The project aims to increase the share of biomass in local energy production. The main focus is therefore on informing and raising awareness about the potential of bio-energy. Local networks will be established involving a wide range of relevant actors and linked up in a North Sea region wide network. The regional focal points will carry out two joint marketing campaigns. To reach out to possible producers and consumers as efficiently as possible will RES (renewable energy sources) implementers be recruited among SMEs and farmers. They will receive training and their activities will be coordinated trans-nationally. Some partners will also identify sites for new small-scale district heating plans and prepare plans for their implementation. An important transnational feature of the project is the development of a virtual market place for bio-energy trade. A first version will be launched by the end of the project.

The project aims to increase the share of biomass in local energy production. The main focus is therefore on informing and raising awareness about the potential of bio-energy. Local networks will be established involving a wide range of relevant actors and linked up in a North Sea region wide network. The regional focal points will carry out two joint marketing campaigns. To reach out to possible producers and consumers as efficiently as possible will RES (renewable energy sources) implementers be recruited among SMEs and farmers. They will receive training and their activities will be coordinated trans-nationally. Some partners will also identify sites for new small-scale district heating plans and prepare plans for their implementation. An important transnational feature of the project is the development of a virtual market place for bio-energy trade. A first version will be launched by the end of the project.

Expected Outcomes

1) A full scale demonstration of technology, done by planning and carrying through of bio-energy plants in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway and the UK. The objective is that the plans do not consist only of technical, engineering and financial parts but include also studies on transport issues, environmental impacts and effects on creation of jobs. 2) A Virtual Market Place for Bio-Energy is developed. 3) A targeted disseminating scope will comprise brochures, PC presentations (CD and DVD media), internet web site, as well as press releases and individual letters.

Activities

The activities of the project are organised in six work packages where project management is one. In WP 2, identification and implementation of local projects, examples of best practice regarding technique, management of fuel, efficiency etc, will be identified and documented in each country. Parallel to this, sites for new small-scale district heating plants and other bio-energy establishments are identified. WP3-work will include the establishment of local net-works (one per country involved in the project) and focal points that will continue the work after the end of the proposed project. One of the tasks of the focal points will be to plan, organise and carry out two marketing campaigns in each of the participation regions. Also, RES implementers will be recruited and trained and appointed as information officers. Their activities will be co-ordinated, supervised and evaluated. In WP4, the Virtual Market Place for Bio-Energy is developed. By interviews and by examining existing websites for trade, a description of the requirements on the marketplace is made. A prototype of the website is developed in cooperation with an external ICT consultant and tested at several stages. In WP5, internal evaluation is based, and in WP6, the dissemination of results is planned and carried out.

Reported Outcomes

The ProBioEnergy project aims at replacing fossil fuels with the use of local and regional biomass and thus increasing the share of renewable energy. Furthermore, campaigns and study-circles will raise the awareness of using renewable energy sources. Dissemination of best practice, new bio-energy plants for small scale district heating and a Virtual Market Place for bio-energy will be the practical outcome of this project. ProBioEnergy work on renewable energy sources, which reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the NSR. Positive results are already visible through the ProBioEnergy?s pilots focussing on implementing alternative heating systems. At a swimming pool premises in Silkeborg (DK), a supplementary reliable and profitable heating system based on biomass has been installed to minimize the dependability of the existing CHP (combined heat and power). As a result of this installation, the swimming pool could reduce annual CO2 emissions by approximately 70 tonnes. Close contact has been established to the Interreg IIIB project NSBE. Both projects benefit by exchanging experience and looking for joint dissemination campaigns. One of the activities of ProBioEnergy is to develop a virtual market place for biomass trading. In co-operation with NSBE, the ProBioEnergy project is responsible for the development of the virtual market place for biomass trading. The implementation of the Virtual Market Place will follow in the second half of 2006 (in conjunction with the NSBE project). The Final Conference will be held 4-5 December 2006.