Impact Outlook
• ‘ETIP Bioenergy and its predecessor EBTP have successfully contributed to an
increased public awareness and understanding regarding the generation and
deployment of biofuels and bioenergy’
• ‘The organisation will be working to effectively contribute to a stable and
reliable policy framework that facilitates innovation and investment in the field
of advanced bioenergy and biofuels’
A solid foundation for
Europe’s bioenergy future
European Technology and Innovation Platform Bioenergy Chair Ingvar Landälv and Vice-Chair Markku
Karlsson discuss the strategic goals and work of the organisation and provide some thought-provoking
ideas on driving growth in the bioenergy sector
Can you briefly explain the background to the European Technology
and Innovation Platform Bioenergy (ETIP Bioenergy) and your
key goals?
IL: ETIP Bioenergy brings together stakeholders from academia,
industry, and civil society that are actively engaged in the
development of research and innovation strategies for viable energy
technologies. Under the umbrella of the European Commission,
these stakeholders pursue the overall mission to contribute to
the development of cost-competitive, innovative bioenergy and
biofuel value chains to accelerate the sustainable advancement and
deployment of bioenergy in the EU.
MK: Bioenergy is currently the most widely used renewable energy
source worldwide and has the potential to grow significantly in the
next decades and to become one of the foundations of a future
sustainable energy system. It could sustainably contribute between
25 and 33 per cent to the future global primary energy supply.
Bioenergy is the only renewable energy source that is continuously
available and versatile. On the product side, it can contribute to
replace fossil fuels in all energy markets: heat, electricity with base
load and flexible capabilities and fuels for transport, including
aviation. On the supply side it may benefit from widespread
availability of its directly grown feedstock such as energy crops and
wooden biomass, but also from residues from both agriculture and
forestry, the organic fraction of municipal and industrial waste, as
well as algae and aquatic biomasses.
How has the recent move from the European Biofuels Technology
Platform (EBTP) to ETIP Bioenergy impacted on the focus and work
of the organisation?
IL: With the new orientation of the Strategic Energy Technology
Plan (SET-Plan) of the EU adopted in 2015, energy-related
European Technology Platforms have transformed into Technology
and Innovation Platforms. For ETIP Bioenergy, the move from
EBTP implied an expanded focus from biofuels to bioenergy,
more emphasis on biofuel and bioenergy deployment, a direct
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involvement of Member State representatives, which were active
in the European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI) before, in the
ETIP Bioenergy Advisory Board, and closer links to other networks
such as the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and the
Biomass Panel of the Renewable Heating and Cooling ETIP (RHC).
The implementation of the SET-Plan and particularly Action 8
on ‘Strategic Targets for bioenergy and renewable fuels needed
for sustainable transport solutions in the context of an Initiative
for Global Leadership in Bioenergy’ will be an important task of
ETIP Bioenergy.
Can you talk a little about the Strategic Research and Innovation
Agenda (SRIA). How important is the Agenda to driving growth in
the biofuels industry?
MK: The major aim of SRIA is to present the most significant recent
evolutions with relevance to the advancement of biofuels in Europe.
Therefore, it highlights the corresponding research, development
and demonstration activities and priorities for the next decades
that are necessary to achieve long-term bioenergy policy goals.
SRIA itself brings together knowledge and expertise of stakeholders
active in the biofuels value chains: biomass research providers,
biofuels producers, technology vendors, and transportation fuels
marketers, transport industry, research and technology development
organisations and NGOs. The SRIA therefore serves as a reliable
source of information and guidance on the development of biofuels
within the EU. In light of the broadened scope of ETIP Bioenergy,
new legislation and an ongoing debate on the availability and
sustainability of feedstocks, as well as the acceleration of novel
feedstocks, advanced conversion technologies and emerging
markets (e.g. aviation, shipping), SRIA will be revisited shortly.
To summarise, SRIA is an important document to promote and
advance research and technology innovation in the field of bioenergy
and biofuels. The key driver for growth in the biofuels industry,
however, will be coherent and supportive long-term legislation.
In your opinion what are some of the most successful examples of
achievements resulting from the work of ETIP Bioenergy?
