Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with eight other organizations including Serbian National Biomass Association (SERBIO) started a BioRES – Sustainable regional supply chain for woody bioenergy project which supports establishment of regional models for wood biomass supply in Croatia, Bulgaria and Serbia.

Goal of the project is to establish and strengthen wood biomass supply chains in mentioned countries with introduction of innovative Biomass Logistic and Trade Centers (BLTC) concept. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

BLTC functions like intermediary between participants in wood biomass supply chain, in between supply and demand, and can be regionally or locally organized, with optimal logistics for different biomass based fuels of standardized quality. BLTC existence overcomes market barriers and reduces start up financial risks in wood biomass utilization. BioRES project plan is to support establishment of 6-8 BLTCs in Croatia, Bulgaria and Serbia, until June 2017.

Professional and technical support in project implementation in BLTCs feasibility studies and business plans and biomass market development is provided by: European Biomass Association (AEBIOM), Austrian Landeskammer für Land und Forstwirtschaft in Steiermark (LWK Steiermark), German Centrales Agrar-Rohstoff Marketing-und Energie-Netzwerk e.V. (CARMEN), Finnish Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke), Slovenia Energy Agency of Savinjska, Šaleška and Koroška Region (KSSENA). Partner organizations that will work on establishment of BLTCs in the beneficiary countries are: North-west Croatia Regional Energy Agency (REGEA), Bulgarian National Biomass Association (BGBIOM) and Serbian National Biomass Association (SERBIO).

Project officially started on January 1, 2015, and Kick off Steering Committee of the Project with representatives of all partners involved was held on February 5-6 in Freising, Germany.