DBFZ Annual Conference 2024: What requirements can/must biomass fulfil?
Biomass is a special component of the national energy supply and plays a central role in the growing bioeconomy with increasing demand. At the annual conference of the DBFZ on 11/12 September, around 160 participants from science, industry and politics discussed the topic of ‘Multi-talented biomass: basic raw material, carbon source and energy option’.
In his welcoming address at this year's DBFZ Annual Conference, Saxony's State Secretary for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture, Dr. Gerd Lippold, pointed out that knowledge about the finite nature of fossil resources is the central starting point for future strategies. The bioeconomy plays a decisive role as a solution for a more sustainable and future-proof economy: ‘Biomass requires optimal cascade utilisation and clever ideas for the use of residues and the minimisation of waste. Our aim is to continue shaping Saxony as an innovative energy and business location with concrete strategies and action plans as part of the energy and climate programme and the raw materials strategy and to use the potential of the bioeconomy as a locational advantage,’ said Dr. Lippold.
In a subsequent panel discussion with Dr. Gerd Lippold (SMEKUL), Friedrich Nollau (BALANCE Erneuerbare Energien GmbH), Prof. Dr. Nicolaus Dahmen (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Dr. René Backes (DBFZ) and Prof. Dr. Michael Nelles (DBFZ/University of Rostock), various challenges with regard to the use of biomass for energy and materials were outlined with reference to the conference topic. The participants agreed, among other things, that there are already regional cycles for renewable raw materials and that the trick now is not to destroy them with new regulations. Other topics revolved around green products and the research question of how biomass can be converted into systems that enable cost-effective and internationally competitive use: ‘Crude oil is much easier to implement and all processes in the chemical industry are geared towards it. Biomass is complicated - and so far there are no incentives to utilise it. Cascades will form according to economic aspects. We can influence this on the research side through the creative use of biogenic waste and residual materials - if the waste legislation allows it in future,’ says Dr. René Backes from the DBFZ.
In a total of three sessions, fourteen specialist presentations on the topics of ‘The future of biomethane - discovering the possibilities’, ‘Bio-based solutions for negative emissions’ and ‘Biomass cycles’, a poster session and accompanying workshops, the two-day event not only highlighted the wide range of possible applications for biomass, but also its important contribution to climate protection. In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Jakob Hildebrandt from the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, among others, made it clear that CO2-negative building materials could be scaled in a climate-effective way if fair competitive conditions were created that strictly price in negative externalities such as grey emissions and CDR measures are strictly verified based on regional baselines and proof of additionality.
In his closing statement, Dr. Volker Lenz, Head of the DBFZ's Thermo-Chemical Conversion department, summarised that in view of the many exciting applications presented for material, energy and coupled products and processes from and with biomass, we must all finally get down to ‘doing’: ‘We need a constructive competition of concrete implementations with a broad diversity of scientific disciplines, both in a regional and national context, which involves all stakeholder groups in society and which creates confidence through exemplary solutions.’
Dr Stefan Lukas received the prize for the best scientific poster for his contribution on the topic of ‘Neuwerg - The Network for Renewable Resources and Bioeconomy in the State of Brandenburg’.
Following the event, a conference reader will be published free of charge, in which all abstracts, presentation slides and poster contributions by the speakers can be read: www.dbfz.de/tagungsreader
Smart Bioenergy – innovations for a sustainable future
The DBFZ works as a central and independent thinker in the field of energy and material use of biomass on the question of how the limited available biomass resources can contribute to the existing and future energy system with sustainability and high efficiency. As part of the research the DBFZ identifies, develops, accompanies, evaluates and demonstrates the most promising fields of application for bioenergy and the especially positively outstanding examples together with partners from research, industry and public. With the scientific work of the DBFZ, the knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of energy and integrated material use of renewable raw materials in a biobased economy as a whole should be expanded and the outstanding position of the industrial location Germany in this sector permanently secured – www.dbfz.de/en.