Our Slovakian partners in the project “Biomass Logistic Center (BLC)” visited the Oslo area for professional meetings with different biomass related actors.

The group of 15 people was mainly from the lead partner BIOPEL, but representatives from the other project partners was also present. This was Cenzualne spolumajitelstvo Rajec, University of Zilina, The Norwegian Forestry Group and IDN. This project aims to support and increase the use of biomass in Slovak regions, mainly through increasing knowledge of and trust in the product among specific target groups. The BLC is creating a complete logistical system for bio-fuels – harvest, processing, support for biomass production, storage, packaging and distribution.

The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)

The first visit was to NIBIO located at the University campus in Ås. Here the group visited the new heating central that uses wood chips and bio oil to heat up large parts of the campus and the city of Ås. Further on we visited the Forestry and Forest Resources Division of NIBIO who gave lectures on the Norwegian research on the forest and bioenergy.

Bøn Biobrensel & Råholt Heating central

Further on the group traveled to Råholt just north of Oslo, where the group visited Råholt Heating central. This is a smaller heating central created by Trond Hammeren and will produce heat for large institutions and apartment buildings in the area. The group also visited Bøn Biobrensel, the company that produces wood chips for the heating central.

Romerike Bio-gas Facility

The group then traveled to Romerike Bio-gas Facility, built in 2013 it is a state of the art facility. Processing about 50 000 20150930_134238_resizedtons of food residuals from the city of Oslo per year, it produces bio-gas for the buses in Oslo and also fertilizers for local farms.

Other visits on the trip was to Mangen Farm where they have built a small scale hydro plant and also have geothermal energy installed. The group visited the forest utilization company Mathiesen Eidsvold Værk, where they spent the whole day seeing all parts of the process. Professional visits to the Slovakian embassy and Innovation Norway was also part of the trip to Oslo.