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Improving eco-efficiency of bio-energy production and supply in riparian areas of the Danube river basin and other floodplains in Central Europe - DANUBENERGY. (DANUBENERGY)
Start date: Jul 31, 2012, End date: Dec 30, 2014 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Conventional production of biomass for biogas plants is often eco-inefficient due to the dominant use of maize and the increased risk of soil erosion and nutrient losses, as well as the low use of thermal energy during the generation of electricity in the combined heat and power plant. Furthermore, competition with food production on fertile land and the resulting increase of prices for land and agricultural products causes ethical and socio-economic problems.Thus, the eco-friendly improvement of bioenergy production processes as well as the opening-up of abandoned natural and agricultural areas for energy production is necessary. Within the project DANUBENERGY the partners will join their forces in order to improve the eco-efficiency of bio-energy production and supply in riparian areas of the Danube river basin and other floodplains in central Europe. Achievements: DanubEnergy is a project active in promotion and implementation of a novel approach for the harvesting and eco-efficient processing of grass biomass. It puts a focus on grass resources from Central European wetlands, which are frequently characterized by the fact that for biodiversity reasons grass has to be cut regularly, but also by adverse economic conditions for harvesting. Biomass will be proceeded both to biogas and to a press-cake used for briquette or pellet production. Thus the project contributes to rural income generation, flood prevention, biodiversity and regional energy self-sufficience. The new technology is being presented in a stationary demonstration plant and a small-scale mobile plant, which was already shown to an audience of interested experts, students, pupils and potential investors at Mantova in Northern Italy and at Irnfritz in Lower Austria. In these roadshows, locally harvested material is proceeded, and during the stay of this demo-plant the project partners organize conferences and workshops. Seven workshops and two conferences have already taken place in Austria, Italy and Slovakia. The roadshow started at Mantova, Italy and comprised also an expert conference and a set of workshops. Then the mobile demo plant moved on to Austria, where it impressed a well-mixed audience and led to practical consultations with two potential investors. A handbook on demo-plant operation and grass harvesting were completed and distributed. The locations for further stays of the mobile demo-plant have already been identified and a calendar for this mobile roadshow was scheduled. For three regions (the Eastern-Czech Zlín Region, the region around Poznan in Western Poland and for Lower Austria's Waldviertel region), grassland potential studies have already been written. The DanubEnergy website went online with an information hub. A poster exhibition was prepared and successfully shown in two locations. Although the project has been running only for one year, already three declarations of potenially interested investors have been collected. They are based in Lower Austria (AT), Burgenland (AT) and Southern Czechia. Further cooperation with these group will be sought.
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  • 77.8%   1 381 677,37
  • 2007 - 2013 Central Europe
  • Project on KEEP Platform
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10 Partners Participants