A winery and distillery company, located in the northern-east of Italy, turned to be an excellent example of biorefinery able to use its agricultural residues to produce a varied range of bio-based products.

Thanks to the total usage of biomass generated by grape processing (540,000 tons/year), the wine company has brought waste production close to zero (0.1% of the discarded materials).

In order to obtain the best valorization of organic residues, the owner has equipped the process with modern technologies able to extract natural antioxidants and oils from grapes seeds.

Polyphenols: is a natural antioxidants used in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food and cosmetics industries. The oil obtained by the process, is recommended for its high content of polyunsaturated components, which are higher than all other vegetable oils.

The company counts numerous production partners including 30 wine cooperatives producing wine from 12,500 vine growers over an area of 35,000 hectares, equal to 7 million quintals of grapes produced every year.

A number of factors has contributed to trigger new market opportunities for this company:

• Consistent and steady availability of biomass

• Increasing requirements for biodegradability and environmental compatibility of products

• Activated agreements of partnership with other stakeholders (within the region or other regions and/or inter-sectorial)

An “Interreg-europe” project has developed activities for the re-use of remaining coarse wool from sheep farming, which resulted unserviceable for further textile application. Wool residuals are converted into soil conditioner fertilizers using small-scale, local hydrolysis plants. Heated water treatments convert wool keratin into fertilizers. Sheep wool has elements beneficial to plants like azote and carbons; moreover, its capacity to absorb humidity is important to those soils less able to store water.

The activity fosters collaboration amongst several and different actors such as research centers, manufacturing companies, local farmers and companies producing organic fertilizers and soil/plant amendments.

The organic fertilizers produced from wool contributes to reuse a considerable amount of waste (200.000 tons of coarse wool generated in the EU every year). The process requires the establishment of small scale, local hydrolysis plants.

The practice is delivering a number of benefits and new opportunities for practitioners:

•       Reduced transportation costs of both fertilizers and wool waste

•       Better control of the coarse wool waste

•       More integrated environmental management

•       Elimination of transportation costs and environmental damages related to coarse disposal

•       Production of fertilizers for the processing companies without supplement of dangerous chemicals

•       Better management of the coarse produced by farmers, with the possibility of additional profit generation

A Canadian based company is producing phone cases for smartphone devices that are biobased, 100% compostable, BPA, lead cadmium & phthalates free.

It makes use of a material called FlaxsticTM, a combination of non-food crop residuals such as flax shives and fibres, together with biopolymers.

The supply chain considers a close involvement and collaboration of different actors such as flax producers, logistics companies, the bio-based company for phone cases and final consumers.

The region of Saskatchewan is abundant in oilseed flax. The activity is fostering the creation of new market opportunities for these crop residuals, which are now turning into a new form of revenues and incomes for farmers.

The whole business model is also contributing to reduce the amount of plastic employed by consumers, alleviate the dependency from non-renewable fossil fuels and oil-based plastic while enhancing awareness on plant based solutions. The company benefits of a solid market share due to the uniqueness of the product/process. The practice promotes cooperation among similar stakeholders in the agri-food sector while encouraging research for a different use of the FlaxsticTM.

In the first year of the project, collaborations among Enabling partners and its stakeholders have been very promising!

During the 2nd edition Science Festival Fermhamente*, held in Fermo last October 2018, Itabia and Stiftinga Vestlandsforsking / Western Norway Research Institute (WNRI) had the opportunity to participate in the conference “Rural and agri-industrial wastes: Valorization in new and innovative products”. The conference was organized by ITT Montani di Fermo an active stakeholder of the Enabling project, in close collaboration with Fermo's Municipality.

The basic idea behind this multi-party conference was to present the recent progress achieved in the scientific field of replacing fossil fuels use in the manufacture of products, such as plastics. The use of rural and agro-industrial residues, as key-ingredients for producing Biobased products, was the central focus.

WNRI has performed a detailed analysis of rural and agro-industrial wastes from Western Norway and their potentials for use in production bio-based products.

