EU launches biofuels research initiative
23 Apr 2012
Brussels – The European Commission has launched the the Biofuels Research Infrastructure for Sharing Knowledge (BRISK) initiaitve – a project to fund participants from any EU country to carry out research related to biofuels at one of the 26 partners’ facilities.
The Euro11-million project is being co-ordinated by KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and includes partners from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK.
The BRISK initiative aims to develop a European research infrastructure for the production of biofuels by thermochemical processes, including gasification, combustion, pyrolysis and hydrothermal processing, to deliver marketable fuel products.
Enhancing biomass utilisation without risking its sustainability is a European energy priority, and is linked to targets for curbing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 and 50% by 2050.
More efficient and cost effective production of biofuels and related products from advanced biomass conversion processes and biorefineries is seen as a key element in achieving this goal.
In recent years many countries have established research facilities to address the challenges associated with technically and efficiently producing biofuels, and the establishment of biorefineries. The rate and success of meeting these challenges will be accelerated by sharing the resources and facilities available throughout Europe.
The BRISK project aims to improve the successful introduction of biofuels by increasing networking activities by greater sharing of BRISK partner facilities with scientific communities through transnational access by researchers.
Any researcher or group of researchers in Europe can apply to go to any of the project partners located outside of their home country to utilise the thermochemical biomass conversion installations.
Further details about the partners, facilities and application procedure are available at www.briskeu.com
