TASK 42. Biorefining - and its role in a future BioEconomy

Transcription

1 ExCo76 Doc TASK 42 Biorefining - and its role in a future BioEconomy Final Proposal for Task Prolongation for the new triennium ExCo76 Berlin, Germany 26 October 2015 Prepared by: René van Ree, Bert Annevelink and Ed de Jong in conjunction with IEA Bioenergy Task42 National Team Leaders, and in close co-operation with Kees Kwant, Operating Agent of Task42

2 Triennium Task Proposal Summary Sheet Task Title: Biorefining and its role in a future BioEconomy (T42) Proposer: René van Ree Organisation: Wageningen UR Food and Biobased Research (FBR) Tel Address: PO Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands rene.vanree@wur.nl Endorsement by ExCo Member of participating country Country: The Netherlands Name: Ir Kees Kwant Signature: Objective The aim of Task42 is to contribute to the development and implementation of sustainable biorefineries as part of highly efficient, preferably zero waste, value chains synergistically producing biobased Food and Non-Food Products as key element for a global circular BioEconomy. It will be accomplished by carrying out a number of activities (see 5. Work Programme), which will be carried out by the Task42 country representatives as well as by competitively selected contractors. The information provided (see 6. Deliverables & Target Groups) can be used by national and international governmental organisations to develop bioenergy related policies, by industrial stakeholders for focusing their RTD and deployment strategies on the most promising (i.e. sustainable) biomass value chains, by NGOs to be included into their renewable energy scenarios, and by research institutes and universities to focus their applied and strategic research programmes. Work scope Vision: Biorefining is the optimal way for large-scale sustainable use of biomass in the BioEconomy. By accelerating the sustainable production and use of biomass, particularly in a biorefinery approach, the socioeconomic and environmental impacts will be optimized resulting in more cost-competitive production of food and feed ingredients, biobased products (chemicals, materials) and bioenergy (fuels, power, heat), reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and efficient use of available resources (raw materials, minerals, water). Mission: To facilitate the commercialisation and market deployment of environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and cost-competitive biorefinery systems and technologies, and to advise policy and industrial decision makers accordingly. Strategy: To provide an international platform for collaboration and information exchange between industry, SMEs, GOs, NGOs, RTOs and universities concerning biorefinery research, development, demonstration, and policy analysis. This includes the development of networks, dissemination of information, and provision of science-based technology analysis, as well as support and advice to policy makers, involvement of industry, and encouragement of membership by countries with a strong biorefinery infrastructure and appropriate policies. Gaps and barriers to deployment need to be addressed to successfully promote sustainable biorefinery systems. The priority of the Task42 activities for the triennium all have the goal to further contribute to the market deployment of sustainable biorefineries, and are mainly based on successful developments started in former triennia. Focus will be on international and national networking activities, standardisation and certification of biobased products, policy advice, the role of industrial and SME stakeholders from the bioenergy and biofuel sectors in the transition to a BioEconomy, and increased co-operation with other IEA Bioenergy Tasks, IEA-IETS, FAO, OECD and EBA. Work programme Activity Area 1. Biorefinery Systems Analysis and assessment of biorefining in the whole value chain (coordination: Austria) Activity Area 2. Product Quality Reporting on related biobased products/bioenergy standardisation and certification activities at national, European and global levels (coordination: Germany) Activity Area 3. Evolving BioEconomy Analysing and advising on perspectives biorefining in a Circular BioEconomy (coordination: USA) Activity Area 4. Communication, Dissemination and Training Knowledge exchange by stakeholder consultation, reporting and lecturing (coordination: the Netherlands) Deliverables and Target Groups Task42 Biorefinery Overview Report, Biorefinery-related glossy reports (chemicals, materials & proteins), slidedecks, expert-system, individual member country reports, thematic stakeholder workshops, brochures, newsletters for both industry, SMEs, RTOs, universities, GOs, and NGOs. Management Qualifications Task Leader: René van Ree (NL), Theme Leader Bioenergy and Biofuels within Wageningen UR Food and Biobased Research, current coordinator T42, member SC European Biofuel Technology Platform, member Energy Advisory Group Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs more than 25 years involvement in bioenergy, biofuels and biobased products related RTD. Supported by: Ed de Jong (NL), VP Development, Avantium Chemicals BV & Bert Annevelink, senior expert bioenergy and biorefining, Wageningen UR. Annual Budget US$ 175,000; Budget per participant; US$17,500, assuming 10 countries participate. Page 2-27

3 Content 1. Background and former Task results to build on Biomass for Energy, Bio-based Products and/or Food/Feed Biorefining Definition, Classification, Sustainability and Factsheets SWOT analysis biorefining 9 2. Biorefining Current status and future challenges Relevance of a specific Biorefining Task within the IEA Bioenergy Strategy Objective Work Programme Priorities Activities Links to other Tasks and IAs Joint projects/activities Strategically ExCo funded projects Deliverables and target groups Gantt Chart Membership and budget Operational and financial management 27 Page 3-27

4 BIOREFINING Sustainable Processing of Biomass into a Spectrum of Marketable Biobased Products and Bioenergy 1. Background and former Task results to build on 1.1 Biomass for Energy, Biobased Products and/or Food/Feed Within the BioEconomy renewable biomass will be sustainable produced and valorised into food, feed, chemicals, materials, and energy (power, heat, CHP and biofuels for transport). The growing global population combined with competing demands for biomass and land requires the development and implementation of high-efficient biomass conversion technologies taking into account full sustainable biomass value chains to maximise valorisation and overall environmental benefits. The biorefinery approach (Figure 1.1) is the main driver for large-scale sustainable implementation of biomass within the BioEconomy. Figure 1.1: Biorefinery as base for the Bio-Economy [IEA Bioenergy Task42]. Today, in many countries the use of biomass for the production of bioenergy and biofuels is more costly than the use of traditional petrochemical resources. By integrating conversion processes and equipment to co-produce multiple marketable products (i.e. food, feed, chemicals, materials, fuels, (CH)Power) from biomass, by a so-called biorefinery approach, advantage can be taken of different biomass components and intermediates, maximising the total value derived from the biomass feedstock. This co-production is the core of the biorefinery concept and key to its profitability and resource efficiency. 1.2 Biorefining Definition, Classification, Sustainability and Factsheets Definition Biorefining is the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable biobased products (food, feed, chemicals, and/or materials) and bioenergy (solid, liquid or gaseous biofuels, power and/or heat) [IEA Bioenergy Task 42]. Classification Both energy-driven biorefineries and product-driven biorefineries can be distinguished. Page 4-27