IL: One of the major successes of the ETIP Bioenergy is the
systematic identification and classification of seven different generic
bioenergy and biofuel value chains (thermochemical pathways and
biochemical pathways) that find broad recognition in the world.
An additional merit of ETIP Bioenergy is its systematic structuring
of R&D work. Each year a stakeholder plenary meeting takes place
bringing together more than 100 stakeholders from around Europe
that are concerned with the advancement of sustainable bioenergy/
biofuel (technology) development.
ETIP Bioenergy and its predecessor EBTP have successfully
contributed to an increased public awareness and understanding
regarding the generation and deployment of biofuels and bioenergy.
The ETIP Bioenergy website is one of the most important tools with
respect to the increased visibility of biofuel and bioenergy topics in
politics and society. There are several thousand clicks per month
and requests from all over the world. The platform has therefore
become an important provider and disseminator of high level
knowledge on biofuels and bioenergy. It serves to collate the latest
information on those issues.
INGVAR LANDÄLV, Chair of the ETIP
Bioenergy Steering Committee and CoChair Working Group 2 – Conversion
Processes; Luleå University of
Technology
Since 2013 Landälv has worked as Senior Project Manager
at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. Between
1997 and 2012 he was engaged in the development
and commercialisation of Chemrec AB’s black liquor
gasification technology, serving as Chief Technology
Officer. Landälv graduated in 1975 with a MSc in Physics
& Chemistry. He has more than 30 years’ experience of
process R&D, design, engineering, construction and
operation of gasification-based process plants based on
oil, coal and biomass as feedstock. He holds a number of
patents in the area of energy integration in gasificationbased processes.
ETIP Bioenergy has also scientifically contributed to advance and
structure the discussion on bioenergy topics. It has produced
a variety of reports, memos and other publications on biofuel/
bioenergy topics. One important document to mention here is
a Working Group document on post-2020 visions and national
plans for sustainable transport (available at http://biofuelstp.eu/
downloads/papers/draft-ebtp-position-paper-post-2020-transportstrategies.pdf)
What do you consider will be the most important topics ETIP
Bioenergy will be looking at in the near future?
MK: The biomass potential is substantial and is enough to start
deployment, which in itself will open important insights and create
a better foundation for understanding of the basic matters. In
cooperation with stakeholders from research and industry, ETIP
Bioenergy will focus advancement of sustainable bioenergy and
biofuels in the EU. The organisation will be working to effectively
contribute to a stable and reliable policy framework that facilitates
innovation and investment in the field of advanced bioenergy
and biofuels. We aim to do this in collaboration with other
entities working with policy matters and potential barriers which
hinder the deployment of technologies ready to hit the market.
In the forthcoming months three activities will be key for ETIP
Bioenergy: implementing the new structure and scope of ETIP
Bioenergy; contributing to the implementation of the SET-Plan,
Action 8 in particular; and examining the European Commission’s
Winter Package and its consequences for biofuels and bioenergy
before providing recommendations. The constant involvement
of stakeholders from research and industry is a crucial task for
the coming months’ work, and we will be happy for new engaged
stakeholders to join our activities!
MARKKU KARLSSON, Vice Chair of the
ETIP Bioenergy Steering Committee
and Vice-Chair of Working Group
1 – Biomass Availability and Supply;
Finnish Forestry Industries Federation
Karlsson was formerly Senior Vice-President, Technology, at
UPM-Kymmene Corporation in Finland. From 1999 to 2004
he was Senior Vice-President of Corporate Technology at
Metso Corporation. From 2004 until 2006 he was Vice
Chairman of the Academy of Finland, and a member of the
board from 2000 until 2003. He has also been a member
of the board of the Finnish Forest Research Institute
(Metla), and a member of the Steering Committee of the
European Biofuels Technology Platform, the Advisory
Committee for the Forest-Based Sector Technology
Platform, and the CTO Committee of the Agenda 2020
Technology Alliance.
Contact details:
Friederike Lempe
ETIP Bioenergy Secretariat
T: +49 38436930249
FAX: +49 38436930102
E: [email protected]
W: www.etip-bioenergy.eu
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