Discover the transformative power of bioenergy and biobased products in shaping our sustainable future!

From 24^th to 25^th September 2024 the DBFZ - Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gGmbH in Leipzig will host the 7^th Doctoral Colloquium BIOENERGY AND Biobased Products (DOC2024).

This CALL FOR ABSTRACTS AND POSTERS takes place in order to determine the programme of the 7^th Doctoral Colloquium BIOENERGY AND BIOBASED PRODUCTS. We invite all interested scientists at an advanced stage of their PhD to submit their work.

Launched in 2018 with a primary focus on bioenergy topics and German-speaking doctoral students, the Doctoral Colloquium has since evolved into an international platform. This year, it extends its thematic reach to encompass research on biomass-based products, reflecting the current political and economic development.

Biomass is the only renewable carbon source we have available. Its sustainable and efficient utilisation requires newel and innovative approaches and processes (e.g. cascading, coupling). Research on bioenergy and bio-based products, as well as their integration into complete value chains, explores how biomass resources can increasingly contribute to the transformation in the chemical sector and for dedicated bioenergy applications, using all components in production networks by cascading approaches.

Research in this area is already very diverse and at a high level. However, networking within the research community needs to be strengthened in order to deepen the exchange of knowledge between researchers and to exploit synergies and research excellence in a more efficient and innovative way.

Since its foundation, the Doctoral Colloquium has served not only as a platform for the further qualification of young researchers, but also as an opportunity for making contacts, networking and enduring scientific exchange. Doctoral researchers from universities and other research institutions present and discuss their latest results and progress made during their doctoral work.

This year, the 7th Doctoral Colloquium BIOENERGY AND BIOBASED PRODUCTS (DOC2024) will be organised under the scientific coordination and direction of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniela Thrän, Senior Scientist at the DBFZ, Head of the Department of Bioenergy at the UFZ (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research) and Chair of Bioenergy Systems at the University of Leipzig.

The Programme Committee carefully curates the papers for both oral and poster presentations, with guidance from the esteemed Scientific Advisory Board consisting of 46 renowned scientists from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Norway, representing 37 research and higher education institutions working on bioenergy and biobased products. A detailed list of all participating scientific institutions and members can be found on our website.

Tomorrow's knowledge and decision-makers are invited to meet, to share knowledge and discuss research gaps and challenges already today. The 7^th Doctoral Colloquium BIOENERGY AND BIOBASED PRODUCTS (DOC2024) offers you this platform for professional exchange in the field of bioenergy. Generally, students doing their PhD in the field of bioenergy & biobased products and at an advanced stage of their work are cordially invited to present their scientific results, methods and findings.

The Doctoral Colloquium BIOENERGY AND BIOBASED PRODUCTS (DOC2023) addresses every part of the biomass conversion chain, from the feedstock via different conversion pathways and their technological implementation, up to the resulting products and services. Bioenergy system analyses and system integration measures round off the topic.

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE BASE

• Sustainable biomass feedstocks:

How can sustainable biomass feedstocks (e.g. crops on marginal land, waste and residues, advanced feedstocks such as aquatic plants, etc.) be utilised for energy production? How can be determined, which feedstocks will and should be used in the future from the perspective of sustainable resource use? How can the potential of sustainable biomass feedstocks be assessed to meet the growing demand for biobased products? Which conflicts and competitions ca be expected in the use of biomass feedstocks in the future, and how can they be addressed to achieve the targets of the SDGs?

• Waste as feedstock:

What are the options for using waste as a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy and biobased products? How can the potential for sustainable feedstocks supply from waste be determined? How can their utilisation be made more efficient and sustainable? Which of them are innovative and promising?

• Pre-treatment:

What kind of pre-treatment is required? What kind of pre-treatment technologies are innovative? How can the efficiency of pre-treatment technologies be improved?

• Environmental impacts:

What are the environmental impacts of feedstocks for bioenergy and biobased products along the product value chain? How are environmental impacts assessed in sustainability certification? How can the indicators for assessing environmental impacts be improved for credible and reliable biomass certification? Which steps are important to reduce the environmental impacts of bioenergy and biobased products feedstocks?

