EBTP Newsletter 24
April 2016
1. Editorial
Taking up new challenges - EBTP becomes ETIP Bioenergy
The European Commission’s Energy Union strategy, adopted in February 2015, dedicates one of its five dimensions to research, innovation and competitiveness. The integrated SET-Plan will play a central role in a new European energy Research & Innovation (R&I) approach designed to accelerate the energy system transformation. The new Integrated SET-Plan Communication defines the new European R&I Strategy for the EU for the coming years. It will provide the overall framework for promoting strengthened cooperation in R&I between the EU, Member States and stakeholders (research and industry).
Within this context a new role is foreseen for the European Biofuels Technology Platform, the European Technology and Innovation Platform (ETIP) Bioenergy. From now on the work of the EBTP will be more closely combined with one European Industrial Initiative (EII), the European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI). EBTP has been a strong player in the EIBI team, combining industry and Member State representatives, since its foundation in 2010. The new working structure will be put in place within the next months including the establishment of an Advisory Board and a Coordination Group in addition to the already existing Steering Committee.
Another successful milestone for EBTP this year was the production of the 2016 draft update of its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). The draft is available on our website and we would invite all biofuels Stakeholders to send us their feedback via our Public and Stakeholder Consultation Questionnaire. The SRIA presents a synthetic view of the most significant recent developments (technical and non-technical) of relevance to biofuels. It is based on the broad basis of collective expertise of EBTP working groups, gathering actors across the entire biofuels value chains.
The core of EBTP's mission is to offer an open forum to all active stakeholders willing to contribute to the development of sustainable biofuels and competitive biofuels technologies. Gathering the wide spectrum of biofuels stakeholders, the 7th Stakeholder Plenary Meeting on 21 June is offering a timely opportunity to discuss the current status of the decarbonisation of transport.
2. EBTP Activities
EBTP Public and Stakeholder Consultation Questionnaire for the Strategic Research Innovation Agenda
Consultation Period: 24 March 2016 to 24 April 2016
This questionnaire is intended to allow stakeholders and the interested public to give feedback on the draft Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). This feedback will be taken into account to prepare the final version of the SRIA which is expected to be released at the 7th Stakeholder Plenary Meeting in Brussels on 21 June 2016.
Within the last years the commercial production of advanced biofuel technologies has proceeded and several biofuels plants have been commissioned. But for the further biofuels deployment there are still some key issues which need to be solved along the value chains. These will be presented in more detail in the draft Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. It is based on the broad basis of collective expertise of EBTP working groups, gathering actors across the entire biofuels value chains.
It is important to note that the deployment of biofuels can only be pursued if the research within the different areas and aspects of biofuels are linked and collaborated actions are implemented. On the feedstock side, more information about the resource efficient supply chain and competing uses for agriculture, forestry and wastes within other renewable sectors needs to be explored focusing at ways to improve mobilisation at different regional scales and at improved projections for 2030 and beyond. Currently, many different feedstocks are used for producing different biofuels; thus various conversion technologies are utilized. Specific value chains within this regional context differ and it is not possible to identify a ‘one-size-fits-all’ technology. In addition to the regional context of the biofuel production it needs to be taken into account that the solution for an alternative fuel will differ across the different end-use sectors (road, air, marine). Currently electric vehicles (EV) seem to be more attractive than biofuels to politicians and decision makers, and many car manufacturers are not that fond of biocomponents, although advanced drop-in type biofuels offer a fast-track option for decarbonizing transport. EVs as well as biofuel powered “traditional” internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles should be evaluated on a well-to-wheel basis for GHG emissions as well as cost-effectiveness taking into account all the investments needed, including infrastructures. The implementation of biofuels into the market still needs relevant incentives through demand setting i.e. blending mandates. When progressing from research into the demonstration phase, a larger focus needs to be given to additional aspect besides just the development of technology.