Itabia has highlighted several European Good Practices focused on virtuous use of agricultural wastes in several innovative supply chains, from bioplastics to tires, and finally to producing biofertilizers.

The ITT Montani Institute has shared the latest progress on fossil-based plastics substitution via upcycling of the food industry to produce new composites. More in depth, they showed their concrete experiences derived from numerous laboratory experiments focused on valorizing of agro-industrial and fishing residuals towards the sustainable production of new bio-materials. ITT Montani has also analyzed the molecular fingerprint of the composites volatiles in order to demonstrate that the priority air pollutants released by fossil plastics that pose a significant public health threat are missing.

The issues addressed are in line with latest emerging political concept on circular bio-economy. The exploitation of residual wastes towards sustainable production in biodegradable biomaterials, integrated with the new concept of biorefineries, reduces the enormous environmental impact caused by the accumulation of non-biodegradable wastes, globally. This leads to avoidance of higher costs of waste disposal. At the same time, it avoids using food resources as a starting material for bio-based composites, and results in a non-food bio-based output that can be integrated with several common steps of the circular economy (bio-fuels or bio-energy pathways).

Thanks to sharing of mentioned experiences, concrete examples of which opportunities can have innovative biomaterials, what impact will have on society behaviour and potential opportunities of job and economic growth, have been presented.

Enabling Partners : Dr. Otto Andersen and Dr. Hønsi, Torunn (WNRI), Dr. Carla de Carolis (ITABIA)

Benerficiaries from ITT Montani Fermo: Prof. Teresa Cecchi and Headmaster Dr. Margherita Bonanni (ITT Montani)

*  https://www.comune.fermo.it/it/ElencoAttivitaFermhamente2018-UFFICIALE-pdf/ ; https://www.comune.fermo.it/it/fermhamente/

On Monday, January 28, at 14:00 CET, the first ENABLING webinar will be held. The coordinator, Giorgia Noaro, will give a general introduction of the ENABLING project and its objectives, followed by the presentation of three selected good practice examples from Belgium, Italy and Bulgaria. These good practice examples show how to sustainably use biomass and biomass residues while adding value to the by-products. The webinar aims at anybody who is interested in bioeconomy, circular economy, bioeconomy projects and sustainable use of biomass residues. There will be the opportunity to ask questions to the presenters and to discuss about the topic with the other participants. The webinar will be in English. If you want to participate in the webinar, please write an e-mail to Christine Beusch: beusch@e-p-c.de, then we will send you the dial-in details.

Copy of Start page of the BiomassTrade Platform.

Copy of Different sliders of the start page.

Copy of Six reasons for the BiomassTrade Platform.

Copy of BiomassTrade marketplace with the three main categories that can be traded.

Copy of First subcategories of residues and by-products.

Copy of Second subcategories of agricultural by-products.

Copy of BiomassTrade search output as map and list.

Copy of Available in ten languages

Within the last months, EPC developed the most fundamental key legacy of the ENABLING project, the BiomassTrade Platform. This trading platform is an online venue where biomass producers and biomass processers meet to directly exchange currently unused biomass residues and by-products. The BiomassTrade Platform allows interested users to search and offer biomass residues and by-products, bio-based products as well as services in the different sectors of bioeconomy. The BiomassTrade Platform will operate EU-wide but aims to connect stakeholders on a regional level to foster the exchange of goods and services on a regional level.

Right now, the BiomassTrade Platform is in an extensive testing phase that will last several months, where its functionality is checked thoroughly. When all technical amendments are made, the platform will be translated to all ten languages that are present in ENABLING. Then, in 2019, the BiomassTrade Platform will be launched stepwise, within the duration of ENABLING it is intended to make the platform available EU-wide.

We will keep you updated!

The 3rd partners’ meeting of the ENABLING project took place from 21 to 23 of November in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. National Biomass Association (BGBIOM) hosted the consortium in the Work Centre NOVIZ. There were 22 participants representing the 16 partners’ institutions. Best practices, innovation brokerage platform and coaching services were at the top of the agenda. Last day of the meeting, partners visited cosmetic company” Rosa Impex” Ltd., which is an example of good practice in the field of Bulgarian Bio-Based products.