5 In energy-driven (or biofuel-driven) biorefineries the main goal is to produce large volumes of relatively low-value energy (or fuels) out of biomass. While value chain infrastructure exists, its profitability is still questionable, particularly when oil prices are low. Significant advantage must be generated from its co-products to avoid the need of financial government support or a regulated market to guarantee large-scale market deployment. In product-driven (i.e. biobased chemicals, materials) biorefineries the main goal is to produce relatively higher value biobased products out of biomass with the remaining biomass i.e. primary (agro) and secondary (process) residues being converted into bioenergy for internal use or sale. The modern forest biorefinery is a good example of a product-driven biorefinery that co-generates pulp, nanocrystalline cellulose, heat and power. As key technologies still in the R&D, pilot and demo-phase become commercialized, more of these biorefineries will emerge; provided the right policies are put in place. It is generally believed that a refocus will take place concerning optimal sustainable biomass use from mainly energy (fuel) applications to nonenergy chemical/material applications, and biorefineries that use biomass for both Food and Non-Food applications. The current energy/fuel infrastructures, and the expertise to implement efficient biomass value chains, will be used as starting point in a transition process to a more Bio(based) Economy. Given the importance of renewable energy in a future economy, bioenergy, incl. biofuels, will be produced in significant amounts from primary (agro & forest), secondary (process) and tertiary (post-consumer) residues, and will serve as the renewable lubricating oil of a future BioEconomy (Figure 1.2). Figure 1.2 Central role of Bioenergy in the Bio-Economy [IEA Bioenergy Task42]. In literature various types of biorefineries are dealt with, viz.: Green Biorefineries (GB): using nature-wet biomass, such as: green grass, alfalfa, clover, or immature cereals. Whole Crop Biorefineries (WCB): using both the grain and the straw components of cereals or maize crops. Lignocellulosic Feedstock Biorefineries (LCFB): using nature-dry raw materials, such as lignocellulose-containing biomass and wastes; including the more technology and/or main intermediate based concepts: Thermochemical Biorefineries (TCB)/Syngas Platform (SG) Bio Chemical Biorefineries (BCB)/Sugar Platform (SG) Page 5-27

6 Two Platform Concept Biorefineries (TPCB) that combines the syngas and sugar platform Forest Based Biorefineries (FBB), a specific type of LCFB Marine Biorefineries (MB): using micro-algae or macro-algae (seaweeds), including: Micro Algae Biorefineries (MB) Seaweeds (macro algae) Biorefineries (SB) IEA Bioenergy Task42 has developed a classification scheme (Figure 1.3) to clearly describe different biorefineries. The classification of a biorefinery consists of the following features: platforms, products, feedstocks and processes. With the combination of these features, different biorefinery configurations can be described and named in a consistent manner. The naming of a biorefinery system consists of the following 3 elements: number and name of the platform(s), product(s), feedstock(s), and optionally the processes involved. Organic residues and others Grasses Starch crops Sugar crops Lignocellulosic crops Lignocellulosic residues Oil crops Algae Oil based residues Separation Fractionation and/ or pressing Grain Straw Pretreatment Straw Pressing/ desruption Fiber separation Organic solution Gasification Lignin Pyrolysis, HTU Oil Hydrolysis Anaerobic digestion Extraction Syngas C6 sugars C5 sugars Pyrolytic liquid Water gas shift Separation Biogas Methanisation Upgrading Fermentation Hydrogenation / Upgrading Chemical reaction Upgrading Chemical reaction Combustion Estherification Steam reforming H 2 Water electrolysis Feedstock Platform Material products Legend Chemical process Mechanical/ Physical process Energy products Link among biorefinery pathways Thermochemical process Biochemical processes Biomethane Chemical reaction Fertilizer Biomaterials Bio-H 2 Organic acids & extracts Bioethanol Synthetic biofuels (FT, DME ) Glycerine Chemicals & polymers Electricity and heat Food Biodiesel Animal feed Figure 1.3 Biorefinery Classification System [IEA Bioenergy Task42]. Some examples of this biorefinery naming convention are: A syngas platform biorefinery for the production of Fischer-Tropsch diesel, ethylene, power and heat from wheat straw. A C6, C5 and lignin platform biorefinery for the production of bioethanol, feed, power and heat from wood. A biogas platform biorefinery for the production of LNG, compost and CHP from manure and maize. Page 6-27

