Bio-based chemicals and/or materials from woody residues

Expected Outcome:Successful proposals will contribute to the EU Forest Strategy for 2030, the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Carbon Removal Certification Framework Regulation, the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the upcoming Circular Economy Act.Projects’ results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:Increased availability of bio-based chemicals and/or bio-based materials from woody residues.Increased sustainability of forest-based value chains in cooperation with local forestry owners/cooperatives.Improved end-of-life (EoL) of bio-based products from woody residues. Scope:Besides thin branches, leaves and needles, which are usually left on the soil to maintain the long-term viability of the forest and soil in good condition, forestry and forest industry operations generate large amounts of woody residues which are typically used for energy or low value applications. Established process technologies for round wood and wood chips are not well suited for other streams from the forest industry which are abundantly available at production sites and could be exploited as a source of feedstock for the bio-based industries. Thus, there is the need to demonstrate techno-economic feasibility of innovative valorisation pathways to increase the value which can be derived from residues from the wood and forest-based industries while also improving sustainability compared to state-of the art valorisation routes.Proposals under this topic should:Demonstrate (TRL 6 and above) innovative technologies to obtain bio-based chemicals and/or materials from woody residues. Feedstock in scope includes woody residues generated at forestry and/or at industrial processing sites, including, but not limited to, bark, sawdust or residues from wood harvesting and processing. Demonstration should cover the optimal combination of innovative and scalable technologies aimed at maximising yield, selectivity and productivity across upstream pretreatment/fractionation, fu