Update of the last Task 36 webinar and reports

IEA Bioenergy Task 36, Material and Energy Valorisation of Waste in a Circular Economy seeks to raise public awareness of sustainable energy generation from biomass residues and waste fractions, including MSW as well as to increase technical information dissemination through the publication of reports and webinars on the topics.

IEA Bioenergy Task 36 organizes a series of webinars that focuses on resource and energy recovery from waste, which is critical in the transition from a linear to a circular economy. As outlined in the 3-year work programme, Task 36 seeks to understand what role energy from waste and material recycling can have in a circular economy and identify technical and non-technical barriers and opportunities needed to achieve this vision.

Since the new triennium started in May 2019, Task 36 has organized 5 workshops/webinars. The first and second workshop of this triennium explored opportunities for nutrient recovery, especially nitrogen and phosphorus from waste (Stockholm, May 2019) and technology pathways for energy recovery from waste (Brisbane, November 2019), respectively.

During 2020, three more workshop/webinar have been organized. The first one of this year investigated the potential for a more diverse range of products from processes using waste as a feedstock was organized in June by the members of the US Department of Energy (USDOE) and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) within the framework of IEA Bioenergy Task 36. The workshop included the participation of three keynote speakers and all the participants attending the event had the opportunity to take part in facilitated breakout sessions where they were asked to discuss about specific questions related to the presentations. Click here to access the workshop report.

September was the time for the release of a new and interesting Task 36 report about Trends and Drivers in Alternative Thermal Conversion of waste. With occasion of the launch, IEA Bioenergy and Task 36 organized a webinar where the main results of the report performed by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) were presented.

A webinar about Waste-to-energy fly ash valorisation was organized by SINTEF Energy Research within the framework of IEA Bioenergy Task 36 in autumn this year. During the webinar, seven companies presented their fly ash treatment solutions, all offering (different degrees) of valorisation and/or reuse. The webinar reached 120 participants connected simultaneously. Click here access the webinar report.

IEA Bioenergy Task 36 has participated in an intertask project where a series of case studies illustrating how bioenergy is used in industry to provide high temperature heat. Task 36 and, in particular, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden was responsible for the case study 4 “Waste-to-Energy for the production of steam for paper production” for Åmotfors Energi and Nordic Paper located in Sweden.

Task 36 was also represented at a Bioenergy Australia webinar on the opportunities and possibilities for bio-hydrogen. As the hydrogen opportunity grows in Australia and around the world, the opportunities for the bioenergy sector to participate are growing. Daniel Roberts (Australian Task member) presented an overview of the current and emerging pathways for bio-hydrogen, alongside some insights into the Hazer process (hydrogen from biogas) in a webinar facilitated by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

At this moment, Task 36 is working on a series of case studies that will compile experiences in the field of material and energy valorisation of waste in a circular economy in several countries. More information soon available here on the website.