POTENTIALS FOR BIOENERGY FROM FOOD WASTE

A study being commissioned by Nordic Energy Research will look at food waste as a source for bioenergy, with a focus on transport fuels. The forthcoming report, due in February next year, will map the current usage of food spill and waste as bioenergy as well as the potential for using it as transport fuel.

Improve waste handling

The study builds on the objectives in the Nordic countries’ climate policies, i.e. increasing the use of renewable energy and improving the handling of waste. It also builds on the principles of waste hierarchy, i.e. primarily to prevent, reuse and recycle waste, and secondary to improve the utilization of food waste for energy.

Potential for transport fuel

The study will give an overview of waste resources in the Nordics and the available technologies for converting food waste into energy:

a) How much food spill and waste is currently generated in the Nordic countries, and how it is currently utilized?
b) What are the possible waste sources and technology routes to increase the utilization of food waste as energy? – Focus on transport fuels.

Further, the study will reveal what the main contributors and barriers are for increasing the use of food waste as an energy source.

Nordic collaboration on policy and industrial development

Will the Nordic countries increase the use of food waste for production of transport fuel? Under what conditions? And if so, how can Nordic collaboration contribute to the process? The study will provide a basis for decision-making by politicians and industry parties.

The project was initiated by parliament members via the Nordic Council and is financed by The Nordic Council of Ministers. There will be a one day workshop in January 2018, with presentation and discussion of the preliminary findings from the study.

For more information contact Torill Meistad at Torill.Meistad@nordicenergy.org