7 Sustainability Sustainability is deemed to be a core attribute of biorefineries. In fact, it is the first term in the Task42 biorefining definition. It refers to the biomass feedstock, the conversion or transformation of biomass feedstock, and the products and co-products that are obtained from a biorefinery. Biorefineries, if appropriately designed and operated, should contribute to sustainable innovation. Renewability is one of its distinguishing features as biorefineries transform renewable resources in a clean and efficient way into a variety of products that can be recycled or reused as a material or energy. Being part of the circular BioEconomy is how biorefineries contribute to today s and future generations. In the case of biorefineries, sustainability assessment should reflect the important renewability attribute in addition to showing how biorefineries contribute to social, environmental and economic well-being (people, planet and profit). As much as possible assessments should be carried out on a lifecycle basis, starting from biomass feedstock and extending to the end-of-life of the products derived from its biomass feedstocks. This is more easily carried out for Biofueldriven biorefineries, as fuels have relatively short value chains. Bio-based chemicals and materials are typically intermediate products that are further transformed and become part of considerably longer, more complex value chains. Consequently, assessments of Product-driven biorefineries are often partial evaluations that are limited by the amount of available data. Another complicating factor is that biorefineries are highly diverse in configuration and are just emerging, that is, the accurate data are not yet available. The diversity of biorefineries under development in the member countries illustrate the wide range in design configurations and product mixes. However, biorefinery sustainability needs to be addressed, if not quantitatively then at least qualitatively. As a first step, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions should be quantified on a lifecycle basis and relative to a reference system. While GHG emissions represent only one indicator of sustainability, this indicator also provides information on energy consumption and the renewability of a biobased system. Standards are under development for sustainability assessment of bioenergy and biobased products at international, continental and national levels. ISO is currently developing a standard for Sustainability criteria for bioenergy (ISO 13065); the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) has developed a sustainability framework; in Europe CEN/TC411 is developing standards for Life Cycle Assessment of biobased products, and for Sustainability criteria for biobased products. In 2015, the SCOPE Bioenergy and Sustainability report was released. It is a major multinational collective effort with contributions from 137 researchers of 82 institutions in 24 countries ( Sustainable development is a moving target that is forever changing with the development of new technologies that can transform our natural resources and the evolving aspirations of a growing population. It is important to demonstrate and communicate how biorefineries can play an increasingly important role in the delivery of societal goods and services. Factsheets While biorefining is considered to be very promising for the sustainable valorisation of biomass into food and feed ingredients, industrial biobased products and bioenergy, the biorefinery concepts can be difficult to understand. They are very broad, the technologies involved can be very complicated, and data on their (potential) technical, socioeconomic and ecological performance are often very difficult to find. To help the market deployment of biorefineries one critical success factor is clear biorefinery knowledge dissemination to all stakeholders involved, so a common language can be used to raise public support for implementation. To facilitate the implementation trajectory, IEA Bioenergy Task42 has developed a Biorefinery Fact Sheet methodology to provide a uniform description of the key facts & figures of different biorefineries. Based on a technical description and the classification scheme, the mass and energy balance is calculated for the most reasonable production capacity. Page 7-27

8 Then the three dimensions economic, environmental and social of sustainability are assessed and documented in a compact form, i.e. the Biorefinery Fact Sheet. These Fact Sheets facilitate comparison of the different biorefinery systems. The Biorefinery Fact Sheet consists of three parts: Part A: Biorefinery plant, Part B: Value chain assessment, and Annex: Methodology and data sustainability assessment (see fig.5.1). In Part A the key characteristics of the biorefinery plant are described by giving compact information on: classification scheme, description of the biorefinery, mass and energy balance, share of costs and revenues. In Part B the sustainability assessment based on the whole value chain of the biorefinery plant are described by giving compact information on: system boundaries, reference system, cumulated primary energy demand, greenhouse gas emissions and costs and revenues. In the Annex of the Biorefinery Fact Sheet the methodology and data for the sustainability assessment are documented. In the near future this Annex potentially will be expanded with a qualitative description of other sustainability indicators. 1.3 SWOT Analysis on Biorefining The continued development and implementation of biorefineries will lead to a greater variety of feedstocks, technologies, biobased products and co-products. Opportunities will inevitably arise in all areas of our present economies. Research and development will add value to wastes, help to revitalize the agriculture and forest products industries and support rural development, create new manufacturing opportunities, and deliver competitive products to existing and newly created markets. The perceived conflict between bioenergy and food production can be reduced by developing technologies that use residues and/or non-food crop, e.g. lignocellulosic materials, biomass that is grown on less productive land or wastewater,... The evolution of biorefining depends upon continued innovation and can present opportunities to all sectors of our global economy. The building of a BioEconomy has the capacity to not only help the world through present difficulties but will also result in a more circular economy with a smaller specific environmental footprint. In Table 1.1 the main Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of Biorefining are identified. IEA Bioenergy Task42 plays an important role in addressing these weaknesses and promoting the opportunities. Page 8-27

9 Table 1.1 SWOT analysis on Biorefinery. Strengths Weaknesses Adding value to the sustainable use of biomass Involvement of stakeholders of different market Maximising biomass conversion and resource efficiency minimising raw material requirements sectors (agro, energy, chemical,...) over full biomass value chain necessary Co-production of a spectrum of biobased products (food, feed, materials, chemicals) and bioenergy Most promising biorefinery processes/concepts not clear (fuels, power and/or heat) feeding the full BioEconomy Most promising biomass value chains, including current/future market volumes/prices, not clear Strong Knowledge Infra Structure available to tackle both non-technical and technical issues Studying and concept development instead of real market implementation potentially hindering the deployment trajectory Variability of quality and energy density of Biorefineries already exist in some market sectors biomass, and security of supply (food, paper, biofuels...) and can be built on High investment capital required for scale-up Opportunities Threats Make a significant contribution to sustainable development Economic change and drop in fossil fuel prices Fast implementation of other renewable energy Challenging national, European and global policy goals international focus on sustainable use of biomass for the production of bioenergy technologies feeding the market requests International consensus on the fact that availability of biomass, land and water is limited so that the raw materials should be used as efficiently as possible i.e. development of multipurpose biorefineries in a framework of scarce raw materials and energy International development of a portfolio of biorefinery concepts, including innovative technical processes Strengthening of the economic position of various market sectors (e.g. agriculture, forest products, chemical and energy) No Level Playing Field concerning biobased products and bioenergy (assessed to a higher standard than petroleum based counterparts); current policies support bioenergy and not nonenergy biobased products Global, national and regional mobilisation potential raw materials (e.g. climate change, policies, logistics) (High) investment capital requirements for scaleup difficult to find without strong government support, and existing industrial infrastructure is not depreciated yet Short-term fluctuating government policies No single accepted and practical sustainability framework. Questioning of food/feed/fuels (land use competition) and sustainability of biomass production Goals of end users often focused upon production single product instead of a product portfolio Page 9-27

