Brussels grants a 199 million euros subsidy to Dutch biomass refinery initiative

European NER300 program provides financial resources for large-scale innovative renewable energy projects

Today, a consortium consisting of BioMCN, Siemens, Linde, and Visser & Smit Hanab1), received 199 million euros in NER3002) grants. With these funds, a large-scale biomass refinery will be constructed.

This initiative, also known as the Woodspirit project, will make a significant contribution to the availability of sustainable and advanced biofuels, and to the biobased economy in the Netherlands.

“We are proud and delighted that the European Commission has allocated funding to this project. These grants clearly demonstrate the EC’s support for the availability of more sustainable biofuels and renewable chemical materials. This project will have an important positive impact on the reduction of CO2 emissions and on meeting the 2020 climate objectives”, says Rob Voncken, CEO of BioMCN.

In the framework of the European NER300 program, the Woodspirit partnership submitted a grant application to the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs on February 9th 2011. The European NER300 program provides financial resources for large-scale innovative renewable energy projects.

Woodspirit delivers a significant contribution to the development of biofuels,” says minister Kamp of Economic Affairs. “Moreover, the partnership will boost economic activity in the North of the Netherlands.”

About Woodspirit
The refinery produces biobased chemicals and biofuels from biomass that consists of residues from the forestry and the wood processing industries.
After a process of desiccation, reduction and torrefaction, the biomass is fed into a gasification plant. Here the biomass is converted into raw synthesis gas, better known as syngas. After cleaning the syngas is converted into biomethanol.

The construction of this project will provide a major boost to the economic development in the northeast part of the Province of Groningen and is supported by various parties, including the Province of Groningen, N.V. NOM, Stichting Energy Valley, N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and Groningen Seaports.

With the awarding of the subsidy the development of the Woodspirit installation can continue and the licensing and decision-making process can be finalised. The subsidy will allow the consortium to further refine and shape agreements regarding the total estimated investment of 500 million Euros. The project will take approximately four years to complete.

Contact
Edelman
Maarten Simons/Arjan Beerman
Tel.: 020 – 30 10 980
E-Mail: Maarten.simons@edelman.com
E-Mail: Arjan.beerman@edelman.com

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1) Visser & Smit Hanab is part of VolkerWessels

2) NER300 is a financing instrument managed jointly by the European Commission, European Investment Bank and Member States, so-called because Article 10(a) 8 of the revised Emissions Trading Directive 2009/29/EC contains the provision to set aside 300 million allowances (rights to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide) in the New Entrants’ Reserve of the European Emissions Trading Scheme for subsidising installations of innovative renewable energy technology and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The allowances will be sold on the carbon market and the money raised will be made available to projects as they operate.

Source

BioMCN, press release, 2012-12-18.

Supplier

BioMCN
European Commission
Linde Group
Siemens AG
VolkerWessels

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