Mission Executive Committee Membership Members Fellow Associations Contact Us

Introduction Iinstitutional Relations Committee Education Committee Legal Review Committee Biofuels Quality Standards Committee Environmental Impact Committee Capital Markets Committee Biofuels Markets Committee Agro-industrial Committee Biomass Committee Wind Committee Solar Committee

Maps Biofuels Industry Directory Biofuels Laws Quality Standards And Norms Biofuels in Brazil Biofuels in Paraguay Biofuels in Uruguay BioTop Project

Upcoming Events Press Release Celebrating Leadership About Argentina Biofuels Jobs Info, Studies & Essays links

BioTop Biofuels Assessment on Technical Opportunities and Research Needs for Latin America

In March 2008 the Argentine Renewable Energies Chamber signed a 30-month contract with the Commission of the European Communities as part of a consortium of institutions from Europe and Latin America to study various aspects of the biofuels industry in the region. The project is known as “BioTop”; its website is www.top-biofuel.org.

BioTop Objective

The overall objective of the BioTop project is to identify technical opportunities and research needs for Latin America in order to maximize synergies in the biofuels sectors of Latin America and Europe.

Thereby, the following specific objectives are:

• To provide a broad overview of the existing biofuel sectors in all Latin American countries. This also includes a broad overview of biofuel policies and strategies focusing on RTD in the field of 2nd generation biofuels in both LA and the EU up to 2030;
• To identify priorities, needs and opportunities in the field of RTD for sustainable biofuel production and biomass conversion technologies at both the national and the regional level in Latin America;
• To inform European and Latin American actors in the biofuel sector about specific, mutually interesting areas for increased collaboration and partnerships;
to harmonize the agenda between Latin America and the EU on sustainable biofuel production and the integration of biofuels into the energy matrix;
to facilitate and advance mutual knowledge and technology transfer between biofuel stakeholders in LA and the EU;
• To make recommendations on RTD and policies for the production and utilization of biomass conversion technologies.

BioTop Activities

BioTop provides a broad overview of the existing biofuels sector in Latin American counties. Key focus of the project is the identification and assessment of improved 1st and 2nd generation biofuel conversion technologies.

Sustainability, standardization and trade aspects of future large-scale biofuel production are investigated, and scenarios, roadmaps and recommendations are developed. Exchanges between stakeholders active in RTD of biofuel conversion technologies are promoted and BioTop activities are effectively linked with existing networks. Outcome of the BioTop project is increased awareness about EU-LA opportunities for collaboration in the area of biofuels and the identification of suitable areas for biofuels RTD cooperation.
 

BioTop Work Packages

The overall strategy of the work plan includes two types of work packages: on the one hand two cross-cutting work packages (WP1 and WP8) will provide the framework for successful project implementation and dissemination; and on the other hand six thematic work packages (WP2 – WP7) will contribute to the in-depth assessment of RTD needs and opportunities of biomass conversion technologies in LA.

The six thematic work packages are structured in four levels regarding their content and timing as follows:

• 1st level: State of the art mapping (WP2)
• 2nd level: Identification of RTD needs and opportunities (WP3, WP4, WP5)
• 3rd level: Development of explorative scenarios (WP6)
• 4th level: Recommendations on RTD cooperation (WP7)

The project is coordinated by WIP-Renewable Energies, Munich, Germany.

Duration:
March 2008 to August 2010

BioTop is co-financed by the European Commission under the Seventh Programme Framework "Specific International Cooperation Action" (SICA) (Project No. FP7-213320).