During the 2nd project meeting, Richard van Lijssel from Darling Ingredients presented ECOSON as a good practice showcase. Let’s have a closer look into ECOSON and their approach.

Pig manure is so rich in phosphate that in the Netherlands, a country known for its intensive livestock farming, it has become the cause of a significant mineral surplus. As a result, Dutch pig farmers are legally required to find an acceptable processing solution for their excess manure. ECOSON created a solution.

ECOSON is a specialist in repurposing residuals into renewable resources. Working with local partners, they collect manure, organic food waste and swill from restaurants and food manufacturers, and use these materials to create high-quality, high-value solutions. Combining state-of-the-art technology with uniquely sustainable processes, ECOSON produces renewable electricity and renewable gas for the local energy market and organic phosphate-based fertilizer for agriculture.

ECOSON is an example of closing the loop on economic and ecological sustainability for urgent challenges in (national) agricultural sector. Through chain collaboration ECOSON is able to make a farmer’s challenge/problem an economic opportunity to combine fertilizer production for farmers abroad with renewable energy production for local society.

On our first issue, we presented the concept of good practices. The collection and identification of these good practices is very important since it will lead us to the next milestone which is a permanent coaching service. The coaching service will be available through an online interface provided via the website, to support biomass producers or the BBP Industry (Bio-Based Products and Processes) for the uptake of emerging best practices.

Farmers and/or Biomass Industries can utilize this service to ask for advice and guidance on how to adopt ongoing good practices. Through this online platform they can connect with industrial partners and maximize business opportunities. Furthermore, they will have access to scientific and technical papers on BBPs, studies on the economic, environmental and social impact related to BBPs and they can request for legal support for future or existing BBP businesses.

Ilaria Caffarini, Annalaura Luciani

Ilaria Caffarini, Annalaura Luciani, Otto Andersen, Teresa Cecchi

Presentation of the activities of the Chemistry department of ITT Montani (Fermo Italy)

Lab facilities

Lab facilities

Lab facilities

Sogndal CAMPUS Library

TIMBLA: composting of wood residues

LERUM: composting of organic waste from fruit processing

SIMAS: PLA glasses to be composted

ENABLING project is the first step in a process that will create, structure and expand the EU Community of Biomass and BBPs stakeholders.

Within this framework, one of the stakeholders of the Italian cluster led by partner Itabia, Montani Institute, has started a collaboration with the partner Western Norway Research Institute (WNRI).

During the 1st week of September, three Italian guests from the Chemistry department of the Montani Institute (Fermo, Italy) participated in the study visit in the WNRI (Sogndal, Norway). Otto Andersen welcomed the students Ilaria Caffarini and Annalaura Luciani and their tutor Teresa Cecchi. He introduced them to the activities of the WNRI that supports local industries in the management of municipal, fishery, agro-food, and forest waste and their upcycling by using a "cradle to grave" vision. The smart disposal of bioplastic (PLA) glasses has been one of the most interesting aspects of this work experience.

The two institutes are sharing a similar approach to overcome some environmental impacts linked to the waste recycling, with a further valorization of residues. The Chemistry department of Montani Institute has created innovative pathways for the valorization of fishing and rural waste to produce bioplastics using mussel and clam shells or agro-food residues.

That shared approach is principally based on smart upcycling of agro-industrial wastes to produce new composites in order to:

(i) avoid the cost of waste disposal

(ii) reduce bio-based composites price (the high-cost prevents the take-off of this sector)

(iii) avoid taking edible resources as a starting material for bio-based composites

(iv) result in a bio-based output different from the usual ones (bio-fuels or bio-energy)

(v) reduce environmental pollution

The exchange and dissemination of best practices for the emergence of biomass value chains are crucial for a circular and sustainable economy and for a thriving bio-based sector, to kick off innovation by a promotion of biomaterials

The 2nd project meeting of the European project ENABLING, “Enhance New Approaches in Bio-based Local Innovation Networks for Growth”, was held in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands on 29-30 May 2018.

