The FORBIO project will develop a methodology to assess the sustainable bioenergy production potential on available “underutilized lands” in Europe (contaminated, abandoned, marginal, fallow land etc.) at local, site-specific level. Based on this methodology, the project will produce multiple feasibility studies in selected case study locations in three countries. The FORBIO project will also apply a series of innovative approaches in order to develop roadmaps for the removal of economic and non-economic barriers to sustainable bioenergy deployment and in order to promote and facilitate the formation of partnerships between farmers, bioenergy producers and local institutions. In addition, the project will carry out awareness raising and capacity building activities in order to share lessons learnt and good practices.
Objectives
Objective 1
Identification of social, economic, environmental and governance-related opportunities and challenges for advanced bioenergy deployment through a series of multi-stakeholder consultations
Objective 2
Evaluation of the agronomic and techno-economic potential of the selected advanced bioenergy value chains in the case study sites of the target countries
Objective 3
Assessment of the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the selected advanced bioenergy value chains in the target countries
Objective 4
Analysis of the economic and non-economic barriers to the market uptake of the selected sustainable bioenergy technologies; and development of strategies to remove the aforementioned barriers, including identification of roles and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders
Objective 5
Encourage European farmers to produce non-food bioenergy carriers and capacity building of economic actors and other relevant stakeholders for setting up sustainable bioenergy supply chains
Background and challenges
There are a number of barriers to the market uptake of sustainable bioenergy, including limited coordination among policies in areas directly relevant for the bioenergy sector, e.g. agriculture, energy and environment. In the target countries, FORBIO will foster a better alignment of policies in these areas, by organizing consultations and facilitation the exchange of information and best practices among relevant stakeholders and especially policy-makers. In addition, thanks to its focus on under-utilized areas and its in-depth assessment of environmental, social and economic sustainability issues, the project will mitigate the risk of competition between renewable energy, bioenergy development objectives and objectives in the areas of agriculture and food security, while contributing to climate change mitigation and other environmental sustainability objectives.
