The nova-Institut partners for the techno-economic evaluation in the BIOCORE (Biocommodity Refinery) project which will start in march 2010 and will be funded as part of the European Union’s 7th Framework program as one of four projects in the biorefinery call. It involves many partners from different countries who specialize in the entire biomass transformation process, from plant cultivation to commercial end-products.

The projects aims to develop a concept of a biorefinery based on lignocellulosic biomass from forestry, straw and rice straw residues and short rotation wood. It will will create and demonstrate a biorefinery to produce second generation biofuels, bulk chemicals, polymers, speciality molecules, heat and power. BIOCORE involves 24 partners from 13 different countries and will be coordinated by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronom (INRA), France. The European Commission funds the project with € 14 million out of the 7th Framework Program, the partners will invest additional € 6,3 million.

The nova-Institut is involved in different parts of the project: The main field will be the techno-economic evaluation of the whole biorefinery process. We also will analyze the availibility and precurement costs of the different feedstocks as well as the markets of the focused end products.