COMBINE – Converting organic matters from European urban and natural areas into storable bio-energy

COMBINE is based on the IFBB technology (integrated generation of solid fuel and biogas from biomass), which has been tested on laboratory scale and successfully up-scaled (to 1:20) in the forerunner project PROGRASS.

COMBINE covers four main areas:

• Demonstration: By means of the mobile demonstration plant, the energy recovery of the envisaged semi-natural grasslands according to the IFBB technology will be demonstrated at four sites in Northwest Europe. For this purpose, harvesting and processing methods will be optimised and standardised to allow the transferability of the PROGRASS® approach to future sites. The approach can also be adopted to utilise other “waste” biomass sources such as set-aside meadows, road- and railroad-side grass and even non-grass invasive species such as rush and bracken.

• Feasibility:During the two-year pilot phase the technical feasibility will be scientifically assessed on the sites of the project partners and at the large scale sedentary plant. A main focus will be the integration of this technology in agricultural economic systems and in nutrient cycles.

• Sustainability:The impact of the process on the environment is a centrepiece of the scientific research. Complementary economic studies will estimate the socio-economic effects of the approach in the partner regions and therefore contribute to its regional and interregional integration.

• Capacity Building:The fourth area of the project covers valorisation, i.e. regional and transnational implementation activities and European dissemination activities with the aim to sustainably exploit the approach. Stakeholders in the regional environmental and agriculture sector, territorial authorities, national and European sector agencies, potential investors as well as citizens from the current and future regions are some of the essential COMBINE target groups.

• Project coordination: University of Kassel
• Eleven partners from four countries
• Funded by the NTERREG IV B

For further information: www.combine-nwe.eu