BIOMASS NETWORK LOOKS TO MARKET DEVELOPMENT The aim of AFB-NETT - the agriculture and forestry biomass network set up by the European Commission under the ALTENER programme - is to stimulate the commercial and industrial exploitation of biomass energy in Europe. Now in its fourth year of operation, around 500 companies and other organisations have been involved with AFB-NETT to date, and the network’s activities have resulted in an increasing number of links - and sales - between participants. The focus is now very much on continuing to develop new partnerships between the diverse players in Europe’s biomass industry. A wide variety of activities are proposed for the future. These reflect the different needs and priorities of the industry at regional, national and European Union (EU) levels, and include:
- identification of best practice and dissemination to industry
- exploration of business opportunities presented by community-owned biomass schemes
- development of business opportunities in Eastern Europe
- development of a “virtual market place” on AFB-NETT’s Web site (which can be found at http://www.etsu.com/Europ/AFB/contents.htm ).
Workshops, exhibitions and study tours will also continue to form an important part of AFB-NETT’s work. Past examples have included a co-combustion/gasification workshop and study tour in Finland, and two workshops on European wood fuel specifications and emissions standards held last autumn. For more information, contact Andrew Lamb, ETSU, Tel: 01235 433294, Fax: 01235 436585, e-mail: andrew.lamb@aeat.co.uk. |