Partner ZLTO hosted the 2nd partners’ meeting in its headquarters in Den Bosch. 

Partners discussed the status quo of the project, what has been achieved so far and what are the upcoming priorities.

The initiation of the brokerage platform and the showcase of the good practices in the website are the next immediate actions that will be realized.

We were happy and honored to have with us Richard van Lijssel from Darling Ingredients that presented ECOSON as a good practice showcase.

The ENABLING "Biomass Matrix Tool" has been developed to help the user in evaluating the potential and available biomass and industrial processes, considering the different bioproducts pathways.

The aim of the Biomass Matrix Tool is to give general indications on typologies and quantities of biomass that could stimulate the BioBased Products (BBP) industry sector to invest and also to identify BBP industries present either in the region, or within a sufficiently close reach, to allow the development of sustainable supply chains.

The Biomass Matrix Tool has 2 main components: a Biomass Calculation Sheet; and an Industrial Processes Sheet.

The Biomass Calculation Sheet has been designed for Enabling Partners to collect data on the most important biomass resources in selected Region(s), following the criteria:

• availability;
• identification of competition with other markets (feed and food);
• industrial interests;
• potential for higher valorisation (with or without future innovation) 

The Biomass Calculation Sheet considers quantitative aspects of biomasses and their respective extractable components (i.e. starch, fibre for BBPs).

The Industrial Processes Sheet has been designed for Enabling Partners to identify not only the technology, but also the current status of the technology (e.g. pre-pilot), the products produced, the actual process involved, the constituents used in the technology (which can then be related to the available biomass residues identified in the Biomass Calculation Sheet) and the minimum requirement (as a percentage) of the constituent contained in a biomass source for the technology / process to be viable. 

It is important to identify not only consolidated industrial players, but to also consider small and innovative young companies or entrepreneurs with the potential to stimulate innovation, knowledge transfer and the uptake of research.

In ENABLING we collect good BBP practices, from inside and outside Europe, that are wholly or partly transferable to other regions, or serve as an inspiration for partners in the value chain. Sharing this knowledge and implementing (part of) the practice in other regions drives innovation, enhances growth of the agricultural sector and biobased industry, and strengthens the transition towards a circular economy. 

These good practices show how different sources of biomass are processed and valorised into innovative biobased products, and have to some extent a positive social, economic and environmental impact. The practice should also be beneficial for practitioners (like agricultural entrepreneurs, industry, and logistic partners), in order to build a sustainable business model. 

The ENABLING project intends to respond to the need, felt by practitioners across Europe, of improving and systematising collaboration among the different stakeholders, and in particular between the source of biomass streams, and the processing and transformation industry, or Bio-Based Industry (BBI). So far, biomass production has mainly generated input for bioenergy and biofuels, in sectors characterised by large industrial players and low labour intervention. On the other hand, the bio-materials and bio-plastics processes require higher and specialised labour, thus representing a significant potential for diversification (especially in rural areas) and job creation.

Currently, most biomass supply chains for BBPs (Bio-Based Products and Processes) do not take advantage of structured networks. Most agricultural business involved in the production of biomass for the BBPs do so in a bilateral relationship with their industrial counterpart. The lack of optimised value chains tends to penalise small rural business and tends to hinder economic development on both sides.

ENABLING is based on the consortium’s vision that the biomass to BBPs value chains can enhance economic growth, a sound management of natural resources and positively contribute to job-creation in the regions and countries where they can be deployed.

The kick of meeting of the European project ENABLING, Enhance New Approaches in Bio-based Local Innovation Networks for Growth, was held in Rome on 11-12 December 2017.

The project coordinator Federunacoma hosted 16 partners from 13 EU and associated (IL, NO) countries.

Partners discussed ENABLING project aims and overview actions and introduced the plan for the next months.

The first day of the meeting was dedicated to the presentation of project participants, an overview on the objective and activities of the project and on the presentation of single Work Packages by WP leaders.

Day 2 has been open to the discussion of the immediate project actions.