10 2. Biorefining Current status and future challenges Currently, biomass is mainly used for human food, animal feed, paper and building materials, and the production of biofuels, power and heat. Within a BioEconomy, however, biomass will be used for the sustainable and synergetic production of food, feed, bioenergy (power, heat, CHP and biofuels for transport) and biobased products (chemicals, materials). The growing global population combined with the many demands for biomass, land and water requires the development and implementation of high-efficient biomass conversion technologies to maximise valorisation and the overall environmental benefits of full biomass supply chains. It is expected that current biomass supply chain expertise and facilities available in the energy sector will be used as starting point for the development of more sustainable multiproduct and multi-stakeholder based biomass implementation strategies. In the short-term this approach potentially could improve the overall economics of business cases in the energy sector by valorisation of currently available forest, agriculture and process residues to added-value biobased products (i.e. biofuels for transport potentially could be produced in a market competitive way in case residues are optimally valorised); whereas in the longer-term the energy sector will become an integral part of full biomass refining strategies, i.e. using a variety of primary, secondary and tertiary organic residues as raw materials for energy purposes. The foodversus-fuel debate has shifted the focus on non-food biomass as feedstock not just for biofuels but also for bio-chemicals and materials. This debate is somewhat misleading because the major cause of limited access to food is the unequal purchasing power of consumers in different countries. Placing restrictions on how biomass is to be used will not, on its own, solve this problem. In fact, it might further reduce the purchasing power of consumers in some countries. The major challenge for using biomass is that multi-objectives must be fulfilled simultaneously, e.g. ensuring sufficient food availability, maintaining soil fertility but also sufficient biomass availability if the transition to a BioEconomy is the ultimate goal. Figure 2.1 Circular BioEconomy [Wageningen UR]. Page 10-27

11 Biorefining, i.e. the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable food and feed ingredients, biobased products (chemicals, materials) and bioenergy (biofuels, power and/or heat) is the main driver for large-scale implementation of biomass within the different market sectors of the global economy. In a future Circular BioEconomy (Figure 2.1) sustainable production and valorisation of biomass to both Food and Non-Food applications will be the framework of operation. Sustainably produced biomass (crops, algae, residues) has to be used as efficient as possible using bio-cascading and biorefining approaches to meet future demands of food, feed, chemicals, materials, fuels, power, and heat. Biorefineries concepts have already been applied for many years in for example the food and forest products industries. Implementation of biorefineries for biobased chemical, material or biofuel applications, however, is still underdeveloped. Major reasons for this are: some of the key technologies (fractionation & product separation) being part of integrated biorefinery plants are still not mature enough for commercial market implementation; oil prices are currently very low; there is still no level-playing-field for sustainable biomass use for Food and Non-Food applications; market sectors that need to co-operate (food, feed, agro, chemistry, energy, fuels, logistics,...) for the development and commercialisation of full sustainable biomass value chains, including high-efficient biorefinery processes, are often not working together, and there is still lack of knowledge/expertise on the advantages of biorefinery processes for optimal sustainable biomass use at both industrial, SME and (regional) governmental level. Improving the communication/collaboration among different actors from different industrial sectors is paramount to cross the valley-of-death and reach commercial production. Major challenges still to be tackled are: develop industry legitimacy and a level-playing field for sustainable biomass use; multi-sectorial stakeholder involvement in the deployment of sustainable value chains; technology development and biorefinery scale-up using best practices; unlock available expertise energy/fuel, forest products, agro-food, material and chemical manufacturing sectors, and develop the necessary human capital by training students and other stakeholders to become the biorefinery experts of today and tomorrow. To open up the biorefinery application potential, technology and full chain development of multi-stakeholder consortia still is a necessity. Joint international priorities and RD&Dprogrammes between industry, research institutes, universities, governmental bodies and NGOs are necessary; whereas identification of market introduction strategies together with industry will be essential for the creation of an effective RD&D-framework. 3. Relevance of a specific Biorefining Task within the IEA Bioenergy Strategy Task42 has a very broad biomass-related field with a very large application potential. To open up the biorefinery-related potential, international system and technology development together with industry is a necessity. Joint international priorities and RD&D-programmes between industry, research institutes, universities, governmental bodies and NGOs are necessary; whereas identification of market introduction strategies together with industry will be inevitably for the creation of a proper RD&D-framework. Page 11-27

12 In contrast to most of the other IEA Bioenergy Tasks, Task 42 covers: 1) a variety of market sectors (transport sector, chemical sector, power sector, forest products sector, agricultural sector, food/feed sector) with a lot of interested stakeholders, and 2) a variety of biomass conversion technologies and, more important, integrated concepts of both (bio)chemical and thermochemical conversion technologies. Concerned integrated biorefinery concepts convert a variety of feedstocks, including residues, into a portfolio of products with improved energetic chain efficiency, economy and environmental effects, compared to stand-alone processes often producing only one or two products. Some may see the technologies and unit operations which are most likely to be included in biorefineries are already dealt with in several other IEA Bioenergy Tasks, questioning the need for a separate Biorefining Task. However, the design and further development of biorefinery systems clearly show that the combination of technologies and the setup of an integrated multiproduct process is indeed very challenging. One dimension is technical integration of production processes in order to design utilisation pathways with optimised efficiency. The second dimension is networking and communication with potential partners and industry which is very important for co-production concepts. The implementation of the biorefinery philosophy requires the intense co-operation of different sectors including energy and biofuels, bulk chemicals, materials and even the food sector. Several sectors might even run a joint production plant in the biorefinery future This proposed Task42 proposes to work on this ambitious challenge of coproduction of bio-products and bioenergy for a variety of different markets. This methodology of integrated system approach optimising the overall added-value and environmental benefits of the portfolio of biomass-derived products is one of the major aspects in which Task42 distinguishes from the other IEA Bioenergy Tasks. The vision, mission, and strategy statements for IEA Bioenergy Task42 focus on overcoming the environmental, institutional, technological, social, and market challenges to the near- and longterm deployment of biorefinery technologies. Vision: Biorefining is the optimal way for large-scale sustainable use of biomass in the BioEconomy. By accelerating the sustainable production and use of biomass, particularly in a biorefinery approach, the socio-economic and environmental impacts will be optimized resulting in more cost-competitive production of food and feed ingredients, biobased products (chemicals, materials) and bioenergy (fuels, power, heat), reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and efficient use of available resources (raw materials, minerals, water). Mission: To facilitate the commercialisation and market deployment of environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and cost-competitive biorefinery systems and technologies, and to advise policy and industrial decision makers accordingly. Strategy: To provide an international platform for collaboration and information exchange between industry, SMEs, GOs, NGOs, RTOs and universities concerning biorefinery research, development, demonstration, and policy analysis. This includes the development of networks, dissemination of information, and provision of science-based technology analysis, as well as support and advice to policy makers, involvement of industry, and encouragement of membership by countries with a strong biorefinery infrastructure and appropriate policies. Gaps and barriers to deployment need to be addressed to successfully promote sustainable biorefinery systems. Page 12-27

