FAIR-CT96-1707 Concerted action on Miscanthus

Contacts
Further Information



To find similar Items, click on a keyword below:
Biocomposites/Boards : Crops for Biocomposites/Boards : Crops for Paper/Pulp : Crops for Solid Biofuels : Drying/Pretreatment : FAIR Area 4.3 - Diversification : Fibre : Paper/Pulp : Solid Biofuels : Thermochemical Conversion

	Type of Project	Concerted Action
	Contract No	FAIR-CT96-1707
	Total Cost	300,000 ECU
	EC Contribution	300,000 ECU
	Start Date	01/01/1997
	Duration	12 months

Miscanthus Network: Concerted action on Miscanthus

Objectives

The main objective of this concerted action is to prepare up-to-date information on the industrial potential of Miscanthus in Europe. The concerted action will examine in particular the potential of Miscanthus as a raw material in the energy industry, paper pulp industry and in hardboard manufacture.

Technical Approach

To achieve this objective the concerted action will prepare up-to-date information on Miscanthus covering agronomy, production, harvesting, pre-treatment, industrial conversions, environmental impact and economics. The work will identify obstacles to the current exploitation of Miscanthus as an industrial crop and will define how R&D can overcome these obstacles. One of the main results of the work will be detailed specification of the R&D requirements of Miscanthus.

The concerted action will be organised and structured to provide information as follows, for the indicated sectors:

• for the EU in general: it will provide information on Miscanthus state of the art and its potential as an industrial non-food crop
• for researchers: it will identify topics that require further research. The concerted action will provide a forum for discussion of these R&D topics and for the establishment of consortia for specific R&D tasks
• for industrial organisations: it will provide practical information on Miscanthus, its potential as a commercial crop and information on economics, logistics, expertise and production method

The consortium involved in this proposal includes Universities, Research Centres, and Industrial Organisations who have been involved in Miscanthus since 1990. The concerted action will build on the work done by the European Miscanthus Network (AIR-CT92-0294).

The objectives outlined in the previous paragraphs will be implement by the following specific project objectives:

• to maintain and expand the network of researchers and industrial organisation involved in Miscanthus research in the EU
• the consolidation of all data from Miscanthus R&D and the presentation of the data in a format suited to the EC, researchers and industrial organisations
• workshops on Miscanthus to discuss new, developments (technical and policy) a to identify specific Research and Development, Pilot Actions and Demonstration
• promotion of the results of Miscanthus R&D through technical and industrial publications. This will be done at EU and National Level
• liaison with international activities in particular the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task XII
• preparation of a Handbook on Miscanthus describing the state-of-the-art of Miscanthus

Contacts

Coordinator

• Dr S McCARTHY / Hyperion Energy Systems Ltd IRELAND

EC Scientific Officer

• Adelmo MOREALE / European Commission DG VI Agriculture BELGIUM

Participant

• A Biotec - Agricoltura Biotecnologie ITALY
• Piet VISSER / BTG Biomass Technology Group BV NETHERLANDS
• Angelika EPPEL-HOTZ / Bayerische Landesanstalt fur Weinbau und Gartenbau / GERMANY
• Hans-J MUHS / Bundesforschungsanstalt fuer Forst- und Holzwitschaft GERMANY
• CRES Biomass Dpt. GREECE
• Uffe JORGENSEN / Danish Institute of Plant and Soil Science Ministry of Agriculture / DENMARK
• Mr Vito PIGNATELLI / ENEA Casaccia Dipartimento Biotecnologie / ITALY
• Mike J BULLARD / Enviros Consulting Ltd UNITED KINGDOM
• Nassir EL BASSAM / FAL Institut fuer Pflanzenbau und Pflanzenzuchtung / GERMANY
• Grupo Disciplinas Ecologia Hidrosfera Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia / PORTUGAL
• Ghislain GOSSE / Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Présidence du centre de Lille / FRANCE
• Elke HAASE / Piccoplant Mikrovermehrungen GmbH GERMANY
• Dudley CHRISTIAN / Rothamsted Experimental Station UNITED KINGDOM
• Jean CHAPELLE / Sorghum Organisation & Research Group SORGHAL / BELGIUM
• Michael B JONES / Trinity College Dublin School of Botany / IRELAND
• Manuel BAO-IGLESIAS / Universidad de Santiago de Compostella Departamento de Enxeneria Quimica / SPAIN
• Salvatore Luciano CONSENTINO / Universita Degli Studi di Catania ITALY
• Herbert SCHWARZ / Universitat fur Bodenkultur AUSTRIA
• Wageningen University Farm Technology Group / NETHERLANDS