H2020 greenGain Project: Support for sustainable energy production from biomass generated through landscape conservation and maintenance work

Bioenergy Production from an Underutilized Resource Woody and herbaceous material harvested during local landscape maintenance and conservation has great potential as a sustainable source of biomass for producing renewable energy. The EU-funded greenGain project aimed to strengthen the energy production of woody and herbaceous biomass from landscape conservation and maintenance work (LCMW) carried out in the public interest. The biomass used consisted of any material produced primarily from nature conservation and landscape management, but not from energy crops. This type of biomass is typically generated by subcontracted companies, small local authorities, farmers, and woodland owners during the maintenance of verges, watercourses, parks, cemeteries, nature reserves, and even private gardens. The main target groups of the project included regional and local stakeholders responsible for maintenance and conservation work, as well as biomass waste management.

The project focused on service providers such as farmers and forest owners, their associations, NGOs, energy suppliers, and consumers. Key challenges in working with LCMW include dispersed supply, seasonal fluctuations, and the low quality of the feedstock, which requires pretreatment such as screening or drying. Furthermore, legal requirements for waste management are often unclear, and information on the type, quantity, and location of biomass is generally lacking. An underexploited feedstock resource, the project partners developed strategies to generate reliable knowledge about the local availability of these feedstocks and practical know-how on topics ranging from logistics to storage and sustainable conversion pathways for transforming LCMW into renewable energy (heat and power products).

"The goal is to raise awareness about this still largely underutilized biomass resource and increase public acceptance of its collection and use to produce heat and electricity," says project contact Diego Piedra-Garcia. In addition, the researchers addressed political, legal, and environmental aspects in model regions in the Czech Republic (Knžice Municipality and Vltavotýnsko Microregion), Germany (Friesland County and Rotenburg County), Spain (Basque Aragon County and Matarraña County), and Italy (Trasimeno Region). Despite the obstacles described, LCMW is an attractive biomass feedstock for companies. "Using this biomass, which emerges from the regular management of public areas, can contribute to the provision of local renewable energy production," explains Piedra-Garcia.

Furthermore, the sale of biomass as a feedstock, or the energy generated from it, can also provide financial compensation for maintenance costs, and regional and local stakeholders can directly benefit from the use of LCMW biomass. Furthermore, it will contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions due to the resulting decrease in the use of fossil fuels. Renewable energy at the local level: Regional and local groups responsible for maintenance and conservation efforts were selected, as they also manage the collected LCMW biomass. To this end, general guidelines were developed along with a manual on LCMW supply chains. The value of greenGain was ensured through communication with the general public and the industrial, scientific, and political communities.

Therefore, greenGain will assist private and public actors, as well as stakeholders, in developing pilot energy projects. The results are presented in a database of good practices on categorized supply chains, detailing technologies, utilization pathways, and economic data. The project also contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the use of LCMW-based biofuels and the promotion of direct energy conversion of LCMW biomass. "Part of the energy resulting from LCMW exploitation will be used locally to heat municipal buildings, either directly or through the use of heat from processing plants," says Piedra-García. Finally, the sustainable use of renewable resources in the form of LCMW will contribute to the protection of biodiversity by maintaining natural landscape features, such as hedgerows and wetlands.