BIOENERGY SYSTEM ANALYSIS (INCL. TECHNICAL INTEGRATION)

• Biomass production and provision forms an important part of the whole utilisation pathway for bioenergy and biobased products. How can processes be optimised? How can this be integrated with sustainable agricultural practices, like organic farming etc.?

• Bioenergy integration in energy and bioeconomy systems:

Bioenergy needs to be put in context with other renewable energy technologies. What are suitable integration parameters? How can bioenergy best meet the need for flexibility (short and long term)? What role should bioenergy play with respect to a highly interconnected energy system and P2X technologies? What is the role and impact of cascadic utilisation pathways and combinations of material and energy use? What options exist within the new era of a sustainable bioeconomy?

• Bioenergy & biobased products & climate:

Bioenergy and biobased products need to meet strong climate goals. How can the efficiency and performance be improved? What are the contributions to net-zero energy systems, carbon neutrality or SDG? What is the role for biogenic carbon removal (BECCS - bioenergy carbon capture and storage)?

• Bioenergy & biobased products & sustainability:

Technologies and pathways for bioenergy and the production of biobased products need to meet further sustainability requirements. Which parameters should count? How can sustainability performance be improved or optimised? What role do participatory elements (social sustainability) play in this regard?

THERMOCHEMICAL CONVERSION

• System integration:

How to improve the flexibility of thermochemical processes? How can a value-optimised utilisation of biomass in a flexible infrastructure be achieved? What are the possible contributions of biomass-based hybrid-systems? How can digital tools support the efficient integration?

• Solid conversion products:

What are the advancements in the field of valorisation for solid products from thermochemical conversion? How to control solid phase reactions and product properties for different material applications? Pollutants: How can emission control processes be further developed and optimised? How can pollutants be further minimised through incentives and emission targets as well as real world measurements?

• Feedstock composition:

In which way does feedstock composition affect process operation and product properties? How can the fuel properties be influenced by conditioning?

• Intermediates:

What upgrading steps are required to convert intermediates from thermochemical conversions into final products?

BIOCHEMICAL CONVERSION

• New processes & products:

Are there promising integrated (material-energetic) processes or process routes for the production of new biobased products? Is it necessary to adapt existing or to establish new framework conditions for such processes?

• Microbial processes:

How can existing microbial processes be improved/optimised? How to control these microbial processes?

• Optimisation & efficiency:

How to optimise the biogas process and/or biogas plants? How to measure and increase the efficiency of biogas plants? What are efficient downstream processes for product separation or purification? What are technical weaknesses of biogas plants and how to overcome them? What is the role of process monitoring and measurement technology?

• Monitoring & control:

Are there new procedures for robust monitoring and control of biogas plants? How can suitable process models support monitoring and control applications? Are there new (soft) sensor concepts for precise online measurement of reliable process indicators of biogas plants?

• Climate neutrality:

How can emissions at biogas plants be measured and prevented? How can anaerobic digestion contribute to a climate-neutral future?

BIOREFINERIES (INCL. BIOFUELS)

• Overall value chains:

What are promising value chains in the bioeconomy? How can they be implemented?

• Biorefineries as multiproduct plants for biobased products and bioenergy sources:

Which biorefineries already exist, and what are typical products (e.g. biofuels)? Which scaling is relevant (e.g. on-farm versus larger plants due to economy of scale)? What research and development objectives need to be realised to speed up more facilities in practise?

• Biorefineries as part of SynBioPTX as well as BECCS approaches:

How could refineries use the synergies of biomass and power based technologies? What technology concepts are promising? How could negative emissions be co-generated by biocarbon capture and storage? What are the most promising and innovative paths and technologies?

• E-mobility and biofuels:

What options do we have to carry out the transformation in mobility? How can we best deal with the respective disadvantages/risks? What is suitable for which application?

The event language is English. Each Session will include four presentation slots, spit into 15 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes of discussion time each. In addition to the Poster Exhibition, all accepted posters shall be presented during a Poster Speed Presentation (3 minutes each). The best poster will be awarded during the closing session of the colloquium. Further networking opportunities, such as Get-in-Touch Sessions, are planned. A Keynote Speech on a groundbreaking topic will round off the programme. Details of the programme are available on our website. The Programme Committee will evaluate all abstracts submitted and decide on their acceptance.

Submit an abstract of your research work for either an oral presentation or a poster by 15^th May 2024 via form here.