BioGrace

BioGrace I

The EU’s Renewable Energies Directive (2009/28/EC, RED) and Fuel Quality Directive (2009/30/EC, FQD) allow biofuels to count towards national targets only under the following conditions: various sustainability criteria must be met, and a minimum greenhouse gas emission saving must be achieved. The BioGrace project started when the guidelines came into force in order to disclose the origins of the GHG default values for biofuels and liquid bio-energy sources, and to provide a spreadsheet for all market participants to use. The following outputs are available:

  • An Excel-based calculation tool which can be used as the basis for harmonisation for all other (national or company-related) calculation tools for the implementation of the RED
  • Documents about calculation rules and usable data.

The EU Commission recognised the BioGrace I tool as a system in Decision 2013/256/EU. Market players can therefore use it in conjunction with a certification system to calculate the greenhouse gas balances for biofuels. ifeu GmbH owns the BioGrace I tool and is responsible for updating it. ifeu is available as a point of contact for users, and also provides training on the tool when requested.

BioGrace II                                                                                                                                                      

The BioGrace II project involved the development of a similar tool for the calculation of GHG emissions from solid and gaseous bio-energy sources used for power, heating and cooling. The EU Commission’s working paper SWD (2014) and the GHG default values contributed by the Joint Research Center (JRC) form the frame of reference for the project. BioGrace II also provides a calculation tool along with documents containing calculation rules. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend (RVO)) owns the BioGrace II tool. ifeu provides the RVO with support, e.g. training on how to use the tool.

Update

The EU-funded BioGrace projects have been completed. As the system owner, ifeu is still available as a point of contact for the EU Commission and users of the tools . The ever-changing legal situation as regards the post-2020 period is also relevant for BioGrace. The EU Commission’s “Winter Package” issued in November 2016 included a proposal for a revised version of the RED. Implementation would require further development and adaptation of both tools, BioGrace I and II.

Runtime

December 1901 – March 2015

Funding

European Commission

Partner

Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO, Netherlands)

Agence de l’environnement et de la maîtrise de l’énergie (ADEME, France)

European Biomass Association (AEBIOM, Belgium)

Bio by Deloitte (France)

Bioenergy 2020+ (Austria)

Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT, Spain)

Exergia (Greece)

Swedish Energy Agency (STEM, Sweden)

VREG (Belgium)