International Activities - Europe 10th European Biomass Conference, Wurzburg, Germany

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Agricultural Residues : Biocomposites/Boards : Biological Conversion : Biopolymers/Gums : Bulk Chemicals : Fibre : Fine Chemicals : International Activities - Other : Liquid Biofuels and Biogas : Paints/Coatings/Plastics : Pharmaceuticals/Cosmetics : Solid Biofuels : Starch : Straw : Sugar : Textiles/Fabrics/Geomembranes : Thermochemical Conversion : Vegetable Oil/Fat : Wood (Lignocellulose)

Biomass for Energy and Industry

Presentation of State Minister Reinhold Bocklet on the occasion of the 10th European Biomass Conference held in Wurzburg on 10 June 1998.

The text of this is included in the Further information section.

Proceedings

Proceedings: Biomass for Energy and Industry, Proceedings of the International Conference, Wurzburg Germany 1998, edited by H Kopetz, T Weber, W Palz, P Chartier and G L Ferrero, published by CARMEN (see Contacts), from whom copies may be obtained.

Introduction

NF-2000 was pleased to be asked to set up a display of the database and provide information about Non-Food activities on the European Commission stand at the 10th European Conference and Technology Exhibition held in Wurzburg, Germany in June 1998. The meeting, supported by the European Commission (DG XVII THERMIE) and the Free State of Bavaria, organised by C.A.R.M.E.N., attracted close on 1000 participants, with some 600 presentations in oral sessions, poster sessions and a comprehensive exhibition.

Programme

Following the opening by a representative of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry as well as the President of the German Farmers' Association and an expert on insurance, who set the scene in relation to Catastrophes and Climate change. These presentations underlined the cornerstones of current biomass energy policy, seen as an outlet for farm and forest products, where higher costs (than conventional energy sources) are justified in terms of possible role in mitigating the net amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Initial sessions followed these themes covering worldwide policies and then focusing on Europe.

The third session focused on areas of Biomass Derived Industrial Products and Materials, while session 6 covered Insulating Materials from Renewable Resources. Topics singled out for discussion included chemicals, bio-composites, a novel source of wax as a cosmetic ingredient, lubricants, thermoplastics, novel fibres, starch-based materials and biodegradable polymers. Talks on insulating materials covered diverse plant and animal products such as sheeps wool, flax, wood wool, wood chips and crop residues. Their potential was assessed in presentations covering practical experiences with alternative insulating materials as well as a comparison (in terms of life cycle analysis), with more conventional products. Results of the latter were inconclusive, as can be many LCA studies, due to the lack of standard assessment methodologies. Hence, the authors tried to develop documentation covering 'Ecological aspects of construction types', which would enable builders and architects to make an informed choice.

Other sessions covered more conventional biomass energy topics and included aspects of biofuel production and use in transport, biogas, energy crops and residues, combustion and advanced thermochemical conversion. The final session covered implementation issues, again raising the question of LCA, as well as other topics that impinge on aspects such as cogeneration, wood fuel markets, good practice guidelines. Other presentations dealt with regional, national or international policies and programmes

The proceedings, unlike for the previous 9 conferences, were printed in advance. This means that the publication lacks a summary of conclusions, which would appear essential on the basis of the amount of information presented. On bulk alone (nearly 2000 A4 pages) it exceeds by far the output of previous conferences, reflecting the renewed interest in the sector, as well as the particular local interests in Bavaria where many practical examples of both energy and non-food use abound (see section on the exhibition).

It is thus unfortunate that the final verbal presentation listed, entitled the Lasting Importance of Biomass for Society, should be almost incomprehensible, with statements such as 'It is hardly evident to the general public that the materialistic-mechanistic paradigm...is scientifically obsolete. Quantum mechanics, the theory of self-organisation, chaos theory and other results...show as a metaphysical reality by which the present paradigm is so far off the track that one wonders how long people will be fooled by it' - a case of the pot calling the kettle black if ever there was one.

However, one's faith in reasonable science is restored in the next 1500 pages, where several hundred research groups present synopses of the material presented as posters at the meeting. These were be grouped (with number of posters at each session indicated in brackets), as for the oral sessions, covering worldwide strategies for biomass (19), industrial products (53), biofuels (40), biogas (44), timber and wood products in the building sector (7), crops and residues (120), implementation issues (65), combustion of biomass (86) and advanced thermal conversion (100).

Contacts

Publisher

• CARMEN eV Centrales Agrar-Rohstoff-Marketing-und Entwicklungs-Netzwerk / GERMANY