Biobased Raw Materials Platform

To support increasing prosperity and the rapidly growing world population, more and more energy and raw materials are required. However, the fossil reserves that we have been using for centuries are becoming depleted. Very recent history has shown that political or natural disturbances can have a great impact on price and supply security (e.g. the war in Iraq, hurricane Katrina). Moreover, the use of fossil fuels is a cause of climate change due to CO2 emissions. Searching for sustainable, renewable sources for energy and raw materials is, therefore, crucial to our society.

One possible solution is offered by processes that take place in nature. The sun radiates much more energy onto the Earth than people use. Some of the energy that remains is captured by nature and stored by plants. This is how biobased raw materials are created. Using such biobased raw materials leads to reduced CO2 emissions and reduced dependence on fossil oil as a raw material. Moreover, biobased raw materials provide opportunities for new economic activities in the Netherlands. The Dutch agricultural and chemical industries, which are already internationally renowned, can take full advantage of their strengths in the area of biobased raw materials.

The Platform for Biobased Raw Materials aims to replace 30% of the raw materials in the total energy supply of the Netherlands with biobased raw materials by the year 2030. During this process, the Platform assumes that the energy use in 2030 will be equal to that in 2000: 3000 PJ. In other words, energy savings are crucial to our vision. In addition, the Platform for Biobased Raw Materials assumes that most (60% to 80%) of the required biomass will have to be imported because not enough will be available in the Netherlands from waste and domestic production to meet the demand of 1000 PJ. The target year of 2030 has been chosen deliberately. This year is far enough in the future to allow the full range of the possibilities and potential of biobased raw materials to emerge, but it is also close enough to allow us to make deliberate choices in transition paths and to begin the implementation of biobased raw materials.

The use of biobased raw materials can be divided into four areas of application. The Platform believes that the intended replacement of 30% of fossil fuels by biobased raw materials in 2030 will take place in the following areas of application: 

• 60% bio-fuels 
• 25% chemicals/materials/products 
• 25% electricity
• 17% heat