GRACE

GRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for biorEfineries

Project details

Type of project: Innovation Action - Demonstration
Project focus: Bio-based chemicals
Feedstock origin: Agri-food waste
Feedstock type: Dedicated crops

Project period: 1 June 2017 - 31 December 2022
Status: Completed
CBE JU Contribution: € 12 324 632,86
Call identifier: H2020-BBI-JTI-2016

Summary

The GRACE project will explore the potential of the non-food industrial crops miscanthus and hemp as a source of biomass for the bio-economy. Both miscanthus and hemp are relatively under-exploited, but offer an interesting business opportunity for farmers and industry. When cultivated on marginal, contaminated or unused/abandoned land, the impacts on food security can be minimized, and the potential introduction of pollutants into the food chain can be prevented.

GRACE will demonstrate and optimise the techno economic viability and environmental sustainability of ten promising miscanthus and hemp biomass-based value chains using marginal, contaminated and unused land at an industry relevant scale.

The aim is to identify hemp varieties suitable for marginal lands and to have commercial miscanthus cultivars available by the end of the project with several proven economically viable end uses creating a market pull for growth in the bio-economy.

The GRACE project has set the following specific examples

Supply 13 different near-to-market seed based miscanthus hybrids
Further adapt and improve the miscanthus germplasm entries.
Demonstrate large-scale crop production of novel seed-based miscanthus hybrids and hemp varieties on marginal, contaminated and/or unused land.
Compare and demonstrate the feasibility of ten different promising biomass value chains.
Assess and optimise the techno-economic viability, environmental and social performance of the demonstrated value chains.
Optimise the value chain organisation of bio-based value chains.
Implement an industry panel as a platform for knowledge and biomass exchange.
Increase the business and innovation impact of the biobased industry.

The GRACE project expects to make a major contribution to the EU bio-economy by increasing the biomass production from marginal lands and reducing the costs of crop establishment. This will enable current marginal land in the EU, around five percent of crop land and ten percent of grassland, to produce useful biomass. It aims to have the following specific impacts:

Increase use of low-quality arable land, and by so doing, minimise the potential for food/fuel competition.
Develop both land-use efficient crops and increase the sustainability of the European farming sector.
Improve farmers’ income by adding new crops to their crop portfolio.
Create a sustainable feedstock supply
Demonstrate biomass utilization options for contaminated land.
Demonstrate that introducing biomass crops in the right places will increase the availability of agricultural land and the efficiency its use rather than compete with food crop production.

“Reduce land use compared to current productivity for the same product categories, when obtained from crops or other conventional primary biomass sources.”

Perennial grasses may increase biodiversity
GCB - Bioeconomy, 04 September 2020
A study from the project hints at an increase of biodiversity due to the cultivation of perennial rhizomatous grasses, like miscanthus and switchgrass, compared to the annual crops. The effect is remarkably high for plants and small mammals. Read article

Demonstrated that miscanthus can be grown sustainably on marginal land with minimal inputs, offering long-term biomass production for over 20 years.
Showcased environmental benefits such as soil carbon sequestration, erosion control, nitrate leaching reduction, and biodiversity enhancement.
Developed higher-value applications for miscanthus beyond its traditional uses, including platform chemicals, building materials, and fibre-reinforced composites.
Established regional markets and brought several bio-based miscanthus-derived products to market.
Produced second-generation bioethanol from miscanthus biomass, achieving carbon-negative results through CO₂ sequestration in expired oil wells.
Converted miscanthus biomass into the platform chemical HMF, which serves as a precursor for bio-based polymers such as PEF, offering sustainable alternatives to fossil-based PET.
Created biodegradable polymers from butanediol and azelaic acid for use in mulch films and planting pots, helping reduce agricultural microplastic pollution.
Produced miscanthus fibre-reinforced composites for the automotive sector, with the first commercial application in a car dashboard model.
Contributed to Europe’s strategic autonomy by increasing local biomass production and reducing dependence on unstable or unsustainable feedstock imports.
Enabled new business opportunities for farmers through regional value chains and sustainable cultivation systems.
Advanced the development of stress-tolerant, site-adapted miscanthus hybrids suitable for marginal lands, ensuring a stable feedstock supply for the bioeconomy.

Consortium map

Project coordination

UNIVERSITAET HOHENHEIM Stuttgart, Germany

Consortium

INDENA SPA Milano, Italy
NOVAMONT SPA Novara, Italy
VANDINTER SEMO BV Scheemda, Netherlands
NOVABIOM Champhol, France
SQIM SRL Inarzo, Italy
CONSORZIO DI BONIFICA DI PIACENZA Piacenza, Italy
ADDIPLAST SAS Saint Pal De Mons, France
MATRICA SPA Porto Torres, Italy
MATER-BIOTECH SPA Novara No, Italy
SPRING SUSTAINABLE PROCESSES AND RESOURCES FOR INNOVATION AND NATIONAL GROWTH Milano, Italy
COOPERATIVE VERENIGING MISCANTHUSGRROEP UA Zwanenburg, Netherlands
GRUPPO FIBRANOVA SRL Bientina, Italy
FURTLEHNER JOHANNES Austria
CERZOO S.R.L. Piacenza, Italy
INA-INDUSTRIJA NAFTE DD Zagreb, Croatia
TERRAVESTA ASSURED ENERGY CROPS LIMITED Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
FEDERCHIMICA - FEDERAZIONE NAZIONALE DELL' INDUSTRIA CHIMICA Milano, Italy
SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU AGRONOMSKI FAKULTET Zagreb, Croatia
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY Wageningen, Netherlands
VAN DINTER HOLDING BV Scheemda, Netherlands
AVA BIOCHEM BSL AG Muttenz, Switzerland
ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY Aberystwyth, United Kingdom
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT Paris, France
UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE MILANO, Italy
KUHN UWE Germany