cooperation: The collaboration established between partners is expected to extend beyond the project''s completion. The project consortium''s shared goals and complementary expertise position them well for future research initiatives and industrial-scale bioenergy applications.Expanded Partnership for Future Projects: The BioTech project laid the foundation for future research, as evidenced by the submission of the Wood-E proposal to Horizon Europe. The involvement of partners from various industries and countries contributed to the development of cutting-edge industrial-scale bioenergy solutions.This project report highlights how BioTech has addressed critical environmental and energy challenges, its key activities in biomass processing research, and the significant technological and cooperative achievements it has generated. The results are expected to have long-lasting impacts, contributing to sustainable energy production and climate goals in Europe.