Work package 1 – Project management
The objective of this work package (WP) is to lead, facilitate, coordinate and ensure the execution of the project in close and positive cooperation between project partners to achieve the project goals, outputs and deliverables. FNR, as consortium leader, is the responsible body and contact point for the European Commission.
This work package has the following objectives:
– Formalise the project cooperation
– Ensure internal communication and coordination
– Supervise financial accounting and subcontracting
– Provide project reporting to the EC
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Work package 2 – Understanding Marginal Lands – concept, indicator selection, evaluation criteria
The overall objective of this action is to define the term Marginal Lands (MagL) by reviewing the common understanding of MagL in all its categories. This will cover an overview and understanding of the scientific debate, status quo of sustainability constraints, assessment of MagL availability, plants variety (herbaceous and woody biomass), MagL harvesting techniques, transport and logistics and issues of final (energy) conversion pathways in the perspective of the MagL debate.
At the end of this action basic criteria that can be used to identify and map MagLs will be set out.
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Work package 3 – Policy and Administrative regulations for biomass production on MagL for bioenergy
The overall aim of this work package is to map the policies of the involved regions that directly affect their work with MagL. These can be regional, national or EU wide policies, which affect the overall situation in the region. In a next step the policies will be analysed and recommendations will be developed mainly for the regional stakeholders. Therefore this WP provides recommendations to the EC for appropriate and practical improvements in the sustainable biomass exploitation from MagLs.
Results will be implemented in the model regions and presented/discussed in the national workshops foreseen in the work package 7.
The main objectives of this WP are:
– Analysis of regulatory frameworks and policies concerning biomass exploitation from MagLs for bioenergy production.
– Provide recommendations to the regional administrations for appropriate and practical improvements in the sustainable biomass exploitation from MagLs.
– Assess the availability of regional (renewable) energy plans and the inclusion of biomass production from MagLs in current regional planning in target countries.
– Develop recommendations and guidelines for successfully recognising the above mentioned relevant policies.
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Work package 4 – Environmental and Socio-economic assessment
WP 4 contributes to the comprehensive sustainability assessment executed in the SEEMLA project by covering the main pillars of sustainability, namely environmental, economic, and social issues.
The basic aim is to provide a complete analysis of the socio-economic performance and the environmental implications of both the general MagL use options and all specific SEEMLA case study sites referring to WP 5. With this, the stakeholders will have a profound basis at hand to decide via socio-economic and environmental aspects which bioenergy schemes on which MagL may be feasible under which conditions.
The socio-economic and environmental assessment is split up in three tasks: the Life cycle assessment, the Life cycle environmental impact assessment and the socio-economic assessment. These are preceded by a task establishing all definitions and settings ensuring the equivalent accomplishment of all tasks.
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Work package 5 – Bioenergy production on MagL in pilot cases
The main objective of WP 5 is to exploit and perform experimental case studies for evaluating and optimizing biomass production tools for MagL under practical conditions. Case study sites will be used to assess the sustainability of good practice (environmental, economic, and social) and, further, to transfer existing knowledge on good practice to other underused MagL.
Closely cooperating with WP 6, this work package will implement methods and tools at selected case study sites, located in the following European test regions: Lusatia (Germany), East Macedo-nia & Thrace (Greece) and Vinnitsa, Poltava Volyn, and Lviv (Ukraine). Feedback will be given to WP 6 for further refining the SEEMLA approach.
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Work package 6 – SEEMLA approach development: applications, guidebooks and policy recommendations
WP6 aims at developing a common European approach to the exploitation of MagLs for bioenergy production. The SEEMLA approach capitalizes the knowledge and experiences gained in the project by compiling the outcomes of WP2 to WP6 into applications and guidebooks, which can help interested stakeholders, investors, and policy makers in the identification of MagLs and their proper evaluation for bioenergy production.
The overall exploitation strategy of MagLs for bioenergy production will be reviewed by engaged stakeholders, experts and administrators which will take part in webinar events organized in the WP7.
Guidelines and manuals will be finalized and uploaded in this web site, serving as a support tools for interested stakeholders and policy makers.
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Work package 7 – Communication, dissemination and stakeholder engagement
The overall aim of this work package is to communicate, disseminate and exploit the SEEMLA tools and methodology as well as the results and lessons learned from the project to target groups, intermediaries and other stakeholders to create a multiplier effect. Moreover it is the aim to promote a process of policy dialogue and mutual learning aimed at improving and coordinating the territorial policy in European countries.
This action will be implemented along the entire project duration and it is based on a four-fold strategy:
1. Development of communication tools and implementation of project communication action aiming at implementing an effective communication system throughout the entire project duration
2. Awareness raising and consensus building action for general public, administration, policy, farmers and foresters etc.
3. Horizontal and vertical dissemination and exploitation action aimed at transferring project achievement beyond project partnership and after project end
4. Networking promoting a process of policy dialogue and mutual learning aimed at improving and coordinating the territorial policy in European countries.