13 4. Objective The aim of Task42 is to contribute to the development and implementation of sustainable biorefineries as part of highly efficient, preferably zero waste, value chains synergistically producing biobased Food and Non-Food Products as key element for a global circular BioEconomy. It will be accomplished by carrying out a number of activities (see 5. Work Programme), which will be carried out by the Task42 country representatives as well as by competitively selected contractors. The information provided (see 6. Deliverables & Target Groups) can be used by national and international governmental organisations to develop bioenergy related policies, by industrial stakeholders for focusing their RTD and deployment strategies on the most promising (i.e. sustainable) biomass value chains, by NGOs to be included into their renewable energy scenarios, and by research institutes and universities to focus their applied and strategic research programmes. 5. Work Programme The proposed Work Programme is being sent to IEA Bioenergy ExCo in September for final agreement at ExCo77 in October Partners that want to be involved in the specific activities will be identified at the next ExCo77 coupled Task42 meeting in Berlin in October These partners will be further specified in the Work Programme directly after ExCo77. The Final Work Programme, including this info and potential final remarks made by the ExComembers, and based on the right available budget (depending on no. of partnering countries), will be send to the IEA Bioenergy Secretariat for further dissemination in November Priorities The priority of the Task42 activities for the triennium all have the goal to further contribute to the market deployment of sustainable biorefineries, and are mainly based on successful developments started in former triennia, viz. the classification and factsheet activities, the sustainability assessment work and methodology, the assessment of BioEconomy policy developments in IEA Bioenergy member countries, the preparation of biorefinery-related reports (biobased chemicals/biobased materials/added-value proteins to be co-produced with bioenergy/biofuels), and the knowledge exchange activities (thematic and stakeholder workshops, excursions, training of students/stakeholders). 5.2 Activities In table 5.1 the activities of Task42 for the period are shown, subdivided into four Activity Areas (AAs): AA1: Biorefinery Systems Analysis and assessment of biorefining in the whole value chain AA2: Product Quality Reporting on related biobased products/bioenergy standardisation and certification activities at national, European and global levels AA3: Evolving BioEconomy Analysing and advising on perspectives biorefining in a Circular BioEconomy AA4: Communication, Dissemination and Training Knowledge exchange by stakeholder consultation, reporting and lecturing. Some more detailed info on the activities (As) within the activity areas can be found after the table 5.1. Page 13-27

14 Table 5.1 Work programme IEA Bioenergy Task AA1. Biorefinery Systems (coordination: AT) A1.1 Biorefineries expert-system development and implementation, and linking to the joint- Tasks ExCo-level data-base implemented by Bioenergy2020+ [AT] A1.2 Biorefinery Factsheets [AT] A1.3 Upgrading industrial infrastructures to integrated biorefineries [AT] AA2. Product Quality (coordination: D) A2 Reporting on (inter)national developments standardisation/certification current/future biomass use [D] AA3. Evolving BioEconomy (coordination: US) A3.1 Reporting BioEconomy strategies/drivers with focus advanced biofuels/bioenergy [US] A3.2 Advising ExCo on BioEconomy policy support [US] A3.3 Waste management strategies within a circular BioEconomy [D] A3.4 Biorefinery Country Reporting [NL, all] AA4. Communication, Dissemination and Training (coordination: NL) A4.1 Thematic workshops [NL] A4.2 Task42 Brochure [NL] A4.3 Task42 Flyer, banner, poster [NL] A4.4 Biobased Chemicals Report (update) [NL] A4.5 Biobased (Fibrous) Materials Report [?] A4.6 Proteins Report (update) [NL] A4.7 Bi-annual Task and Stakeholder Meetings (incl. excursions) [NL] A4.8 Task42 website [NL] A4.9 Task42 newsletters [NL] A4.10 Contribute to Biorefining Training Activities [NL] A4.11 Contribution to (inter)national conferences and workshops [All] For all Activity Areas (AAs) a country representative will be responsible for the activities and the deliverables (AA1: AT, AA2: D, AA3: US, AA4: NL). Part of the available Task42 budget will be made available to the AA-coordinators for (co)financing of the activities. For all Activities (As) one of the Task42 partners [country representatives] will act as the coordinating party. The distribution of the co-ordination activities will be fixed during 2015 (after ExCo77), when it will become clear which countries finally will participate in Task42 for the period. AA1. Biorefinery Systems (coordination: AT) A1.1 Biorefinery expert system development and implementation and linking to the joint- Tasks ExCo-level data-base implemented by Bioenergy2020+ [AT] Based on the documented and analysed biorefinery systems in Task 42, an expert system will be developed and implemented, with the aim to establish a uniform information system on biorefineries, which collects and documents relevant information on biorefineries in a common and compact format. The information in the expert system will give stakeholders an access to relevant information on biorefineries to develop and find their position on biorefining in the BioEconomy. Page 14-27

