IEA Bioenergy Task 42: Biorefining in a Circular Economy (Working Period 2019-2021)

The IEA Bioenergy Task 42 Biorefineries in a Circular Economy pursues the strategic goal of advancing the establishment of biorefineries. Biorefineries are production processes that process biomass into a range of marketable biobased products and energy. This combined production of products and energy from biomass represents a sustainable system solution that does not rely on fossil raw materials and can thus significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biorefineries also support the circular economy because they apply cascading utilisation concepts. Waste from a manufacturing process often serves as a raw material for further processes pathways.

The IEA Bioenergy Task 42 is an international platform on the topic of biorefineries that serves for networking and the exchange of information and experience. On the national level, networking of interested stakeholders was carried out trough specific events. On the international level, Task 42 consists of a group of experts deployed of the participating countries. In the triennium 2019-21, a total of 12 progress meetings took place. Due to travel restrictions and the measures related to the COVID pandemic, most of these meetings were held via digital conference systems. Within triennium 2019-21 task 42 dealt with a series of relevant biorefinery topics and generated specific reports and other publications.

The focus of the Austrian contributions to the task work is on the technical, economic and environmental (TEE) assessment of biorefineries, which has been carried out in Task 42 since it was established. In this working period, the TEE assessment of four different biorefinery types was carried out, all of which use pyrolysis or gasification technologies. In addition to the final report, four specific biorefinery fact sheets were published as outputs. The methodology of the TEE assessment was also further developed. Barriers and incentives for three different biorefinery types were collected and analysed by means of an expert survey. The Austrian Task 42 team has contributed to the preparation of the following reports: The report on the sustainable use of lignin clearly presents the various technologies for lignin extraction and the subsequent processes for obtaining products. It also contains important references to selected R&D projects and technology implementations (pilot and demonstration plants). Another publication deals with the utilisation of lignin as a possible substitute for coke in metal production. The Global Biorefinery Status Report summarises the implementation status of biorefineries at a very broad international level for the first time. A description of selected biorefinery reference plants rounds off the report. Austria is represented with a lighthouse project.

A comprehensive list of relevant publications of Task 42 and other sources of information is included in an annex of this report.

The dissemination of the results and reports is primarily carried out via the international homepage IEA Bioenergy Task 42 - Biorefining in a Circular Economy and via the national platform of the IEA Bioenergy Research Cooperation.

Australia, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden

DI Michael Mandl (National Team Leader)
tbw research GesmbH
Schönbrunner Straße 297/2/4
A-1120 Wien
Tel.: +43 (699) 1444 52 11
E-Mail: m.mandl@tbwresearch.org

DI (FH) Johannes Lindorfer
Energieinstitut an der Johannes Kepler Universität Linz
Altenbergerstraße 69
A-4040 Linz
Tel.: +43 (732) 24685653
E-Mail: lindorfer@energieinstitut-linz.at

Dr. Franziska Hesser
Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH
Altenberger Straße 69
A-4040 Linz
Tel.: +43 (1) 47654-73518
E-Mail: f.hesser@wood-kplus.at