How to improve the performance of biomass supply chains from energy crops in Europe? An overview of the Logist’EC project
Résumé
Cost-efficient, environmental-friendly and socially sustainable biomass supply chains are urgently needed to achieve the 2020 and 2030 targets of the European Union. Innovative techniques for crop management, biomass harvesting and pre-treatment, storage and transport offer a prime avenue to increase biomass supply while keeping costs down and minimizing adverse environmental impacts. The LogistEC project funded by the European Commission aimed at developing new or improved technologies for all steps of the logistics chains, and to assess their sustainability at supply-area level for small to large-scale biobased projects. It encompassed all types of lignocellulosic crops: annual and pluri-annual crops, perennial grasses, and short-rotation coppice, and included pilot- to industrial-scale demonstrations. This communication reviews the main results obtained during the project, along the different steps of biomass supply chains. Integration of these innovations into supply chains increased their environmental performance by up to 20%.