European Biofuels Technology Platform-Support for Advanced Biofuels Stakeholder

The European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP) aims to contribute to the development of cost-competitive world-class biofuels value chains and the creation of a healthy biofuels industry, and to accelerate the sustainable deployment of biofuels in the European Union, through a process of guidance, prioritisation and promotion of research, technology development and demonstration.

Established in 2006, the EBTP brings together the knowledge and expertise of stakeholders from industry, biomass production, research & technology development, engine and vehicle manufacture, fuel distribution, government and NGOs in a public private partnership.

The objective of the EBTP-SABS project is to provide support to all activities of EBTP which are of interest to the biofuels community as a whole and the general public. EBTP-SABS motivated discussion and interaction between various groups of stakeholders and the working groups of EBTP on 'hot topics' relating to the accelerated deployment of the most promising value chains for advanced biofuels.

Informing the biofuels debate with scientifically correct, unbiased information served all biofuel stakeholders. The information was provided at several levels of detail: general information to support those entering the biofuels community as well as the general public; more detailed information to support research or deployment activities; and links to research projects, demonstration facilities, external reports, stakeholders and training courses to support those who actively seek to implement biofuels technologies. Key instruments to achieve this aim were the EBTP website, fact sheets, reports, newsletters and networking events at different scales.EBTP-SABS helped connecting the EBTP with a wide range of stakeholders in research, industry, government, NGOs and related professions, providing expertise in 4 key areas to:

• Improve feedstock sustainability and availability by addressing logistics, land use issues and production of a diversity of feedstocks (wastes, aquatic and microbial biomass, cellulosic energy crops, etc);
• Demonstrate conversion of feedstocks to advanced biofuels via innovative technologies at industrial scale (biochemical, thermochemical, etc), to establish best-performing value chains, overcome technical bottlenecks, and lower capex and opex;
• Develop end use of advanced biofuels in road, air, marine and rail transport and other uses, through innovations in fuel use, engines and infrastructure;
• Accelerate market deployment of the most promising advanced biofuels to contribute to the EU strategy on climate change mitigation and sustainable transport across all Member States, improve European energy security and technology leadership, and help create 1000s of new jobs in the bioeconomy.

Specific EBTP-SABS tasks included:

• Update of the EBTP Strategic Research Agenda to inform priorities for research and demonstration under Horizon 2020 and the European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI);
• Develop strategic solutions to overcome the main barriers to deployment of advanced biofuels in Europe (e.g. funding, training, feedstock issues, technology bottlenecks, need for robust operational case studies, reduction in capex and opex, innovative support mechanisms);
• Establish and expand information about demonstration and flagship facilities, and supporting research on advanced biofuels across all Member States and other countries of interest, as well as provide updated information on events, reports, feedstock availability, funding and deployment issues
• Increase dissemination and knowledge sharing through the EBTP website, online newsletters and databases
• Promote greater involvement in EBTP activities of a wider range of stakeholders from all advanced biofuels sectors and all Member States
• Hold two Stakeholder Plenary Meetings.

The EBTP-SABS project was coordinated by the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR), Germany, with online communications and IT support provided by CPL Press, UK – both organisations having worked with the platform since its launch in 2006. The EBTP-SABS team is strengthened by the addition of Bioenergy 2020+, Austria, and Central European Initiative (CEI), Italy.

This project received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement No 609607.

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