The University of Kassel developed a technology to produce bioenergy (electricity and solid fuel) from extensive grasslands which has been successfully demonstrated in the PROGRASS project.

The newly developed and introduced IFBB technology (Integrated generation of Solid Fuel and Biogas from Biomass) allows the exploitation of biomass from landscape management and abandoned or extensively used areas like e.g. floodplains from rivers.

This biomass has a low feeding value and is less suitable for the energetic conversion with conventional technologies due to high contents of lignin and minerals. The consequence would be increased risks of oven damage in combustion processes and increased noxious gas emissions, whilst mehane production would be, at the same time, drastically reduced. The IFBB process reduces minerals and, by this, increases solid fuel quality.

In DANUBENERGY the operation/investigation of pilot plants will take place on two functional levels:

 i) mobile demonstration pilot plant and

ii) large scale sedentary pilot plant at Baden-Baden.

The mobile plant demonstrates the technology in every region of DANUBENERGY, examines region with locally specific biomass. The sedentary plant is a part of the upscale strategy and enables the production of large amounts of solid fuel.

Specific aims are:

• Optimisation of the technical components of the plants for a more effective energy and solid fuel production;
• Proof of suitability for biomasses from landscape management at the partner sites for IFBB process by chemical analysis;
• Assessment of solid fuel quality from the sedentary plant through precise combustion tests in commercial ovens;
• Site-specific studies on production potential and market for IFBB solid fuels;
• Economic calculations and demonstration events for regional stakeholders and target groups of the whole production chain;
• Preparation of large-scale investments in the partner regions and other CE areas.