The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA AISBL) is a non-profit Association that contributes to the coordination of a massive public research effort to develop more efficient and cheaper low carbon energy technologies.

EERA is the public research pillar of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). This tightly focused SET-Plan aims at accelerating the development and market uptake of key low carbon technologies. EERA contributes through its Joint Programmes to make sure that the billions of euros invested in low carbon technologies each year are spent on the best possible solutions available.

One of those 17 Joint Programmes is the EERA Bioenergy Joint Programme that was established in 2011. In a Joint Programme, a research organisation joins institutions in other European countries to work on shared priority setting and research projects. The EERA Joint Programmes are aligned with the research priorities defined in the SET-Plan to achieve an efficient and low carbon energy in the EU. The aim of the EERA Joint Programmes is to gradually evolve into fully operational virtual research institutes.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

EERA Bioenergy Joint Programme addresses the challenges of the European energy and environment policies from a research and innovation perspective. The main European universities, research alliances, technology centers, scientific agencies, institutes and associations involved in R&D&I in bioenergy and bioeconomy are part of EERA Bioenergy.

EERA Bioenergy promotes international co-operation to accelerate the SET-Plan priorities and actions to contribute to the decarbonisation of the energy sector, by assessing R&D&I priorities to accelerate the implementation of biomass technologies in Europe. Bioenergy in all its forms (power, heat and biofuels) is an essential component of the existing and future low-carbon technologies mix in all climate-change mitigation scenarios.

EERA Bioenergy supports the Innovation Challenges (ICs) which were endorsed at the United Nations Conference of Parties in Morocco (COP22), in particular IC4 (Sustainable Biofuels), IC7 (Affordable Heating and Cooling of Buildings), IC3 (Carbon Capture) and IC8 (Renewable and Clean Hydrogen). Biopower, bioheat and biofuels are able to provide significant benefits in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy security and creating new opportunities for clean economic growth.