Website: www.viewls.org

Introduction

Achieving clear views on information and future perspectives of biofuels for transportation is the key drive of VIEWLS. This project aims at assisting policy makers, NGO's and industrial decision makers in the selection of optimal pathways for the development and market introduction of biofuels in Europe.

Objectives

The main objective of this project is to assist policy makers and industrial organisations in identifying the possibilities and strategies towards large scale sustainable production, use and trade of biofuels for the transport sector in and from Central and Eastern European countries. The project's objectives are:

• to create better understanding among European stakeholders on the economic and environmental performance of biofuels, <.i> to have a better understanding of the biomass production potentials in Western and Eastern Europe,
• to identify for Europe promising international trading chains for biofuel, and to understand the (socio)-economic impacts for the agricultural, industrial and transport sectors in Europe. By an integral analysis the projects aims at providing a sound information basis for the European Commission ánd industrial and other stakeholders for future decision making, policy formulation and information dissemination activities in order to facilitate a successful introduction of biofuels in the European energy system.

Challenges for biofuels for the transport sector

Given the plans of the European Commission for a 20% market share of alternative transport fuels (biofuels, natural gas and hydrogen) by the year 2020, it is clear that biofuels will have to contribute significantly to reach this target. In fact, biofuels are expected to play a dominant role already at the short term. A contribution of 2% in 2005 is envisaged, growing to 5,75% in 2010, requiring a significant increase in production and consumption levels. How ambitious the targets are, is illustrated by the production level of biofuels in Europe in 2000: the contribution of biofuels in the total mix of transportation fuels was approx. 0,3%! As investments for new production plants are about to be taken, new Member States are about to enter at the eastern border of the European Union, and the greenhouse gas problem still to be tackled, this is the time to make the right decisions for pathways to stimulate the introduction of biofuels. This project aims at assisting policy makers, NGOs and industrial decision makers in the selection of the most optimal pathways for the development and market introduction of biofuels. The project will do this by:

• Making clear which environmental and economic performance parameters of biofuels are vital for high quality decision-making for the promotion of biofuels, also in the light of socio-cultural aspects;
• Making clear what biofuel production potentials in the EU are and which data are needed for future assessment of these potentials;
• Making clear how biofuels can be introduced or produced sustainably and which opportunities inter-European trade of biofuels offers;
• Making clear how different national circumstances in EU Member States can be 'used' to achieve the biofuels targets at lowest risks and costs to society.

Interaction and information exchange

The project will be realised in close collaboration with, and with regular feedback to the relevant stakeholders (industry, consumer representatives, environmental bodies, local and national authorities). Stakeholders are invited to participate in the project, according to the following levels of (free of charge) 'membership': Throughout the course of the project we will continually disseminate information to stakeholders we know. If you want, you can receive a newsletter telling you about new developments and publications. We will also organise workshops, to which you will be invited. Stakeholders can participate in the project at one of the following 'membership' levels:

• 'VIP membership': VIPs (VIEWLS Interested Persons) are people who are interested in information on the VIEWLS project. They receive the VIEWLS newsletter and invitations to workshops. Occasionally they will be asked to fill out a questionnaire. This type of membership keeps you up to date with the latest developments concerning biofuels for the transport sector.
• 'Diamond VIP membership': This membership includes the VIP membership and extra's. It requires a more active contribution, e.g. more frequent invitations to fill out questionnaires, providing input (ideas and topics during workshop preparation) etc. Furthermore, Diamond VIP member are enabled to comment on "near to publication" draft documents, thus directly contributing to the project's outcomes. You will also receive electronic PDF documents that are ready for publication.

Please indicate your interest in participation by sending an email to viewls@novem.nl. Any other question or remark can also be directed to this e-mail address.

Project organisation and participants

The project's organisation consists of nineteen project partners from government-supporting organisations, intermediate organisations and scientific institutes from all over Europe and North America. This mixture ensures that different views regarding process and content are taken into account.

The project participants are Novem, the Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment [the Netherlands], that acts as project co-ordinator and operates as Work Package Leader. ECN, the Netherlands Energy Research Center [the Netherlands], The Copernicus Institute of the University of Utrecht [the Netherlands] and JR, the Joanneum Research Institute [Austria] are also Work Package Leaders.

Other project participants are:

• CIEMAT, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Technologicas [Spain];
• UBC, University of British Colombia, Department of Wood Science [Canada];
• COWI, Consulting Engineers and Planners AS [Denmark];
• STEM, Swedish National Energy Administration [Sweden];
• IEA-BA-39, International Energy Agency, Bioenery Agreement Task 39 Liquid Biofuels [USA];
• IE, Institute for Energy and Environment [Germany];
• Chalmers, Göteborg University - Chalmers University of Technology [Sweden];
• ECBREC, EC Baltic Renewable Energy Center [Poland];
• USAMBV, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest [Romania];
• RILOG, Research Institute or Ornamental Gardening [Czech Republic];
• HIAE, Hungarian Institute of Agricultural Engineering [Hungary];
• ADEME, Environment and Energy Management Agency [France];
• NTUA, National Technical University of Athens [Greece];
• BLT, Federal Institute of Agricultural Engineering [Austria]
• TML, Transport & Mobility Leuven [Belgium].