UPM Biofuels has joined the BIKE project that promotes low-ILUC risk biofuels production for European Bioeconomy. The project brings together companies and research organisations who believe that novel, safe and reliable biomass value chains can be deployed to produce food, feed, biofuels and biomaterials with a low risk of generating indirect land use change.

 

Sustainable biomass-based biofuels mitigate ILUC (Indirect Land Use Change) because they result from productivity increases such as sequential cropping of cover or intermediate crops, or they come from crops grown on abandoned or severely degraded land.

 

Sustainable biofuels are needed to rapidly decrease transport emissions in the EU. The responsible production of feedstock for biofuels through well-designed sustainable biomass value chains can enhance soil health and promote green resilience practices in agriculture, thus serving the objectives of the European Green Deal and fostering the bioeconomy.

 

“We strongly believe biomass-based biofuels can be produced in a sustainable way and were delighted to join forces with distinguished research partners to study, discuss and promote sustainable biomass value chains. The timing is great, too, as sustainable agricultural practices and the need for more sustainable biofuels are a key part of the EU’s Green Deal,” says Liisa Ranta, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Market Development in UPM Biofuels.

 

BIKE - Biofuels Production at Low ILUC-Risk for European Sustainable Bioeconomy - is a coordination and support scheme started in September 2020 that will continue through to August 2023. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.

 

The scheme is a Horizon 2020 project that supports the implementation of the European Commission's Renewable Energy Directive II by providing evidence and measuring the market potential and production routes of low ILUC risk value chains for biomass, biofuels and bioliquids in Europe. The BIKE project also aims to assess the sustainability of production routes and to develop certification module for low ILUC risk biofuels.

 

Some of the BIKE partners are RE-CORD - Renewable Energy Consortium for Research and Demonstration (Italy) (coordinator); CRES - Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving Foundation (Greece); Cerulogy (UK); CIB – Italian Biogas Consortium (Italy); Eni SpA (IT); Etaflorence (Italy); EXERGIA Energy and Environment Consultants AE (Greece); The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Italy); Imperial College of Science and Technology and Medicine (UK); ISCC System GmbH (Germany); NAIKI AKI - Nemzeti Agrarkutatasi Es Innovacios Kozpont (Hungary); Stitching Wageningen Research (Netherlands); UPM-Kymmene Oyj (Finland).