Dossier

Biomass

Renewable bioresources from plants, but also from (food) waste streams, contain all kinds of valuable components such as proteins, sugars and (ligno) cellulose. Wageningen University & Research is working on innovative biorefinery to utilize all these components. The aim is to use these as high-quality as possible: in food, animal feed, for chemicals and materials. As a last option, we also look at whether a small part is still suitable for the production of biofuels for heavy transport.

Optimal use of biomass

Wageningen University & Research is developing opportunities for capturing all the value of biomass while maintaining soil quality. With corn, for example, we can use not just the cob but also the stalks, which contain valuable components for manufacturing plastics. This is the type of plural approach that Wageningen University & Research is taking, drawing on our expertise in biorefinery technologies, crop breeding, crop cultivation, biobased product development and economic models for developing a circular Biobased Economy.