WP5

WP5: Improve biomass density and moisture content for more efficient storage and transportation

WP-Leader: IBERS – Michal Mos

WP-Team: Blankney, UHOH, DAZ

Tasks:

1. Establishment and management of large scale trial.
2. Assessment of optimal harvest time.
3. Commercial scale harvesting.
4. Pelleting - large scale (IBERS).
5. Pelleting - small scale (Blankney).
6. Provision (IBERS) for OPTIMISC harvest optimisation module.
7. Optimisation of pellet chain (Blankney).

WP5 progress so far

WP5 investigates approaches to overcoming bottlenecks for large-scale commercial establishment, harvesting and utilization of novel Miscanthus hybrids. The large-scale trials have been established in Germany, Ukraine and UK.

Large-scale field trials were established in UK in 2012 and in Ukraine and Germany in 2013. In 2014, recommendations for the establishment of large-scale miscanthus plantations were issued, and utilisation of stay-green OPM-111 hybrid for chlorophyll and protein extraction was tested experimentally in UK.

The main results of WP5 will be the development of a full agronomic procedure for commercial-scale establishment of new Miscanthus hybrids, including planting, plant care and management, and improvement of harvest technologies and pelletizing options.

Miscanthus pelleting

[Picture taken by Karl Mueller-Saemman (Nov.2012)]