The  overall project objective of the ENERBIOSCRUB  project is to contribute, in the framework of the overall objectives LIFE + Environment Policy and Governance, to reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG)  to lessen the effects of the climate change, through the demonstration and deployment of technologies that contribute to substantially reduce GHG emissions.

The  proposed project aims at achieving the policy objectives of the EU environmental management promoting the improvement of marginal scrub forests by  obtaining solid biofuels and thus to achieve the Community's objectives in relation to the environment: climate change, forest management and renewable energy. The  project aims to reduce the risk  of forest fires by obtaining sustainable solid biofuels from shrub lands of high flammability risk  by  using innovative methods of management and harvesting in forests that are not enough known in Southern Europe. A necessary labour of demonstration and dissemination of scrub biomass use in specific applications such as pelletizing and combustion will be also carried out. For  the purpose of a reliable demonstration, four areas have been selected in the regions of Castilla-Leon and Galicia to put in practise the most adequate and environmentally sound systems for  scrub biomass management and to serve as reference for  the extension of technology and demonstrated methods to other areas.

Specific project objectives in order of importance:

To contribute to a low  carbon EU economy: Reduce dependence on  fossil energy using local products and thereby reducing GHG emissions to reach the goals of the Kyoto and Rio agreements while contributing to the increase of the share of renewable energy to achieve the target of 20% by 2020.

To reduce the amount of fuel available in shrub lands to lessen the virulence of forest fires and hence contributing to the conservation of natural capital of the EU in line  with the objectives of the Environmental Action Plan of the EU 2020.

To promote economically viable management of marginal forests, proving that it is an alternative for creating jobs in rural areas and specifically in the areas selected for  demonstrative activities within the project.

To recommend policies that help promoting sustainable and cost effective management of marginal forests.

Four sites with different biomass applications and capacities for  stable biofuel supply and use have been defined for  the demonstration purposes: a pellet factory in As Pontes (A Coruña-Galicia) with 70,000 t / year capacity, a bioelectricity plant in Garray  (Soria, Castilla y León) of 15 MWe nominal power, a district heating network in   Fabero (León-Castilla y León) of 500 kW and a district heating in Las  Navas del  Marqués (Ávila, Castilla y León).

The  order of actions and means has been designed as follows: two preparatory actions A1 to define specific plots in order to develope the mechanized shrub clearing and harvest,  A2 to set the protocol to be followed in clearing and data collection before and after harvest. Seven implementation actions have been designed to develope an important part of the demonstration activity

B1 is the action in which clearing tests in the surfaces defined in the preparatory actions, within the 4 areas mentioned, will be performed and technical and economic aspects will be evaluated. The  leader of the action is TRAGSA, a company with large experience in conducting silvicultural works and expertise on  technologies used in cost effective and environmentally friendly tasks.
 
In the B2 action the key parameters of preparation, quality and combustion of the biomass obtained in various clearings will be gathered. The  leader of the action Ciemat, will use their unique laboratories and pilot plants for  characterization preparation and combustion in Ceder-Ciemat in Lubia-Soria (Castilla y León).
 
In the B3 action biomass will be used, using the most suitable preparation (defined in B2),  in industrial applications for  the production of pellets, the generation of electricity and heat at the specified demonstration facilities.
 
B4 and B5 actions are necessary to assess the importance of biomass resource in shrub lands, calculate carbon stocks and the impacts of the management of shrub formations by  mechanized clearing and harvesting. They will be led  by  two beneficiaries with experience in the study of biodiversity, fire, and soil carbon stocks as INIA and AGRESTA.
Finally, a huge program of dissemination among the major players in the fields of forest policy, management, energy and environment, has been designed. The  leader of these activities is AVEBIOM, an association that encompasses a large number of players in subject fields and with demonstrated experienced in conducting awareness campaigns, conferences and fairs as EXPOBIOENERGÍA