15 The expert system will be developed and implemented in common available software, e.g. EXCEL, ACCESS, which will contain the following basic structures for each individual biorefinery: 1. Biorefinery plant Name in accordance to the nomenclature developed in Task 42 Description Classification scheme of Task 42 described by the 4 features: platforms, feedstocks, products and processes. Technology/Market Readiness Level of these 4 features Biorefinery Complexity Index (BCI) Mass and energy balances Costs and revenues Existing examples and case studies, e.g. demo plants Other aspects (to be further specified) 2. Value chain Scheme of value chain from feedstock to product use, incl. end of life treatment Description of conventional systems and products Identification and description of relevant economic sectors and stakeholders Integration of biorefinery into (existing) industrial infrastructure and the BioEconomy Current and future market potential of the various products Availability and limitations in feedstock potentials and supply Other aspects (to be further specified) 3. Assessment of biorefineries based on full value chains and defined conventional products Environment, e.g. greenhouse gas emissions Economy, e.g. costs and revenues Society, e.g. labour created Overall sustainability for the three dimensions environment, economy and society The expert system will also offer a search function for various parameters and information. It will additionally be possible to directly compare some biorefineries, e.g. using the same feedstock, producing the same product. Beside the implementation of the information of various biorefineries already analysed in Task42, also information for new biorefineries will be collected in the member countries. The implementation of the expert system will be coordinated by Austria. This coordinated data collection and implementation of the expert system guarantees that the information and data quality will be on the same level. Additionally the data reliability will be scored (e.g. 1 5 ), referred and documented in the expert-system, to create a reliable and uniform data source. At the start the expert-system will be used internally. Furthermore, it is intended to make it also available to the stakeholders, e.g. via the Task42 webpage. The activities on the expert-system are very closely connected to other Task42 activities, e.g. the preparation of biorefinery fact sheets (A1.2). The long-term goal is to develop this expert-system to a central information tool for various biorefineries, in which all relevant information collected internationally will be processed and documented in a uniform compact way. This way it can serve the stakeholders as an essential information source in developing the BioEconomy based on reliable and comprehensive facts on biorefineries. Page 15-27

16 (Part of) the expert-system will be linked to the joint-tasks Bioenergy Plants data-base that is being implemented on IEA Bioenergy level by the Austrian Bioenergy (Dina Bacovsky) organisation to optimise and for wider biorefinery knowledge dissemination. A1.2 Biorefinery Factsheets [AT] Currently many biorefineries are commercially operated (e.g. Pulp & Paper industry), some are realised as pilot and demonstration plants (e.g. gasification of black liquor for synthetic biofuels and chemicals), whereas others are still in the conceptual development phase (e.g. coproduction of bioethanol and phenol in particle board industry). As the development status and the perspectives for implementation and development of biorefineries are quite different, Task42 developed a Biorefinery Fact Sheet (BFS) for the uniform and compact description of the main characteristics of these biorefineries (Figure 5.1). A BFS consists of Part A: Biorefinery plant with the key characteristics of the biorefinery plant and Part B: Value chain assessment with the results of a sustainability assessment based on the whole value chain of the biorefinery. In the Annex of the BFS the methodology and data for the sustainability assessment are documented. One important aspect is the choice of the reference system to produce the same products as the biorefinery plant and the basic data for comparing a biorefinery to the reference system. Based on these BFSs an easy and uniform comparison of the different biorefineries and concepts is possible. The BFS assists various stakeholders in finding their position on biorefining in a future BioEconomy. Further BFSs are under preparation, and IEA Bioenergy Task42 offers the service to make these factsheets for further biorefineries as part of a continuous process of stakeholder involvement. Factsheets of major running biorefinery facilities, i.e. national casestudies maximally 3 per participating country will be developed, including: classification, mass/energy balances, capacity, costs, and major sustainability aspects. Figure 5.1 Example of the Biorefinery Fact Sheet (BFS) [IEA Bioenergy Task42]. Page 16-27

17 A1.3 Upgrading industrial infrastructures to integrated biorefineries [AT] Existing industrial infrastructures are the point-of-departure for upgrading to high-efficient sustainable biorefineries on the short-term. A technical, economic and environmental assessment (TEE) will be made of upgrading strategies for the following industrial infrastructures: power plants, biofuel facilities, oil refineries, pulp/paper industry, and the food industry. Focus points within this activity will be biorefinery-based pyrolysis and biogas-driven biorefinery. This activity will be performed with both Task34 Direct Thermochemical Liquefaction and Task37 Biogas. These Tasks will provide reference-case pyrolysis/biogas plant examples/data; Task42 will define the upgrading possibilities to integrated biorefinery facilities and will do the assessment work. Pyrolysis of biomass is one of the promising primary biorefinery processes that potentially could be directly upstream (power plants, oil refineries) or downstream (biofuel, pulp/paper) integrated with conventional industrial infrastructures converting these infrastructures to high-efficient sustainable multi-product biobased facilities. Digestion-plants producing biogas mostly are very dependent on subsidies to be able to deliver a profitable business concept. Upgrading of these plants to biogas-driven biorefinery facilities by either upstream biomass fractionation, digestate valorisation or biogas component (both CH 4 and CO 2 ) valorisation to higher-value products potentially will improve the economic and ecological footprint of current digestion facilities. Within this Task 1-3 pyrolysis-based and 1-3 biogasbased concepts will be TEE-assessed as part of an overall sustainability assessment. The results of the assessment will be published both as a report and as separate glossy leaflets. Task38 will be involved by performing the LCA work. Task39 will contribute to the selection of the biofuel case studies, by providing available commercial/demo-plant data, and by co-organising the international workshop Biorefinery Systems Identification & Deployment (TW1, 2016), together with IEA IETS and the OECD; Task42 will perform the TEE assessments (Austria, Jungmeier). AA2. Product Quality (coordination: D) A2 Reporting on (inter)national developments standardisation/certification current/ future biomass use [D] There is an increasing demand for information about biobased products. There is also a willingness-to-pay more for biobased products. However, what is a biobased product? A clear definition for non-energy products is still missing. Sometimes people define biobased products with respect to their functionality, i.e. biodegradable or on the feedstock origin (biobased carbon content). Table 5.2 Feedstock origin and functionality of selected product. Feedstock Functionality Example Renewable Renewable Fossil-based Fossil-based Biodegradable Non-biodegradable Non-biodegradable Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkonate (PHA) Polyethylene from sugar Polyethylene from crude-oil Polycaprolactone (PCL) Table 5.2 demonstrates that biodegradability can be achieved independent from the feedstock; while renewable feedstocks do not ensure biodegradability. The same molecules (e.g. ethylene, glycerol, succinic acid), can be derived from fossil-based or renewable feedstock. Hence, the environmental functionality can hardly be used as criteria for biobased products. Page 17-27

