BioReg project proposes to create a platform of stakeholders who are able to influence and develop their regions towards bio-based industries and products. Demonstrator case studies have been selected among European regions – Gothenburg, (SE); Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttember (Ge), Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna (IT), North West England (UK) and Vorarlberg and Syria, Austria. Those have set up renewable wood waste-based systems at different stages of the waste wood value chain including different wood waste source, pre-sorting, sorting, collection, recycling and wood waste treatment (to materials, biochemicals or biofuels) as well as the different gradings and regional wood waste composition in each country. 3 recipient regions were selected for this project in regards to their unused waste wood potential: Normandy (France), Lublin (Poland), Andalucia (Spain). The BioReg platform will function on two levels. On the EU level: best practices in terms of strategies and technologies as well as implementing mechanisms will be shared with the beneficiary recipient regions on the project and disseminated to many other potential regions in the EU (EUBIA). The platform will will encourage the collaboration of members and stakeholders on the European level. On the regional level: the best practices will be replicated in the three beneficiary regions. The proposal offers collaboration with regional existing clusters, constructive dialogue with regional authorities and policy makers, industrial and RTD establishments in the recipient regions. It will mobilize the recipient regions to develop the existing potential for industrial innovative projects and build bio-based ecosystems. Industries, regions and investors will be brought together to establish an efficient dialogue so that demand and supply can be aligned and large impact projects can be realized. The project proposes mechanisms to engage the stakeholders in collaboration also after the EU funding on BioReg is over.

BLAZE aims at developing Low cost, Advanced and Zero Emission first-of-a-kind small-to-medium Biomass CHP. This aim is reached by developing bubbling fluidised bed technology integrating high temperature cleaning & conditioning system (IBFBG, that can convert heterogeneous feedstocks in a syngas with zero particulate matter and ultra-low tar and contaminants content), an integrated high temperature gas cleaning approach for HCl and H2S removal and an innovative key component for thermal and chemical integration of solid oxide fuel cell (efficient gas recirculation of the fuel cell anode exhaust to the gasification process via a steam-driven high speed micro-compressor using gas bearing technology). The technology is developed for a CHP capacity range from small (25-100 kWe) to medium (0.1-5 MWe) scale and is characterised by the widest fuel spectrum applicable (forest, agricultural, industrial and municipal waste also with high moisture, ash and contaminants content), high efficiencies (50% electrical versus the actual 20%), low investment (< 4 k€/kWe) and operation (≈ 0.05 €/kWh) costs as well as almost zero gaseous and PM emissions, projecting electricity production cost below 0.10 €/kWh . Gasification, gas cleaning & conditioning and fuel cells will be tested at lab scale and 25 kWe SOFC will be thermally and chemically integrated in 100 kWth IBFBG demonstrating the achievement of new milestones, increasing competitiveness of European industry, energy system reliability and flexibility and biomass plants social acceptance. Process simulations, computer aided design, tests, performance evaluation, risk and safety analysis as well as a technology assessment part covering techno-economic, environmental and overall impact assessments and market studies will be carried out together with a clear dissemination, exploitation and communication plan, that can count on the involvement of the main gasifier, gas conditioning and SOFC European companies and research centres.

On average, each European citizen produces approximately 200 kg of municipal biowaste per year, representing between 118 and 138 million tonnes of biowaste annually arising in the EU. The main municipal biowaste management systems currently existing in Europe represent one-way flow systems in which materials and resources are underused, limiting its potential recovery into high-value products. VALUEWASTE proposes an integrated approach in urban biowaste upcycling for the production of high-value biobased products, developing the first complete solution to fully valorise biowaste that can be replicated across Europe. We will implement three new value chains that will use urban biowaste as raw material for its valorisation into high-value end products in a cascading process, generating economic, social and environmental benefits: food & feed proteins and other ingredients, and biobased fertiliser. VALUEWASTE will be developed at two very different European locations, Murcia (ES) and Kalundborg (DK) with the purpose of finding a solution both technical and socially adapted to the different socio-economic contexts exiting across Europe. Social initiatives will be created to increase consumer awareness and acceptance of urban biowaste-derived products. End-user products applications and new market opportunities will be demonstrated. Outcomes of the project will contribute to new standardisation, and will be useful information for EU policy makers in terms of waste management and in the adoption of new policies.