Biorefinery

Biomass has to be used as efficient as possible to meet future market demands. High-value Biobased Products like human food, animal feed and chemicals/materials have to be co-produced with Bioenergy (fuels, power, heat) - i.e. BIOREFINING - to process a variety of raw biomass resources (crops and residues) into a portfolio end-products to feed the future Biobased Economy.

Except conversion efficiency, full biomass-to-products chains, incl. biorefinery processes, have to comply to all other sustainability criteria to make their use socially acceptable. Planet, People and Profit criteria that have to be met are a.o.:

• net lifecycle greenhouse gas emission reduction (incl. effects of indirect land use change), no loss of biodiversity, no harm to soil, water and air
• no competition with food supply, acceptable social conditions (a.o. job creation, regional developments)
• affordable biomass-to-products chains

In this Task Activity a review of biomass sustainability assessment approaches will be made. The results of this review will be used for the development of a specific guidance document for the sustainability assessment of biorefinery processes.

This Task will be performed in 2010 and 2011. Activities:

1. Review of biomass sustainability assessment approaches (2010, 2011)
2. Development guidance document for sustainability assessment biorefinery processes (2011)