Centre de Recherches Agronomiques

(CRA)

Centre de Recherches Agronomique (CRA),  Agricultural Research Centre  in Gembloux, Belgium stands at the forefront of agricultural research in Europe, particularly in the field of biomass utilization and transformation.

The Agricultural Engineering Department is part of CRA's  Centre Genie Rural. The Department carries out researches and experimentation in two main sectors : agricultural mechanization and energy and industrial use of biomass. These two research topics have led to the setting up of two Units, themselves subdivided into units.    The general aim of the Biomass Unit is to contribute to the socio-economic development and to a better environment by using biomass in a more complete and efficient way in the energy and non-food industrial utilization sectors.

The activities of the Biomass Unit include four main areas :

•  mobilization

•  conditioning

•  energy utilization

•  industrial utilization,

indicating the will of the Unit to master the interface production/utilization. The research and development activities of the Unit are carried out in collaboration with a network of public as well as private, Belgian as international organizations and enterprises. Those actions include, besides the technical and scientific components, the socio-economic and environmental aspects, in industrialized countries, as well as in countries being industrialized (Asia, Eastern Europe) and developing countries (Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean).

The activities of the Unit are organized either in projects being specific to an area, or in integrated projects, combining two or several areas. Furthermore, the Biomass Unit takes part in international programmes (Belgian representation to the Energy International Agency – Bioenergy Agreement) or in national and regional programmes (secretariat of the Belgian Biomass Association – Belbiom).

The leading scientist in the network will be Dr. Michael Temmerman. His recent publications include:

VAN BELLEJF., GRULOIS Ch., TEMMERMAN M., VANKERKOVE R. (1998). « Potentiel bois en Wallonie pour la production d’électricité ». CRA Gembloux Département de Génie rural, août 1998, pp. 123.

TEMMERMAN M., VAN BELLE JF. (1997). « Les déchets bois des secteurs de la construction, de la rénovation et de la démolition ». CRA Gembloux Département de Génie rural , décembre 1997, pp 12.