Ökoachse- Biomass is more valuable than you think
The project Ökoachse was initiated by the European Centre for Renewable Energy Guessing Ltd. and Körmend Micro-regional Association, both holding almost twenty years of experience in regional cooperation. The partners built regional management structures for the optimal use of existing resources in the cross-border region, analysed the possibility of energy recovery of sewage sludge and the biomass available in the newly designed resource collection system through innovative technologies in the project regions. The project aims to show the thus far veiled added value of these materials.
What is biomass, and why is it so important?
Biomass is a renewable energy source from living or recently living plant and animal materials. It can be found not only in the ground but also in the water, and has a huge potential in energy production, therefore it can mitigate energy dependence and contributes to a more sustainable future. Did you know that more than half of distance heating can be covered by renewable sources? Surprisingly, this powerful material is not well channelled into production, and collecting, storing and handling it is still unsolved in many cases. Ökoachse managed to map possibilities in the programme region to utilize these forgotten materials in the best possible ways within cross-border cooperation.
Challenges and strategic solutions
Channelling biomass into the energy supply chain is of utmost importance, but also really challenging due to price, weather and quality differences, and an unsatisfying information flow between parties, to mention only a few.
Although the project region’s energy plants can mostly use forestry waste, the project took measures for better and broader utilization of various forms of energy producing biomass. Thanks to Ökoachse, the project partners found out that neighbouring regional systems could be connected to each other via a common raw material and waste collecting system with a close cooperation with regional self-governments, and citizens, to synchronize biogenic energy sources on both sides of the border. To better understand the work done, and as one of the main results of the project, the Energy Strategy is already available in German and Hungarian.
Commodity exchange
The online commodity exchange is an initiative of the Ökoachse project. This platform was created primarily for the cross-border project region ökoEnergieland (Austria, Southern Burgenland) and the subregion Körmend (Hungary, Vas County) to support the structured supply of existing power generation plants in the project region and provide a platform for individuals and companies in the project region who wish to sell their forestry and agricultural raw materials and residues.
For more information on the project, please visit the project website:
Energy Strategy in German and Hungarian