A Canadian delegation took part in the 19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition organising multiple activities for the promotion of business to business relationships and cooperation among Canadian biomass and bioenergy producers and European organisations and investors.
On 6 June, a trade mission organised by Douglas Bradley, President of the Canadian Bioenergy Association, brought 10 Canadian executives with a multitude of lucrative bioenergy projects looking for investment partnerships to a special business-to-business session.
Projects offered ran from small to large scale including biorefineries from canola seeds, pyrolysis oil and char from wood residues, a technology that produces densified, energy-rich wood pellets and biodiesel under the same roof, and a uniquely efficient torrefaction process. Also participating was the Forest Products Association of Canada looking for partners to participate in transforming the forest sector from traditional commodity products into biorefineries. Furthermore a “bio-trade equity fund” was proposed that would invest not only in biomass conversion plants worldwide, but also in associated supply chains such as shipping port loading and storage facilities, thereby reducing the risk of investing in any one component in the system, and making long distance biomass transportation more competitive. This fund would be an ideal mechanism to enable large quantities of biomass imports to Europe to promote achieving renewable energy targets.
To complete the mission the Canadian Embassy in Berlin sponsored a Canada Biomass Business Breakfast on June 7, to promote Canada as an investment destination, and in order to provide further networking opportunities. Speakers included Thomas Marr and Hendrik Taulin of the Canadian Embassy, Isabelle Des Chênes of the Forest Products Association of Canada, Gordon Murray, Executive Director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, and Douglas Bradley, President of the Canadian Bioenergy Association. The session presented various aspects of the current and future use of the country’s abundant biomass resources to an audience of about 60 international companies and research organisations. Canada has currently 150 million hectares certified for biomass, the largest area in the world, next to that the sector has committed itself to increase traceability and to achieve carbon neutrality in 2015 while at the same time filling gaps in protected areas’ networks. The Canadian mission rose awareness for the variety of business, innovation and investment opportunities in Canada’s Biomass sector and look forward to developing partnerships between Europe and Canada
Event Background of the EU BC&E
For over 30 years, the European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (European BC&E) has combined a very renowned international Scientific Conference with an Industry Exhibition. Since 2007 the Conference and Exhibition takes place every year. The European BC&E is held at different venues throughout Europe and ranks on top of the world’s leading events in the Biomass sector.
This event is supported by European and international organizations such as the European Commission, BMU the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Natural Sciences Sector, WCRE – the World Council for Renewable Energy, EUBIA – the European Biomass Industry Association, the German biomass energy use programme and other organisations. The Conference is co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety based on an act of the German Parliament in the framework of the National Climate Initiative.
The 19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition is organised by WIP-Renewable Energies with the international support of ETA-Florence Renewable Energies and the scientific support of the European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre.
ETA-Florence Renewable Energies
Catherina Bernaschina, Email: [email protected]
