Establish methods and communication for applying mass balance principles to attribute biomass co-feedstock to products

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

The long-term objectives of the BBI JU Initiative include: (i) increasing production of bio-based chemicals and materials to 25% of the total in Europe by 2030; and (ii) contributing to the European target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020¹

A sustainable chemical industry plays a key role in achieving these long-term objectives. A roadmap to pursue the 25% chemicals and materials objective is being developed by a running BBI JU project². To stay competitive, operators seek to cover the higher costs of processing biomass feedstock through a premium on the products they put on the market.

The chemical industry can convert pure biomass feedstock in dedicated processes into specific products, which can be characterised by a direct relationship between the amount of biomass feedstock and the ‘bio-based content’ of the products. This is a cumbersome undertaking with specific R&D needs and requiring potential investments to convert a chemical value chain into a dedicated biobased operation.

The chemical industry can also use existing infrastructures to co-feed biomass feedstock with fossilbased feedstock and convert the mixed feedstock into various products that all contain some biobased components. To set the basis for products’ premia along this path, the industry needs to attribute the contribution of the verified biomass feedstock to each specific product. The chemical operators seek to do this by applying the principle of conservation of mass in analysing the conversion systems from input to output (mass balance). This approach can only be deployed and maintained if it is properly and transparently communicated and accepted by the customers.

The specific challenge is to arrive at a thorough understanding of the applicability of mass-balance systems to attribute biomass feedstock to products

¹See SIRA May 2017, chapter 2, long-term objectives 8 and 12.

²CSA project RoadToBio: http://www.roadtobio.eu/

Analyse existing methods for measuring, tracking and attributing biomass feedstock share in mixed biomass-fossil feedstock systems to specific products, and analyse their usability as a common method for the sustainable chemical industry and for communication with customers.

Proposals should lead to understanding the pros and cons of existing different systems for mass allocation. The analysis should seek to yield one common system for use throughout the chemical and related downstream industries to benefit all. Proposals should also analyse the potential of misusing the mass-balancing system.

Proposals should also devise specific key messages for communication with relevant audiences. The messages should enable audiences to clearly distinguish between mass-balanced products from mixed feedstock systems and bio-based products from pure biomass feedstocks. Proposals should include at least one consumer communication pilot.

The scope of this topic excludes analysing the production, definition and benefit claims of bio-based products. CEN, Cenelec and ETSI have already developed definitions of ‘bio-based products’³ and guidelines for determining the bio-based carbon content of blends⁴.

Proposals should: (i) estimate the potential of using the proposed methodology to progress towards the SIRA long-term objectives; and (ii) estimate the associated benefits for the environment (based on LCA studies for selected exemplary cases). Proposals should utilise results of projects on standards and communication regarding bio-based products and the bio-based economy, if applicable and available.

The participation of organisations that could act as a link between the private sector (including brand owners) and the public sector (for example policy makers) is particularly encouraged.

The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) will set up an industry and market expert group from among its members to provide expertise on the implementation and follow-up of the different tasks and help organise meetings. This expert group is not to be a part of the proposal, but will be offered to the project consortium to assist as needed. This expert group therefore should have an advisory role in the project but would not be a beneficiary in the consortium.

INDICATIVE FUNDING:

It is considered that proposals requesting a maximum of EUR 500 000 and a planned duration of not more than two years would be able to address this specific challenge appropriately. However, this does not preclude the submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts or durations.

³See European standard EN16575 and other related products at ftp://ftp.cen.eu/CEN/Sectors/List/bio_basedproducts/DefinitionsEN16575.pdf.

⁴See mandate M/492 to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI for the development of horizontal European standards and other standardization deliverables for bio-based products: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/toolsdatabases/mandates/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.detail&id=477.

• increase awareness in the private (chemical industry and brand owners among others) and public sector (customers, public bodies and institutions among others) of products partially or fully derived from biomass, and of related sustainability aspect;
• boost an effective and sustainable use of biomass by the chemical industry through improved communication approaches;
• enlarge business opportunities for the chemical industry associated with an efficient exploitation of biomass and mixed feedstock.

NUMBER OF PROJECTS: a maximum of one project will be funded under this topic.

EXPECTED DURATION: up to two years.

Type of action: Coordination and support action.

Cross-cutting Key-Enabling Technologies (KETs)