EUBCE side event: Biomass residue valorisation in the Global South | 2026

Background

As demand for biomass increases globally, industries turn to the regions where it is most available for instance countries in the Global South. Whilst the potential from biomass residues in regions of the Global South is large and remains unutilized, there is also a large number of households that rely on biomass in the form of wood or charcoal for cooking and heating purposes which in turn has detrimental effects on health and landscapes. At the same time in these regions, agricultural soils are  subject to unfertilisation which deprives soils of the necessary crop nutrients and soil organic matter further impacting crop yields.

Biomass Research and Platform Renewable Fuels joined forces to organise two sessions to address these topics in the context of the European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE). Speakers were invited to share their insights on the link between the use of biomass residues and the circular economy and regenerative agriculture in regions of Africa, South America and Asia. Speakers presented several examples cases linked to the valorisation of biomass residue streams into energy and soil amendments.

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You can find the presentation from the speakers below:

Session 1: Linking circular bioeconomy to regenerative agriculture: integrating energy and food in Africa

• Valorisation of organic fertilisers for energy and food in the African Biodigester Component - Dennis Barbian, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
• Valorisationof biowaste in Southern Ethiopia for the production of biogas and biobriquettes and its environmental impact - Lu Feng, NIBIO
• How to mobilise palm oil residues for energy and biobased applications: examplesfrom Latin America and Asia - Wolter Elbersen, WUR
• Biochar in climate-smart agriculture: Large-scale implementation in Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia - Gerard Cornelissen, NIBIO and NMBU
• Generating biochar from biomass residues: impacts on compost, soil and plant - Keiji Jindo, Wageningen University and Research

Session 2: Realising the bioenergy potential through innovative strategies for market deployment in the Global South

• Untapped benefits: biogas and organic fertiliser potential in the Global South - Hans Langeveld, Biomass Research
• From Waste To Value: Ghana’s Journey Towards a Circular Future - Tim Bauer, TU Delft
• Europe – Brazil collaboration program on integrated syngas and power-to-X production - Berend Vreugdenhil, TNO
• Hydrothermal Liquefaction as a Pathway to Renewable Fuels: Insights from Guatemala and Namibia - Luis Cutz, TU Delft
• Investments in Global South value chains - Frank Mischler, PtX Hub