Project details

Mittelhessen Bioenergy Region’ development concept


With the ‘Bio-energy Regions’ competition tendered in 2008, the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) promotes networks which have developed innovative concepts. Within the framework of the two-tier competition procedure, the IfLS successfully initiated and monitored the elaboration of a development concept for the ‘Mittelhessen Bio-energy Region’. The latter encompasses the LEADER regions of ‘GießenerLand’ and ‘Vogelsberg Volcano’, which are cooperating with the Mittelhessen Climate Protection and Energy Agency (Klimaschutz- und Energieagentur Mittelhessen – KEM).

The development concept was elaborated in cooperation with the KEM as the central partner within the network. Under the heading ‘Alliance cluster Mittelhessen Bio-energy Region: Realising sustainable potentials together with partners – Care and maintenance of natural and cultural landscape’, concrete objectives and measures for the expansion of bio-energy use until 2015 were formulated. The development concept aims at establishing well-functioning networks and implementation projects contributing to the valorisation of the biomass potentials existing. Especially the use of wood and lop is to be increased and established in the long term by expanding value added chains. The concept is to be realised in three steps:

  • Networking and raising acceptance
  • R&D, technology transfer, qualification and knowledge transfer
  • Expansion of existing and establishment of new value added chains

A concept of pilot character

Another purpose of the concept is to halt agricultural structural change and the related loss of grassland: An area-wide use of lop from landscape care and grassland cultivation for energy generation is the central project realised within the ‘Mittelhessen Bio-energy Region’ alliance cluster. This is to be achieved by testing and establishing suitable processing methods, such as pelletising lop. Thus, the project can serve as a pilot venture for German regions similarly structured. Sustainable land use is to contribute to the maintenance of natural and cultural landscape, to the creation of jobs, and to an increased regional value added.

The cooperating alliance of the two LEADER regions with the KEM under involvement of the City of Gießen, regional business companies as well as a manifold research and consulting landscape bundles the activities related to the generation and use of biomass energy. The alliance ensures optimum framework conditions for completing and advancing regional value added chains in the field of bio-energy.

In March 2009 the ‘Mittelhessen Bio-energy Region’ was chosen as one of 25 winning regions in the two-tier competition procedure. In total, there had been 210 regions applying. Starting in June 2009, over a period of three years Mittelhessen receives funds of up to 400,000 € from the BMELV for the realisation of the development concept described above.

Project no.: 

074

Categories: 

Conception | Klimawandel und Erneuerbare Energien |

Client: 

Mittelhessen Climate Protection and Energy Agency (Klimaschutz- und Energieagentur Mittelhessen – KEM)

Executing Organization: 

Institut für Ländliche Strukturforschung e.V.

Duration: 

2008

Contact person/s at IfLS: 

Dr. Ulrich Gehrlein