18 The preferred criterion for biobased products is the biobased content, but of which molecule(s), C, N, H? It is highly likely the carbon content is the most relevant, although other biobased molecules should not be ignored in scientific debates. However, there is no agreement on the proportion of biobased carbon in a biobased product. The facts mentioned above have confused people in government, industry and consumers. That has led to a standardisation approach in Europe (CEN/TC411). The development of the standard is still work in progress, but it can be expected that the standard might be finished within this next triennium. Most likely there will be similar activities in other regions of the world. The aim of this activity is to gather relevant information about existing standardisation approaches for biobased products, and to monitor relevant activities during the triennium period. Standardisation and certification for bioenergy and biofuels have been done by other IEA Tasks already, e.g. Monitoring Sustainability Certification of Bioenergy by Task 40. However, an overview (report) on standardisation of biobased products is still missing. This activity also provides great opportunities for collaboration with other IEA Tasks. AA3. Evolving BioEconomy (coordination: US) A3.1 Reporting BioEconomy strategies/drivers with focus advanced biofuels/bioenergy [US] For this activity the optimal sustainable production and valorisation of biomass for both Food and Non-Food applications in a future BioEconomy is the framework. To meet all future biomass markets demands, available and new biomass resources have to be used as efficient as possible. Further, global food & feed production has to be guaranteed, raw materials for the production of chemicals & materials have to become available in sufficient amounts, and chain and process residues have to be used for the production of biofuels, power and/or heat. Within this activity an International Workshop (TW2, 2017) will be organised, in close co-operation with other relevant IEA Bioenergy Tasks, FAO and OECD to discuss future sustainable biomass valorisation chains with industrial stakeholders, GOs and NGOs concerned. The goals of this workshop are: to inform stakeholders on the variety of opportunities of sustainable biomass valorisation within a BioEconomy, to show stakeholders that full chain cooperation is an absolute necessity for the market implementation of high-efficient biorefinerybased value chains, to bring together stakeholders of the (Agro)Food and Non-food (incl. energy/fuel) sectors to jointly analyse and develop strategies for the sustainable production and valorisation of biomass to Food and Non-food. A3.2 Advising ExCo on BioEconomy policy support [US] An assessment will be made on biorefinery-related policies in the in Task42 participating countries. All country representatives will prepare a short-overview of the situation in their specific countries. These overviews will be integrated, extended by policies at EC and U.S. levels, compared and analysed, and distributed via ExCo to GOs in the participating countries. This activity will be finalised by organising an international workshop (TW3, 2018) on the findings of these policy assessments, and to discuss how to proceed with biorefinery-related policy development and implementation at national and international levels. A3.3 Waste management strategies within a circular BioEconomy [D, all] Contribution to Joint Tasks ExCo-supported Strategic Fund project coordinated by Task36. This project will deal with current waste management strategies, and specifically on the role of biomass (organic residues) and bioenergy. It will link these current activities to a more smart waste management strategy being part of a future BioEconomy. Page 18-27

19 Task42 will contribute to this project with expertise on biomass residues, valorisation options to biobased products and bioenergy, and bio-cascading/biorefinery concepts being part of a zerowaste circular BioEconomy. A3.4 Biorefinery Country Reporting [NL, all] During this triennium all participating countries will prepare country reports (formatted PPTs) on the status and developments of biorefineries within their respective countries. These country reports will be prepared for new member countries, and/or updated once during the period. (Updated) Country reports will be available at the Task website, and will be used for lectures at both internal Task meetings and external industrial stakeholder meetings, workshops and conferences. AA4. Communication, Dissemination and Training (coordination: NL) Within this AA both communication (promotion of the Task to different audiences), dissemination (disclosure of the Task results) and training activities will be performed; whereas also a figure on the knowledge flow is shown. A4.1 Thematic Workshops [NL] Three Thematic stakeholder Workshops (TWs) will be organised, if possible linked to existing international events within the same focus area to maximise participation: Biorefinery Systems Identification & Deployment, together with IEA IETS and OECD Biorefinery for Food AND Non-food, together with FAO and OECD BioEconomy Policies, together with European BioEconomy Alliance (EBA) and OECD A4.2 Task42 Brochure [NL] A glossy Task42 Brochure (max. 50 pp.) will be made with the back ground of the Task, major results so far, an overview of main biorefinery facilities in partnering countries, and national contact details. This brochure will be available by the end of 2017 at the latest. These main biorefineries will be described in a standardised one pager format that also will be used as Biorefinery Fact Sheets to be placed on the Task website, and for national/international dissemination purposes. A4.3 Task42 Flyer, banner, poster [NL] An updated Task42 flyer, banner and poster will be made at the start of the triennium and will be used by all partners for communication purposes within their countries an on international level. A4.4 Biobased Chemicals Report (update) [NL] In 2012 Task42 published the very successful report (R1) Bio-based Chemicals Value Added Products from Biorefineries. This report (R1) will be updated in A4.5 Biobased (Fibrous) Materials Report [?] In 2017 a report (R2) on Bio-based (Fibrous) Materials Value Added Products from Biorefineries will be published. The coproduction of (fibrous) materials together with bioenergy/biofuels potentially is a great opportunity to optimise the economic and ecological footprint of biomass conversion processes. Page 19-27

