BioEnerGIS intends to provide an instrument helping decision makers to plan, on a regional scale, a sustainable exploitation of biomass. A GIS-based decision support system (DSS) will be developed, locating the most suitable sites for biomass plants installation, in terms of energetic, environmental and economic sustainability. Four regional case study areas, representing different environmental and economics zones, have been identified: Lombardia, Walloon, Slovenia and North Ireland.
The general outline of the project embraces four sequential steps:
- GIS-based analysis aimed at mapping, for each study area:
- the biomass potentially exploitable for energetic purposes, with estimation of the overall and the economic potentials as well as the rate of biogenic materials without a well-established market destination;
- the spatial distribution of energy demand from potential final bioenergy users.
- Identification of:
- technological options for the complete energy production chain;
- financial support schemes and business plans.
- Development of a GIS-based DSS aimed at identifying the most suitable sites for the installation of appropriate biomass conversion plants. It combines supply and demand-side data and regional legislation to produce maps regarding the capability for plant localization based on energetic, environmental and economic criteria.
- Dissemination of results to stakeholders in order to increase sustainable biomass utilisation in Europe.
Specific Objectives:
BioEnerGIS project intends to:
- develop GIS-based standard methodologies aimed at mapping, at regional scale:
- the biomass potentially exploitable for energetic purposes;
- the energy demand from potential final bioenergy users.
- identify optimum, reference plant configurations in terms of technological options and financial support schemes.
- produce a GIS-based tool, integrating the supply and demand-side data as well as local legislation, which helps decision makers to choose, in a transparent way and by means of a participated process, the optimal (energetic, environmental and economic sustainability approach) placement and design of the reference biomass plants.
- promote target groups aimed at
- raising the general awareness of biomass potentials;
- stimulating public and private investments in the sector.
Major outputs and results
- Standard methodologies to perform, at regional scales, georeferenced supply and demand-side analysis.
- Case-study areas maps, describing the distribution of:
- biomass potential, in terms of:
- overall gross potential;
- economic potential;
- biogenic material without a well-established market destination.
- Energy consumption and request for bioenergy.
- Territorial suitability for the installation of district heating systems and cogeneration plants.
- biomass potential, in terms of:
- A stand-alone database defining reference plant configurations taking care of all aspects along the energy production chain.
- Definition of the most successful financial schemes for developing the bio-energy business across EU.
- A GIS-based DSS, integrating the supply and demand-side analysis, to optimize (energetic, environmental and economic approach) the localization of the reference plants.
- Promotion of target groups aimed at raising the awareness of biomass potentials and at stimulating investments in the sector.
Contact mark.mcguigan@swc.ac.uk for further information about this project.