Page 70 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2015 publication
P. 70
Summer 2015 European Energy Innovation
BIOENERGY
Delivering local bioenergy
throughout North West Europe
By Louise Ciaravella, Marketing & Communications Officer, European Bioenergy Research Institute, Aston University
Bioenergy is a rapidly challenging targets has been together to promote and support
growing sector driven slow. If you look at the UK, the implementation of bioenergy
by government policies ambitious reduction targets schemes within the North West
promoting the use of to reduce CO2 levels - 34% by Europe region, to reduce carbon
low carbon energy and waste 2020 and 80% by 2050 – have emissions and to increase
recycling. Targets to increase been agreed. Regions across energy security and employment
the security of energy supply the country have implemented opportunities.
and reduce greenhouse gas schemes to reduce CO2
emissions have been set for all accordingly however achieving Led by the European Bioenergy
European Union members states these targets will require a near Research Institute (EBRI) at
to ensure the EU reaches a 20% 300% increase in renewable Aston University in Birmingham
share of renewable energy by energy production before the end (UK), BioenNW offers support
2020. of this decade. Bioenergy is set to to companies, organisations
contribute more than 50% of the and local authorities looking to
The progress in North West required increase but to meet this set up local bioenergy schemes
Europe towards meeting these energy demand through existing fuelled by waste on a small
bioenergy technologies would to medium scale (5-10MW
Louise Ciaravella require a volume of biomass 4 output). The initiative is active
times the height of Big Ben and in five regions: West Midlands
1.2km2 to be consumed every (UK), Ill-de-France (France),
year! Wallonia (Belgium), Eindhoven
(Netherlands) and North Rhine
New bioenergy technologies Westphalia (Germany). BioenNW
are being developed which offer is demonstrating the economic
significant energy efficiency viability of power generation
and profit gains but further from urban and rural waste
support is needed to develop by exploring how innovative
these innovations into a viable, bioenergy technologies can be
sustainable energy source and used with existing anaerobic
reduce the world’s reliance on digestion and difficult to manage
fossil fuels. waste streams to increase the
efficiency of these bioenergy
To address this challenge, a group processes.
of organisations in North West
Europe are working together BioenNW has four main
specifically to look at how they objectives:
can accelerate the provision
of renewable energy in their • to create a Network of
countries. The result is a €7.9m Bioenergy Support Centres
European Union INTERREG IVB providing support to
funded project – Bioenergy North organisations to deliver local
West (BioenNW) – which sees bioenergy more efficiently and
11 European partners working cost-effectively.
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
BIOENERGY
Delivering local bioenergy
throughout North West Europe
By Louise Ciaravella, Marketing & Communications Officer, European Bioenergy Research Institute, Aston University
Bioenergy is a rapidly challenging targets has been together to promote and support
growing sector driven slow. If you look at the UK, the implementation of bioenergy
by government policies ambitious reduction targets schemes within the North West
promoting the use of to reduce CO2 levels - 34% by Europe region, to reduce carbon
low carbon energy and waste 2020 and 80% by 2050 – have emissions and to increase
recycling. Targets to increase been agreed. Regions across energy security and employment
the security of energy supply the country have implemented opportunities.
and reduce greenhouse gas schemes to reduce CO2
emissions have been set for all accordingly however achieving Led by the European Bioenergy
European Union members states these targets will require a near Research Institute (EBRI) at
to ensure the EU reaches a 20% 300% increase in renewable Aston University in Birmingham
share of renewable energy by energy production before the end (UK), BioenNW offers support
2020. of this decade. Bioenergy is set to to companies, organisations
contribute more than 50% of the and local authorities looking to
The progress in North West required increase but to meet this set up local bioenergy schemes
Europe towards meeting these energy demand through existing fuelled by waste on a small
bioenergy technologies would to medium scale (5-10MW
Louise Ciaravella require a volume of biomass 4 output). The initiative is active
times the height of Big Ben and in five regions: West Midlands
1.2km2 to be consumed every (UK), Ill-de-France (France),
year! Wallonia (Belgium), Eindhoven
(Netherlands) and North Rhine
New bioenergy technologies Westphalia (Germany). BioenNW
are being developed which offer is demonstrating the economic
significant energy efficiency viability of power generation
and profit gains but further from urban and rural waste
support is needed to develop by exploring how innovative
these innovations into a viable, bioenergy technologies can be
sustainable energy source and used with existing anaerobic
reduce the world’s reliance on digestion and difficult to manage
fossil fuels. waste streams to increase the
efficiency of these bioenergy
To address this challenge, a group processes.
of organisations in North West
Europe are working together BioenNW has four main
specifically to look at how they objectives:
can accelerate the provision
of renewable energy in their • to create a Network of
countries. The result is a €7.9m Bioenergy Support Centres
European Union INTERREG IVB providing support to
funded project – Bioenergy North organisations to deliver local
West (BioenNW) – which sees bioenergy more efficiently and
11 European partners working cost-effectively.
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