20 A4.6 Proteins Report (update) [NL] In 2015, Task42 will publish a first report (R3) on Proteins for Food, Feed and Technical Applications. The major goal of this report is to show the potential financial added-value that could be created from biomass resources if proteins/protein fractions are mildly separated from these streams maintaining their functionality before using them as raw materials for the production of chemicals and/or fuels for bioenergy. This report will be updated in A4.7 Bi-annual Task and Stakeholder Meetings (incl. excursions) [NL] Within this triennium bi-annual internal Task42 meetings will be organised for both management of the Task activities and informing each other on the biorefinery developments in the participating countries. These internal Task42 meetings will be coupled to both an industrial stakeholder meeting/conference/workshop and an excursion to a running biorefinery facility, for knowledge import and dissemination purposes. The following meetings are foreseen: Q2 2016: the Netherlands Q4 2016: U.S. Q2 2017: Ireland? Q4 2017: Australia? Q2 2018: Norway/Denmark? Q4 2018: coupled to End of Triennium IEA Bioenergy Conference A4.8 Task42 website [NL] The Task42 website will be maintained both as password protected internal knowledge sharing and as open knowledge dissemination platform, and will be further upgraded. Further, an overview of the major stakeholders active within the biorefinery field in the partnering countries will be added. Depending on the further discussions within ExCo on more centralizing the Tasks communication and dissemination activities at IEA Bioenergy Implementing Agreement (IA) level, both to reduce overall costs and to improve overall knowledge transfer efficiency, during this triennium the Task42 website will probably be integrated in an larger one at IEA Bioenergy level. A4.9 Task42 newsletters [NL] An electronic Task42 newsletter will be produced and send out to subscribed stakeholders 2-4 times a year. A4.10 Contribute to Biorefining Training Activities In the former triennia Task42 has been involved in the set-up and organisation of biorefinery training activities (BEL, NL, FRA) for various stakeholders, i.e. students, people from GOs/NGOs and representatives from industry/smes. In the triennium Task42 will (only) selectively contribute to training activities organised by others by providing lectures. A4.11 Contributions to (inter)national conferences and workshops [ALL] Like in the former triennia Task42 has been involved in several conferences and workshops to present and discuss the Task42 activities and achievements. So the task will again contribute to scientific events by giving presentations and by delivering papers on relevant progress of the Task activities, e.g. Biorefinery Fact Sheet, reports on biochemicals and biobased fibre materials. Page 20-27

21 Figure 5.2 Knowledge flow Task Links to other Tasks and Implementing Agreements (IAs) Task42 Biorefining, i.e. the sustainable processing of biomass into Food and Non-food, as base for the (transition to) a Bio-Economy, is taking into account full chain sustainable value chain development and implementation for both Food and Non-Food applications, covering both sustainable biomass production and downstream valorisation processes. Task42 therefore brings together a variety of expertise fields, including those handled with in the other IEA Bioenergy Tasks (see figure 5.3). Figure 5.3 Linkages with other Tasks. Page 21-27

22 For this triennium, minimally the following co-operation is foreseen (to make the most efficient use of available expertise and budget), for more detailed info see descriptions activities: Joint projects/activities Biorefinery expert-system (A1.1/A1.2): technical data-input from Task34 (pyrolysis), Task37 (biogas), Task39 (biofuels) for the preparation of Biorefinery Factsheets. Biorefinery facilities input for joint-tasks ExCo-level data-base implemented by Energy (A1.1). Upgrading of industrial infrastructures to integrated biorefineries (A1.3): co-operation with Tasks 34 (direct thermochemical liquefaction), 37 (biogas) and 39 (biofuels) on the selection of specific cases and data provision, and Task 38 on LCA. Reporting on (inter)national developments standardisation/certification current and future biomass use (AA2). Co-operation will be sought with similar mostly bioenergy-related activities in the other Tasks and/or a strategically ExCo-funded project (to be ExCo77). Workshop (TW1, 2016) on Biorefinery Systems Identification and Deployment to be organised in co-operation with Tasks 34, 37, 39 and IEA IETS. Workshop (TW2, 2017) on Biorefinery for Food and Non-food with FAO and OECD (interested Tasks to co-operate to be ExCo77). Workshop (TW3, 2018) on BioEconomy Policies with EBA and OECD (interested Tasks to co-operate to be ExCo77). Country reporting (A3.4). During this triennium each country has to prepare minimally one country report in the defined T42 ppt-format. Co-operation will be sought with Energy from Austria to link with the country reporting activity that will be IEA Bioenergy level. Based on their requests, the T42 template will be upgraded to make data-exchange more easy. Glossy Task42 Biorefining Brochure (A4.2). The Biorefinery Fact Sheets will be set-up in close co-operation with other Tasks, like Task 34, 37 and 39 (see A1.2). Bi-annual Task & stakeholder meetings, incl. excursions (A4.7). In planning our Progress Meetings and linked events we will identify potential co-operation opportunities with other Tasks by discussing this with the national tasks representatives, often participating in more than one Task, to see what will be possible Strategically ExCo funded projects Waste management strategies within a circular BioEconomy [T36, T32, T37, T40, T42, T43] (still to be approved). Sustainable biomass chains 4 the BioEconomy. Task42 potentially will be interested to join (not to co-ordinate) an ExCo co-funded project in this field, if linked to our already defined activities. Page 22-27

23 6. Deliverables and target groups Page 23-27

24 *The country mentioned is coordinating the set-up of the deliverable; however, because all deliverables will be prepared by more than one partner, the delivering of the deliverable is a joint responsibility of all partners involved. Page 24-27

25 7. Gantt Chart Es: Expert System EX: Filled-in examples FS: Fact Sheet SD: Slide Deck R: Report CR: Country Report TW: Thematic Workshop pm: progress meeting TB: Task Brochure ws: website nl: newsletter ER: ExCo Report Page 25-27