BioRES – Sustainable Regional Supply Chains for Woody Bioenergy is a project of 30 months which started in January 2015, financed by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation fund. In the first year of implementation, four steering comities were organized in Freising, Germany; Joensuu, Finland; Novi Sad, Serbia; and Graz, Austria. Activities consisted of the analysis of European biomass logistic and trade centres (BLTCs) with best practice, the analysis of certification and standardization framework and preselection of priority locations for BLTCs in Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria including the analysis of local potentials, and an interview survey with local and national stakeholders, says Vojislav Milijić, president of Serbian National Biomass Association – SERBIO. Based on the analysis and survey results, 15 locations in Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia were defined as priority for the establishment of BLTCs. In the next phase, a series of workshops and meetings with interested parties at priority locations were organized, resulting in formation of local consortiums and letters of intent signed by parties interested in development of BLTCs. Next year, for each of the locations where a local consortium is defined, feasibility studies for BLTCs’ development will be prepared by international and national experts from partner organizations.
Most important event organized in frame of BioRES project in 2015 was the study tour with training of trainers. Over 40 representatives of companies, state and local administration and selected trainers participated in the study tour (from November 30 to December 4), visiting BLTCs of Nazarje, Slovenia; Leoben, Austria; and Achental and Algau, Bavaria. A workshop was organized at the GIZ International Training Centre at Feldafing in Bavaria on the last day of the tour.
In 2016 the BioRES project will focus on the facilitation of development of BLTCs with local consortiums in concrete locations, training and consumer info and awareness raising, Milijić said.
Workshops have been held in November in the towns of Priboj and Zrenjanin, covering the topic of sustainable biomass use and supply chains. BioRES gathered local inhabitants and representatives of entities interested in processing and use of woody biomass. A special accent at the event in Priboj was given to legal and technical frames, while the workshop in Zrenjanin included a presentation on energy plantations.
