Research units
Biomass and EnergyContact
Patrick Caron
Head, CIRAD Environment and Societies Department
Montpellier, France
E-mail
CIRAD is involved in programming French energy research
12/10/2009 - Article
As an associate member of the newly founded Alliance nationale de coordination de la recherche pour l’énergie, CIRAD will be involved in the thematic group on biomass.
The topic of biomass and energy is one of six strategic lines of research identified by CIRAD for the coming years. In this field, the establishment is working to resolve energy supply difficulties in developing countries. It is looking into how to ensure that the development of bioenergies benefits local populations, notably by using biomass. The aim is to adapt and optimize existing production systems for energy purposes, create new production systems devoted to bioenergies or establish bioenergy production as a breeding and varietal improvement objective. CIRAD researchers are also working to analyse the ecological and economic impacts of biomass production.
Given its interest in the field of biomass and energy, CIRAD has joined the Alliance nationale de coordination de la recherche pour l’énergie (ANCRE) as an associate member. It will be involved in the thematic group on biomass.
The aim of ANCRE, founded in July 2009, is to boost the efficacy of French energy research. The alliance will be proposing a coordinated policy for the implementation of research and innovation projects in this field. Under the responsibility of senior managers from its three founding members–the CEA, CNRS and IFP–, eight programming groups will be working on a topic for debate. Five will concern energy sources: biomass, fossil fuels, and nuclear, solar and geothermal, tidal, hydraulic and wind energy. Three will look at sectors of activity and uses: transport, buildings, industry and farming.
A report is due to be produced by June 2010 at the latest.
- Category: Institutional