GIS-based decision support system aimed at a sustainable energetic exploitation of biomass at regional level Contract number: IEE/07/638/SI Project duration: from 01/11/2008 to 31/10/2011

Project Summary Objective: BioEnerGIS aimed at enhancing the integrated planning of bioenergies, in order to meet EU target for the development of renewables and reduction of GHG emissions and at increasing the awareness of public and private actors about biomass potential and bio-business opportunities How?  Assessing biomass resources and heat demand in the four case study areas  Developing a web GIS-based Decision Support System, BIOPOLE, combining biomass supply and heat demand, regional legislation, technological options, social acceptability and economical facts in order to identify the optimal localization of new biomass plants feeding district heating systems  Promoting the establishment, at regional level, of agreements between public and private key- actors with the aim of achieving major increases in sustainable bio-energy supply Target groups: Public decision makers (at national, regional and local level) and private key-actors involved in all bio-energy chains Where? The overall approach and system have been tested in four regional case study areas: Lombardy (Italy), Northern Ireland (UK), Slovenia and Wallonia (Belgium).

Background European target on renewables requires to increase the energy use of biomass, a rise of the energy use of biomass provides significant opportunities for Europe to reduce GHGs emissions and to diversify and secure energy supply, and it might help in promoting new economic perspective for rural regions but there is no sufficient knowledge about the potential energy use of biomass resources Lombardy, Northern Ireland, Slovenia and Wallonia are far away from their RES targets and a strong rise in the use of biomass is expected for each of them, a not well assessment of the potential increase in bio-energy production could bear the risk of additional environmental pressures on biodiversity and soil and water resources. thus aimed at helping a full acknowledgment of biomass potentials and to contribute to an overall view integrating dedicated supply and demand-side data as well as technological and economic aspects and local legislation identifying the most suitable sites (thorugh an energy, environmental and economic approach) for the installation of appropriate biomass conversion plants involving local key-actors in regional networks and increasing the social acceptance of biomass power plants.

Objectives and main steps Specific knowledge of local case study areas Dissemination of results Common dissemination activities Metadata about repeatability/extension of BioEnerGIS Project at EU level Handbook on GIS-based tool Guideline on DSS Development of a GIS-based decision support system to define biomass plant localization suitability Assessment of the heat demand (demand-side) Identification of plants configuration with regard to available biomass and heat demand Support for public and private partnership in order to finalize specific agreements Assessment of the exploitable biomass potential (supply side) Project management

Outputs and lessons learnt Biomass and heat demand assessments BioEnerGIS mapped in Lombardy (IT), Northern Ireland (UK), Slovenia, Wallonia (BE): the biomass potentially exploitable for energy purpose and the heat demand potentially fulfilled through district heating systems. It is quite difficult to have a common specific methodology if aiming at detailed results, but a good compromise between top-down and bottom-up approach can be found, even if data are largely different for source type, geographical resolution and technical details. GIS-based Decision Support System Combining the heat demand and biomass potential assessments with the technological options, the regulatory framework and the sustainability criteria identified during the interaction with the stakeholders, a web GIS-based DSS – BIOPOLE – was developed to optimize the localization of biomass power plants. The chance to personalize the processing solutions makes BIOPOLE suitable for different regions and situations.

Outputs and lessons learnt Strategic Agreements Local agreements between public and private stakeholders were signed: 3 in Lombardy (municipalities and mountain communities) 1 in Northern Ireland (public sector) 2 in Slovenia (private biomass suppliers) Way and schedule for involving the stakeholders strongly depend from the local background and from the development of the action. Dissemination Workshops, seminars, newsletters disseminated the Project results at local and European level. Outputs of the Project are taken in consideration in planning activities and documents by local public stakeholders. The Project aroused a strong interest at local, regional and national level about BIOPOLE, whose simple functioning and clear responses make it easy to replicate and to update. Plants characterization BioEnerGIS also investigated technical and economical data of operating biomass plants and explored on the one hand the possible finance or laws instruments in order to encourage a shared action programme and on the other hand the non- technological barriers. The factsheets on existing plants showed in BIOPOLE help the stakeholders to have “shining examples” of the feasible new biomass plants.

Partners & Contacts Coordinator: CESTEC S.p.A. Via Restelli 5/A Milano (Italy) - tel Alessandro Chiesa - South West College (United Kingdom) Partners: Regione Lombardia (Italy) Bioenergy GmbH (Austria) Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Centro Ricerche per l’Ambiente e lo Sviluppo sostenibile della Lombardia (Italy) Slovenian Business & Research Association (Belgium) Centre Wallon de Rechearches Agronomiques (Belgium) Finlombarda S.p.A. (Italy)