Small-scale Biorefining

Efficient and sustainable use of biomass resources is one of the pillars of a future Dutch Circular BioEconomy (CBE). This is required for both primary land and aquatic crops, secondary agro, forestry and process residues, and tertiary post-consumer residues. These resources can be used for the production of biobased products (food/feed ingredients, chemicals, materials) and bioenergy (fuels, power heat), via biorefinery processes be it at either small, regional or large scale. Biorefining processes are at the core of the “Strategic Biomass Vision towards 2030” of the Dutch government (2015), and also clearly addressed by the Dutch Sustainable Biomass Commission (2015). Based on this, the Dutch government has developed an R&D Agenda Biobased Economy 2015 – 2027 “B4B” (2015). The basis for this agenda clearly recognises that the emergence of the Biobased Economy will not only be (part of) the answer to various environmental threats, but will also contribute to the growth of the Dutch Economy, potentially resulting in 4,500 new jobs and 2.5 Mt CO2-reduction.