> Complete the Consultation Questionnaire
2016 EBTP Stakeholder Plenary Meeting
2016 is an important year for the implementation of the Energy Union objectives, the 2030 Climate and Energy package as well as to achieve COP 21 ambitions.
A series of initiatives are relevant for the future of the biofuel sector:
- The post-2020 effort-sharing decision (how to address non-ETS emissions such as transport) following a Communication on the decarbonisation of transport, accompanied by an Action Plan on second and third generation biofuels (mid 2016)
- Developing a new Renewable Energy Directive post 2020 and a sustainability framework for biomass used for energy
The focus of the 7th Stakeholder Plenary Meeting of EBTP (SPM7) will be on the role of biofuels towards 2030 as an essential decarbonisation option.
We aim to discuss with participants the decarbonizing alternatives for the transport sector as well as latest developments in the biofuel research and technology sector.
The Stakeholder Plenary Meeting will be organised by the EBTP-SABS project consortium in cooperation with the EBTP Steering Committee and brings together the EBTP stakeholders and those interested in the biofuels sector. The 7th SPM Meeting, Decarbonisation of Transport, will take place on June 21st in Brussels, at Hotel Thon EU, Rue de la Loi 75, with expected participation from industry along the biofuel value chains, research institutes and the civil society.
The Programme is organised into 4 sections:
- Introduction to the EBTP (Tomas Kåberger, Chair of the EBTP Steering Committee)
- Session 1: Decarbonising transport
- Session 2: Biofuels and the latest research developments
- Session 3: Biofuels technology - The road so far - lessons learnt from different biofuel plants
- Closing address
> Find out more and register for SPM7
3. EU Legislation & Activities
EC Consultation: Preparation of a sustainable bioenergy policy for the period after 2020
Consultation Period: 10 February 2016 to 10 May 2016
The objective of this survey is to consult stakeholders and citizens on an updated EU policy on sustainable bioenergy for the period 2020-2030, as part of the EU renewable energy package foreseen before the end of 2016.
> View background details and important information about the consultation on a sustainable bioenergy policy for the period after 2020
EC Consultation: Open public online consultation on the development of a comprehensive, integrated Research, Innovation and Competitiveness Strategy for the European Union
Consultation Period: 04 March 2016 to 31 May 2016
The objective of this public consultation is to collect the opinions of stakeholders and interested parties, including EU citizens and private and public organisations, with regard to the development of a comprehensive research, innovation and competitiveness strategy for the Energy Union, as the fifth pillar of the Energy Union.
This aspect is particularly important given the objective to drastically reduce EU’s emissions and use of energy, while at the same time maintaining the competitiveness of economic sectors including energy and transport but also industry, agriculture/bioeconomy and construction, and providing modern, user-friendly, safe, sustainable and secure solutions to EU citizens and businesses. In this sense, this strategy will provide an important element to contribute from the EU perspective to the Paris Agreement achieved on last 12 December 2015 as the outcome of Conference of Parties (COP21) under the United Nations Framework Climate Change Convention:
http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf (505 KB)
An overarching Integrated Energy Union Research, Innovation and Competitiveness Strategy is essential in order to ensure that the overall goals are not lost in the trade-offs between the individual sectors.
This newsletter is produced on behalf of the EBTP by the EBTP-SABS project team, funded under FP7. The broad aim of EBTP-SABS is to enhance communciations and networking among Advanced Biofuels Stakeholders from research, industry, government, NGOs, feedstocks production, end use and related areas in all European countries.
The contents of this newsletter are copyright © EBTP-SABS 2016
Important Disclaimer
The content of this newsletter cannot be considered as the European Commission’s official position and neither the European Commission, EBTP-SABS, EBTP nor any person acting on
behalf of these organisation is responsible for the use which might be made of it. Although EBTP-SABS
endeavours to deliver a high level of
service, no guarantee can be given on the correctness or completeness of the content of this newsletter and neither the European Commission, EBTP nor EBTP-SABS are responsible or may be held accountable for any loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the content of this newsletter.