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Permanent crop prunings are recognised as a potential source of biomass in Europe with a reduced degree of exploitation. EuroPruning project aims to provide technical solutions to make pruning products a reality in the solid biofuel market. The project tackles the variations of the quality along the whole supply chain. To provide guidelines to stakeholders willing to create logistic chains on prunings, the EuroPruning study has assessed quality changes of pruning residues during storage since it is the stage in which the quality is likely to suffer the highest degradation. Outdoor storage tests have been carried out during 6 months in three different European areas (representing three climate conditions) of high density of permanent crops. Experimental large scale chip piles and bale stacks have been built for that purpose from different species and net energy variation after storage has been assessed. Risks of auto-combustion and occupational health hazards linked to inhalation of air-borne spores released during material handling have also been part of the investigation. The results showed a positive energy variation in the material stored in the bale stacks contrary to most of the tests made with comminuted material. Some general recommendations to improve storage of prunings are also presented in this paper., Proceedings of the 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 June 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 580-586

Agricultural residues (pruning residues) coming from permanent plantations and orchards constitute a significant and largely unused potential for renewable energy. The EuroPruning project aims to turn pruning residues into a valuable fuel source by developing solutions for their harvesting, transportation and storage that will contribute to increase the share of renewable sources in the total energy supply. To determine the environmental consequences of the Pruning-to-Energy (PtE) logistics chain, a Life Cycle Assessment study has been conducted. In this study the newly developed PtE scenarios are compared to a reference scenario: mulching and consequently leaving the pruning residues on the fields. Both alternatives have advantages and drawbacks from an environmental point view. However preliminary results for the PtE scenario for almond pruning residues show, that the environmental burdens are significantly lower than in case of leaving the pruning residues on the field., Proceedings of the 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 June 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 1485-1489

EuroPruning project aims to set the path for new and improved biomass supply chains based on agricultural prunings. EuroPruning has developed innovative technology to cope with existing technical barriers for a more feasible utilization of pruning residues. A biomass smart system logistics has been developed, composed by a Smart Box sensor mounted on truck box, an on-board control unit, a web-based information platform, and a central control unit. The aim of the smart system is to support decision making prior ordering biomass, organization of the delivery, allow quality tracking and traceability and register of transport. The GIS platform can be used as centralised by a logistic operator, or as a multi-user platform. Two harvesting machineries have been developed to cope with market gaps: the PRB 1,75 pruning baler able to produce standard 1.2x1.2 round bales, and the PC50 chipper, able to produce P45 woodchips, and to accumulated in built-in self discharge container, in big-bags or on a trailer circulating in parallel. These innovative products have been object of testing in EuroPruning demonstrations. The demonstrations have yield relevant information to raise the TRL (technology readiness level) of the prototypes towards pre-market or market stage. But demonstrations were furthermore, a pilot scale laboratory where farmers, logistics operators and final consumers participated together in reproducing the supply chain stage by stage. This experience has yield quite relevant information, that EuroPruning partners have expressed in this document in form of observed facts and lessons learnt., Proceedings of the 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 June 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 1727-1733

In the paper an outline of the assessment methodology and the determined results for three types of analysis (environmental, social and economic) are compared. The overall conclusion is, that there is a negative correlation between economic and social analysis results. The social analysis for scenarios, when a farmer collects the branches as a hobby (unpaid labor) gave the highest values of social indicator (SROI). Scenarios with market wages for a handmade collection gave also positive, but not so high SROI results. They also generated high incomes for local energy producer. In this case subsidizing should be considered. For standard business models (with the machinery specialized for pruning) all three analyses – economic, environmental, and social – gave positive results. For social analysis the result (SROI) varied in the range from 2 to 8., Proceedings of the 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 June 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 1513-1515

Agricultural pruning is an almost unexploited biomass resource in Europe. EuroPruning project has carried out a study of the current status in Europe in order to solve two main questions. Firstly how the pruning is being done. And secondly what is the current use or management of the residue. The work has been carried out through consultancy with agrarian players at national and local level in 8 European countries. The study of the sector at European scale reveals that olive, fruit and grape plantations will basically remain stable in terms of cultivated area in the future. However it is observed a tendency for intensification.On the base of 25 national templates and 61 local surveys it has been explored what is the current status, and the consequences that intensification can bring for establishing new biomass value chains. It has been stated that intensification will incorporate mechanical pre-pruning operations. That will cause a modification in the type of pruning that is being obtained: size,, shape of the pieces and tons per hectare. It has also been stated that pruning main fate is the disposal by burning it in fires in open air, or the shredding to the soil as an organic input. On the same side it has been observed that in many cases the incorporation to soil is not observed as a best practice for soil preservation, but considered by farmers as the easiest method to dispose pruning. As main conclusions,it has been stated that prunings are actually available for energy in a large share., Proceedings of the 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 June 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 1579-1595

Pruning resources from permanent crops essentially are an unexploited biomass resource in the EU28 even though a significant amount of them, more than 13 million tonnes over dry basis, are currently produced every year. With the aim of promoting a change towards a larger utilisation of biomass from prunings, the EuroPruning project (Developing a new logistics chain for biomass from prunings, FP7-312078) has developed research and demonstration activities looking for solving the current gaps in technology and knowledge which slow down the mobilisation of agricultural prunings to the energy market. EuroPruning has developed solutions both to overcome the existing social and techno-economic barriers (related to harvesting, on-site pre-treatment, quality and transport) and to bring to the market woody solid biomass resources produced from the branches, cuttings or stems produced under the common agricultural practices on permanent crops. This paper presents a wrap-up of the EuroPruning most relevant results and contributions for Europe in the main activities that are being carried out in the project (EuroPruning finishes in mid July 2016): quality traceability, harvesting equipment, storage, cost-effective logistics (Complete Logistics Smart System), soil affections, social-economic-environmental assessments and finally, policy recommendations to tackle non-technical barriers., Proceedings of the 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 June 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 89-102

The biomass demand for the use as both renewable energy source and raw material for the biotechnology industry is increasing. Simultaneously, the supply of biomass is requested to become more cost-competitive. Innovative solutions for cost-effective biomass production should also avoid indirect land use changes and direct negative environmental effects. The main aim of this study is to identify the most promising innovative lignocellulosic cropping systems regarding environmental sustainability as well as social acceptance for different cost scenarios and different regions in Europe. To gather innovative cropping knowledge from around Europe ADVANCEFUEL organized a workshop. Participating Horizon 2020 projects presenting innovative approaches on lignocellulosic cropping systems included: FORBIO, MAGIC, BECOOL, LIBBIO, GRACE, and SEEMLA. Data was collected from field studies of the participating projects prior to the workshop and later presented in an aggregated way as a basis for discussions. This approach incorporates the knowledge gained in over 60 study cases conducted in 12 different countries. Under these study cases, 16 different lignocellulosic crops were covered. This field based knowledge can be used to validate spatial assessments of sustainable biomass production potentials in Europe., Proceedings of the 27th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 27-30 May 2019, Lisbon, Portugal, pp. 84-89