Apply technological combinations to valorise all components of biomass feedstock

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

The chemical industry and other sectors apply combinations of technologies to improve operational effectiveness in relevant situations. These technologies include, for example, physico-chemical, electro-chemical, biochemical and thermo-chemical conversion technologies, combined in an innovative manner. The concept of applying combined technologies, existing as well as newly emerging ones, may serve the bio-based industry sectors well in their pursuit to maximally valorise residual streams and unused or underutilised resources. This new way to convert biomass feedstock will result in the highest value and benefit for all concerned through partnership between the primary sectors and the emerging biobased sector. The specific challenge is to effectively apply new and innovative combinations of technologies in biobased value chains to maximise valorisation of the feedstock.

Apply effective, new and innovative combinations of technologies in a large-scale, first-of-its-kind integrated biorefinery converting sustainable biomass streams from existing agro-, food-, aquatic or forest-based operations into added-value products for identified applications. The scope of this topic excludes energy carriers (such as liquid fuels or hydrogen) as the main products.

Proposals could also integrate technologies into existing large-scale biorefineries to increase the efficiency and value creation from the feedstock.

This biorefinery should fully integrate feedstock supply and processing technologies to deliver products with targeted functionalities to meet identified market demand at competitive prices. It should demonstrate effective and cost-efficient operation at a commercial level, applying where relevant the cascading use of biomass to maximise resource efficiency.

Proposals should include any processing technology that has been demonstrated in an optimised value chain at TRL 6-7 and should encompass all processing stages leading to intermediate and end products.

Proposals should address all requirements for IA - flagship actions as shown in Table 3 in the Introduction. The technology readiness level (TRL) at the end of the project should be 8.

Proposals should clearly state the starting and end TRLs of the key technology or technologies targeted in the project.

INDICATIVE FUNDING: It is considered that proposals requesting a maximum contribution of EUR 20 million would be able to address this specific challenge appropriately. However, this does not preclude the submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts

EXPECTED IMPACTS LINKED TO BBI JU KPIS:

▪ contribute to KPI 1 – create at least two new cross-sector interconnections in the bio-based economy;

▪ contribute to KPI 2 – create at least two new bio-based value chain;

▪ contribute to KPI 4 – produce at least two new building block based on sustainable bio-based feedstock;

▪ contribute to KPI 5 – produce at least two new bio-based material based on sustainable bio-based feedstock;

▪ contribute to KPI 6 – demonstrate at least two new ‘consumer’ product based on bio-based chemicals and materials that meet market requirements.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:

▪ decrease biomass losses by at least 30% ¹;

▪ increase the overall resource efficiency;

▪ in case residual streams are envisaged, reduce quantities of residues routed to low-value uses such as combustion by at least 30%¹ as compared with the relevant benchmark;

▪ reduce energy requirements in the processing units (including upstream, conversion and downstream steps) by at least 20%¹ as compared with the requirements at the outset of the project;

▪ reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS:

▪ reduce production costs of the targeted products by at least 10%¹ as compared with the state of the art;

▪ increase the economic value of the targeted feedstock;

▪ increase income and business opportunities for stakeholders and actors (including primary producers) in the bio-based sectors.

SOCIAL IMPACTS:

▪ create new job opportunities in the bio-based sector, particularly the rural, coastal and/or urban areas;

▪ retain and/or develop new skills.

Number of projects: a maximum of one project will be funded under this topic.

Type of action: Innovation action – flagship action.

¹ The proposal should present a convincing justification of the calculation of this rate, based on established econometric models and statistical data.

Cross-cutting Key-Enabling Technologies (KETs)