Key players meet in Zaragoza to outline the most promising routes to realising the use of agricultural residues by 2030
9 August 2022
Key actors from the agricultural sector, regional administrations and R&D met in Zaragoza on 26th and 27th April to discuss how to make effective use of herbaceous and woody agricultural residues by 2030.
The workshops were held in the framework of the International Agricultural Machinery Fair FIMA 2022. The first day's workshop served to identify the most promising routes, the barriers to overcome, and the measures that can be applied. On the second day, the protagonists of four innovative practices shared the keys to adopting them and making the most of them.
26th April 2022 - How can we ensure that by 2030 the use of agricultural residues such as straw, corn stover or wood from pruning and uproots of vines, olives and fruit trees will be commonplace for the bioeconomy?
The workshop (more info and agenda here) brought together key agents from the Ebro Valley territory, linked to agriculture, bioenergy, bioeconomy, R&D and territorial promotion. The objective: to highlight the most promising value chains, as well as the lines to be promoted to make them a reality by 2030.
The stakeholders proposed up to 11 lines of action for the recovery of agricultural residues. 26 concrete measures were proposed for this purpose, which need to be promoted.
Of the many proposals put forward, there was widespread agreement on the following key points:
- Innovation needs to be implemented by bringing together the four parties (quadruple helix): business, science, government and society.
- Collaborative territorial models are key to develop not only innovative products, but also new value chains (accepted by society and supported / unhindered by administrative obstacles). The BiohubCat was shown as one of the successful examples in progress.
- Demonstration projects are needed to facilitate the replication of innovative practices: feasible, accepted and visitable.
- Potential adopters of innovations (farmers, livestock breeders, cooperatives, agro-industries) need effective transfer through viable examples and the active role of technicians in their associations.
The day was a meeting point, which, without being massive (22 participants), is intended to be a starting point for future actions.
AVAILABLE MATERIALS
VIDEO OF THE EVENT: see event here
PRESENTATIONS: Download here
RESULTS (SWOT analysis, challenges and conclusions): Download here
Original news (in Spanish): LINK
27th April 2022 – Workshop for knowledge transfer on innovative practices for bioenergy and biochar with agricultural biomass
Four innovations were presented and discussed at the event on 27th April (more info and agenda here). The objective was to complement the session on 26th April with a session focused on solutions. And also to show the work and mission of INtercamBIOM to collect and visualise them in Spanish and English through the BRANCHES project.
The four practices were presented by the companies or entities that have developed or adopted them.
The presentations allowed to showcase:
- The technical feasibility of the collection of vine shoots during mechanised pre-pruning operations (by the SERRAT shredding company).
- The validity of torrefaction technology for transforming herbaceous and woody agricultural residues into fuels suitable and economical for industry (by CENER Technology Centre).
- The development and recent adoption by innovative companies of modular and optimised olive stone drying and cleaning systems (by the company Secaderos de La Loma).
- The feasibility of promoting municipal heat supply projects based on agricultural residues such as vine pruning (by Vilafranca del Penedés Town Council).
After the presentations, a rich question and answer session was opened, followed by a deepening of the key factors for adopting innovations: who? how? under which conditions is it worthwhile to invest in adopting the innovations presented?
AVAILABLE MATERIALS
VIDEO OF THE EVENT: see event here
PRESENTATIONS: Download here
Original news (in Spanish): LINK