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LVM Commissions a Scientific Research “Modern Bio-fuel Production Options in Latvia and Prospects of Electric Vehicle Technologies”

In order to identify the options of producing innovative high value-added products from the resources managed by JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM), which are economically viable and based on bio-economy principles, in 2016 the company identified 30 and listed 14 innovative products that can be obtained from forest biomass. Having got acquainted with the results of the proposed multi-criteria analysis of the products, LVM decided that further research should be carried out on three products.

By developing the approach to produce innovative products from forest biomass, at the end of 2017, having polled scientific institutions (Riga Technical University, University of Latvia and Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry) LVM compiled their innovative products made from forest biomass and subsoil.

Taking into account the innovative products offered by the scientific institutions, LVM interests and global trends in the development of innovative products, LVM developed a list of seven end-products to be potentially developed, and carried out a general assessment involving representatives of other institutions and organisations, at the same time developing mutual cooperation and analysing LVM earlier innovative products. Using a special multi-criteria methodology, the representatives of these institutions conducted an additional evaluation of the selected seven end-products. According to the assessment, the third highest assessment was given to the production of second-generation bio-fuels or modern bio-fuels, which are currently undergoing their approbation stage in the world. The fifth place was granted to the production of active coal and specialty coal from forest biomass, which is currently under investigation in the world, and could be used much more extensively in the future also as components of electric vehicle technologies, promoting energy storage and recovery.

Continuing and developing the previously implemented LVM operations, the company aims to carry out evaluation and analysis of modern bio-fuel production technologies and to evaluate the possibilities of modern bio-fuel production in Latvia (hereinafter – the Research), where forest biomass is used as a raw material for the operation of modern bio-fuel production plant.

Based on the results of the Research, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” will decide on the termination or continuation of the Research.