FAQ

The sun is ultimately the most sustainable energy source. Technology to convert sunlight into energy is still inefficient and fairly expensive, but new developments continue to create new potential. Over the next decade, biomass can play an important role in this transitional phase towards the large-scale use of solar energy. Over the next few years the use of renewable energy sources, such as biomass and wind energy, will be necessary to improve the security of our energy supplies, and to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

Plants, both on land and in water, bind CO2 in the atmosphere, so using these raw materials contributes just a tiny amount to global CO2 emissions. A small amount of energy is required to cultivate and process these crops, so using green raw materials is not a completely climate-neutral process. Remember too that not all green raw materials are fully sustainable. The green raw materials platform has defined the following as being sustainable:

• Agricultural residues
• Oorganic industrial waste (particularly from the food/fodder industry) 
• Excess agricultural products
• Cultivated crops (provided that cultivation does not damage the biodiversity, and that the local food supply is not threatened).   

At the beginning of 2007 a project group, chaired by Professor Cramer, formulated a number of sustainability criteria for the production and processing of biomass for energy, fuels and chemicals.

No. The Netherlands has set certain sustainability criteria for the use of green raw materials. Each country is studied to ensure that food supplies are maintained, and that the cultivation of energy crops does not damage the biodiversity. Price increases in food crops due to the demand for energy crops are still manageable. Fluctuations in food prices are still largely related to failing harvests and local subsidy regimes. The increasing demand for agricultural products, both for food and energy applications, will lead to an economic value for the agricultural sector, and to extra attention for increasing agricultural efficiency, both for food and energy supplies.

• They contribute to the security of supply, and availability is geographically better. 
• A high contribution to CO2 emission reductions. 
• Green raw materials are renewable, so supplies are unlimited. 
• Various applications are already cheaper than fossil-based alternatives - biomass can already compete (for certain applications) at oil prices as low as 40 dollars per barrel. 
• Green raw materials can be used for all applications where fossil-based raw materials are currently being used: electricity, heat, transport fuels, materials and chemicals. Other alternatives to fossil fuels do not have this advantage.    

Biorefining 
Key technology: splitting the plant into a number of fractions (e.g. proteins, carbohydrates, oil, fibres) that are processed separately into food/animal fodder, chemicals and transport fuels. Those fractions that cannot be upgraded into a high-value product can be converted into electricity and heat. 

White biotechnology 
The use of micro-organisms is becoming ever more popular, particularly for producing chemicals and transport fuels. Biocatalysis (using enzymes) and biosynthesis are good examples of these techniques. These processes generate few residues and take place at low temperatures. 

Thermochemical conversion 
This includes techniques such as torrefraction, gasification, pyrolysis and auxiliary combustion. Biomass gasification creates a synthetic gas that can then be used to produce chemicals and transport fuels. Auxiliary combustion of biomass to generate energy is a good way of using residues that cannot be upgraded for further processing. 

With 1st-generation technologies, food items and crops (such as grain, corn, rapeseed etc.) are converted into products such as bioethanol and biodiesel. However, 2nd-generation technologies also allow residues (such as deciduous plants and stalks) to be used when generating these biofuels.

Of course, 2nd-generation technologies are preferable, although 1st-generation technologies are still useful. As long as sustainable biomass (excess crops, and those that do not damage the biodiversity and food supplies) is used, there is no reason to oppose 1st-generation technologies. The economy and the net CO2 reduction will eventually determine the conditions under which 1st-generation technologies can still be used.

The platform's target is to achieve 30% energy from green raw materials by 2030! By that year, green raw materials will form the basis for:

• 25% of all chemicals 
• 25% of all electricity consumption
• 17% of all heating 
• 60% of all transport fuels    

1. Expand the supply of domestic biomass: 
   - Improve the efficient use of biomass, via high-value processing of residues. 
   - Improve crop harvests and agricultural efficiency, and export this knowledge to other countries. 
   - Develop aquatic biomass: i.e. algae, seaweeds, water plants, biosaline. 
2. Import sustainable biomass: 
   - Define sustainability criteria and gain experience of using these criteria. 
   - Support pilots and demonstration projects in export regions. 
3. Encourage coproduction (biorefining, fermentation and thermochemical conversion): initiate a public-private partnership for the agricultural, chemical and energy sectors, to promote research, demonstrations and investments. 
4. Certify green products (green gas, bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethanol, biomaterials and green chemicals etc.). 
5. Establish a public-private Venture Capital fund for companies that continue to invest in sustainable energy (not starters, but real continuous pioneers). 
6. Encourage a ‘level playing field’ for all forms of energy carriers: 
   - link to, and support, an EU bioenergy policy; 
   - ensure that a coherent energy policy is created, based on CO2 reductions, without unintentional suboptimisation to a single technology or sector (such as MEP subsidies for generating electricity).     

The platform develops a vision of how green raw materials can replace fossil-based raw materials by the year 2030, and helps to focus the transition paths that should lead to the realisation of this vision.

The platform also supports and assists market parties in starting experiments and tasks with respect to green raw materials. It helps to create favourable conditions for experiments: by identifying and removing market obstacles, and advising the government on the necessary policy framework, such as regulations and fiscal incentives.

Finally, the platform follows international developments on green raw materials, and collaborates with leading companies and knowledge institutes in other countries.

The platform focuses on parties that can achieve Energy Transition by working together:

• market parties (large corporations, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises) 
• knowledge institutes 
• governments (national, regional, local) 
• civil society organisations     

The platform organises a variety of meetings and workshops to discuss possible solutions, inform others of progress made, as well as to list bottlenecks and define priorities. 

Meetings and other activities are announced on this website or via 'personal invitations'. You can also contact the platform secretary directly to discuss other possibilities. This is particularly useful if:

• You are an entrepreneur, or you represent a local/regional government or interest group for projects using green raw materials (or you wish to become involved in such a project). 
• You are looking for partners to strengthen or scale up your project 
• You are encountering market obstacles or other problems due to government policy. Perhaps you would like to discuss these obstacles, and possible solutions, with other colleagues in order to define a collective point of view and make recommendations to the government.     

The platform acts as spokesperson, agent, coordinator and facilitator. If you have specific ideas or wish to develop certain activities with respect to green raw materials, please contact us. Together we can discuss the various support possibilities.

However, the platform does not allocate subsidies or promote individual projects. Information on various subsidy schemes is available from SenterNovem. Specific schemes exist for demonstration projects (e.g. UKR or Unique Opportunities Scheme) and long-term energy research projects (EOS scheme). The platform cannot influence the eventual allocation of subsidies – this would be a conflict of interest.

There is also a 'trendsetters desk' (at the Ministry of VROM) that helps entrepreneurs wishing to ask questions or talk about problems concerning permits, regulations and legislation.