Das Projekt "Climate Impact Expert System (CIES)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung e.V. durchgeführt. Today, plenty of data is available on the climate, agriculture or forestry which is neither integrated nor easily consumable by individuals or companies. However, climate data alone and integrated with other data sources is valuable information for economically relevant sectors such as agriculture, forestry, hydrology and (bio)energy production. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), IT partner (wetteronline GmbH) and Bayer AG (specifically Bayer CropScience) are among the leading entities in their areas of expertise worldwide. The proposed work combines their expertise in the following fields: PIK: Climate research IT partner: Information systems Bayer: Plant protection The goal is in a first step to develop a consultant software product for agricultural problems (including hydrology and forestry) influenced by weather and climate. This product will achieve new levels of sophistication, with potential applications to various regions and areas of the economy (energy, water availability, forestry, health, stakeholder consultations etc.). Key innovations are as follows: - PIK is well stocked with different models for the computation of climate scenarios, hydrology and water resources, vegetation dynamics (including forestry and agriculture) which are to be coupled into a tool. There is no such model chain in the shape of an integrative tool so far. - The project aims at developing a client-server based system, which integrates climate and climate scenario from PIK, open data available in the internet, as well as knowledge about crops from our partner Bayer AG CropSciences. Access will be provided via a variety of web-enabled devices. - Although some institutions supply climate data and climate scenario data, the resulting effects on economically relevant sectors such as hydrology, agriculture or energy production are lacking. Within this pilot study, such scenarios integrating both climate and sectors will be provided for Germany to start with. - In turn, the scenario data compiled by the model system will be the foundation and data basis for a user tool that will enable future users to apply the data according to their specific demands in a very user-friendly format. - The aim is to deploy this information for as many regions and users as possible worldwide. Germany and selected regions from other climatic zones such as China and Africa will serve as pilot regions.
Das Projekt "INQUA Project 1216 - RAISIN: Rates of soil forming processes obtained from soils and paleosols in well-defined settings" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Zürich, Geographisches Institut durchgeführt. The project RAISIN represents a core project of the Focus Area Group PASTSOILS. One of the major goals of the Focus Area Group will be achieved through RAISIN: Rates of soil forming processes in different climates, obtained from soils and paleosols in settings where climatic conditions and duration of soil development are known, will be assessed and documented. Thus, the project will provide a solid base for future interpretation of paleosols in the frame of palaeo-environmental reconstructions. Numerous data on soil development with time, many of them based on soil chronosequence studies in various regions, have been published in the past decades. The main aim of the project is hence to bring together scientists working on rates of soil-forming processes in different regions of the world to share and discuss their results, review and compare published data and finally produce a document representing the current state of knowledge on soil formation rates in different climates. The outcome of the project will be published in a special issue of Quaternary International to make it available to the scientific public. Thus, a common standard for interpreting paleosols in soil-sediment successions in terms of duration and environmental conditions of soil development will be created. Moreover, gaps in our current knowledge will be identified in the process of reviewing existing data in the frame of the project. This will stimulate future research and possibly lead to collaborative projects aiming on closing the identified gaps step by step.
Das Projekt "Demonstrating Industrial Scale Second Generation Bioethanol Production - KAlundborg CELLulosic Ethanol plant (KACELLE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Dong Energy Power Holding AS durchgeführt. The aim of this project is to bring the patented Inbicon Core technology for 2nd generation bio-ethanol production from a pre-commercial to a full commercial level, making the technology available in the market and attractive to investors in 4 - 5 years. The technology was developed in steps (also partly EU funded) and now a 4 t/hr biomass to ethanol plant is being built in Kalundborg in Denmark. The plant will be in operation in the fall of 2009 and will produce 5 million litres of ethanol annually. More than 10 years of development has brought about a robust process capable of producing substantial quantities of ethanol from biomass. The next necessary step is to reduce the production costs, thus making the process feasible. In this proposal we apply for funding to demonstrate the 4 t/hr at industrial scale and optimise the plant to lower the production costs for ethanol through: Improving the capacity of the plant, reducing the energy consumption and water balance, adding a fermentation step for C5 sugars and recycle the enzymes in the process. Ultimately we will improve the capacity of the plant to become a 8-10 t/hr plant by developing the process from being partly continuous to operate in a truly commercial continuous mode. We expect this to result in a significant cost-cut in ethanol production expenses. The ethanol produced will be characterized and tested in engine test-rigs and in car-fleet, thus covering the whole value chain from the straw entrance to the gate of the ethanol plant production to end-users in cars. The process will be assessed from an environmental perspective through LCA analysis and results will be published for scientific purpose and for expanding the use of the technology to use for future business partners. The team of partners in this project are those who have a relevant business role in the demonstration of this value chain, a research center and universities with competences in key areas.