BEST

Status: Project completed
End of project period: 31.8.2014

BEST-Homepage

Objectives

Generating energy from biomass – i.e. bioenergy – currently appears to be a highly relevant topic. Bioenergy has the potential to substitute energy from fossil fuels and reduce CO2-emissions if energy efficient techniques will be implemented.

However, bioenergy is also highly disputed. Due to limited acreage and rising competition for space it is confronted with various user interests. Additionally, potential negative effects caused by bioenergy, e.g. on biodiversity and on natural scenery, and the urgency of diversified options of biomass production due to climate change, remain discussed.

Against this background, the objective of the BEST-joint research project was to develop regional adapted concepts and innovative system solutions for biomass production in regard to energetic and material use. Right from the start, research activities within the joint research project were embedded into the development of two bionenergy-regions that can be considered as examples for further formations of such regions all over Germany.

BEST pursued a strong participative approach. Results were discussed in dialogue forums with their users and also provided for their implementation. Therefore the project contributed to a comprehensive assessment of sustainable land use concepts. Research activities took place at two German locations (Göttingen county, state of Lower Saxony and the Thuringian field plain) which were already considered and established as “bioenergy regions”. Although geographically proximate, they cover a wide climatic spectrum that can be found in Central Germany.