The main project's idea is either creating and/or enforcing a place with optimized logistics and trading organization where different biomass fuels (e.g. logs wood, chips, pellet) are marketed in a guaranteed quality.
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Partners at the BL&TC Pölstal (AT) |
View of Pölstal BL&TC in operation (AT - Styria) |
At regional level, there are often some local production and supply chains but there is no large-scale, professional and consumer oriented production, marketing and trading of wood fuels across a wider area. At Eu level there is a strong need to mobilise the large biomass potential from a mainly fragment forest owners.
The main aim of the project is therefore improving the professional organization of wood fuels supply chain at regional scale facilitating the offer/demand meeting through:
- Technical meetings and promotional brochure;
- Wood fuels handbook and SRC technical bookle;
- Training courses and study tours;
and consequently to support and advise the organization of 18 local Biomasse Logistic&Trade Centres (BL&TC) with the aim to:
- create a spot market for wood fuels where demand and supply side can meet;
- enlarge the confidence in wood biomass supply at local level;
- give wood biomass producers an evidential place to sell their products;
- apply wood fuels quality attestation (based on European norms) for ensuring more transparent transactions;
- carry out trading contract models for wood chips based on energy content;
- create companies’ communicative tools to potential end-consumers and retailers.
Thw WP 5 represent the key action-purpose of the project; the aim is supporting technically either the creation of a number of BL&TC ex-novo or the enforcement and strenthening of those already existing.
On another side in some EU countries is also important the improving and boosting of the cultivation by farmers of fast-growing wood energy crops in flat areas (short rotation coppices).
Other main targets of the project are:
- to coordinate and train wood fuels (firewood and chips) producers: farmers, forest holder, forest entrepreneurs and forest owned-sawmills for improving their professional approach customers oriented;
- to improve the confidence of costumers and investors about the local availability of wood fuels of proper quality, encouraging the installation of new modern wood heating systems and CHP plants;
- to increase the share of wood fuels (chips) produced in agricultural lands stimulating the farmers
to grow energy crops (e.g. short rotation forestry);
- to support the creation and/or enforcement of regional Biomass Logistic&Trade Centres with optimised logistics and trading organisation, where different biomass fuels (firewood, chips, pellets, energy crops etc.) are marketed in a guaranteed quality;
- to stimulate local and trans-national exchange of experiences and know-how transfer from more advanced partner countries to the still less developed ones.
One of the biggest challenges on national and international level will be the providing of an environmentally friendly energy supply which also supports local areas. The European Union has accepted this challenge and made precise steps forward with the implementation of the European Climate- and Energy Package. European Member Countries have to present within 2010 their national Action Plans, in where they have to explain how to reach their targets. The national action plans show that a further development in the use of biomass, other than the promotion of all other renewable energy sources, will be essential to achieve the targets. From the perspective of experts, the greatest success can be realized until 2020 through a restructuring of a CO2-neutral heating supply. Therefore the promotion of biomass heating plants (e.g. single, micro or district heating systems) is noticed in all energy strategies. The realisation of such heating systems implies one assumption that the fuel will be provided all-the-year in an adequate amount and quality. Compared to the market of fossil fuels, the market of wood fuels is often an informal market in which offer and demand don’t match easily each other.
After 3 years of activities done in the frame of this action we could conclude that, in particular across pilot regions, the action has contributed:
- To create a number of new BL&TC acting as regional “service station” for top-quality wood fuels, run by local farmers and/or forest entrepreneurs. The project shows one of essential approaches for a quick switch from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources on a sustainable way.
- To accept the challenge of the energy supply of the future: that the biomass is available all the time and environmentally friendly, is gently to the nature and economical and it is provided by local producer’s independent from international oil- and gas industries.
- To create for the owners of BLTC and their customers (local population) an eminent socio-economic added value, creating numerous new green jobs and the long term securing of existing jobs in up- and downstream sectors.
- To make available on the market an higher amount of woody biomass coming from forest areas and arable lands, creating a more stable and active engagement of the agricultural and forestry primary market players into the wood fuels supply chains and in general into the energy market;
- To develop a more official market for woodchips and firewood with higher visibility for current and potential customers and a better networking and coordination of producers, establishing synergic relationships among them.
- To improve the professionalism of primary producers and their capacity and competence in marketing their products and the concrete application on the market of the EU quality standard for firewood and chips (EN 14961), lowering the emission factor of domestic heating appliances.
Latest update: 02nd February 2011