Food-processing residues to be utilized as biofuel

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development closed the process of applying for the selection of a consultant to conduct a study that will be aimed to identify the potential for investments in food and beverage manufacturing industry in the Western Balkans. The selected consultant is expected to review the type and volume of the major residues generated in the food-processing sectors, their current prevailing uses and the relevant commercial and regulatory drivers in place in the region. The selected firm should analyze all the most significant possible uses of the residues beyond those currently in place, such as conversion into biofuels, production of insulation materials, or fertilizers before and after anaerobic digestion, or bioplastics, or other intermediate products suitable for use as feedstock in other sectors. Some case studies related to selected companies should be developed, EBRD said.

The assignment is expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year and has an estimated overall duration of four months. Cost estimate is EUR 150,000, exclusive of value-added tax. The funding source is the Central European Initiative (CEI) fund.

Eligibility for assignments in CEI member countries is restricted to individual consultants of Italian nationality, and consultancy firms registered in Italy using their employees of any nationality and non-employees of Italian nationality. These firms can, however, subcontract, associate with or hire external experts or consulting firms from other CEI member countries: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Ukraine up to a maximum of 30% of the individual contract amount.