Project R-2883

Grass power (Research)

The management of natural areas and roadsides annually generates a large amount of grass clippings at which the removal of the cuttings gives problems. First, there is a limited capacity to composting, on the other hand the removal of clippings is a high cost for the territory site manager. The strong rise of fermentation plants in Flanders provides an opportunity to further increase throughput for clippings. Such processing is expected to be an economically interesting alternative for the disposal of grass clippings at compost companies. The market for renewable energy is, given the ambitious Flemish and European targets for 2020, up to speed. Renewable energy generated from waste management can contribute to these objectives and is a market in full development. It is not yet a mature market, as a result of which cooperation between all stakeholders is lacking today. This project seeks to expose the different actors within the field to each other through platform working, develop partnerships and further build, exchange and disseminate knowledge. Given the issue, the current market opportunity and the fact that the fermentation of grass clippings is not currently applied in practice, a group was assembled from a broad field that are directly or indirectly involved with this subject and have relevant expertise. In the project parties there are on one hand site managers and hand processors, and on the other hand knowledge institutions and regulatory government institutions, to further gear the different aspects to one other. Through partners with specialization in knowledge diffusion, a fermentation platform and a training center for green management is responded to ensure continuity and maximum dissemination of knowledge.

01 April 2010 - 31 March 2012