Last month, the Terravesta R&D team took part in the final in-person meetings for two pioneering finishing research programmes, the first being the RPLUG project at Aberystwyth and the second for the GRACE project, hosted by the University of Wageningen.
RPLUG
RPLUG has looked at ways to grow our seed plugs to make them more resilient, hence RPLUG. This project was funded by the Welsh Government and ended in October.
It’s a continuation of Aberystwyth University’s work to bring seed-based Miscanthus to the commercial market.
The RPLUG trials look good so far, but we will have to wait till next year to get the complete results.
We at Terravesta looked at the economics of planting seed-based Miscanthus in this project, and we have been working hard with partners to keep that price in line with our rhizome-based varieties.
More work is needed to bring the seed-based hybrids to market, and we will update you as things progress further.
GRACE
GRACE, GRowing Advanced industrial Crops on marginal lands for biorEfineries, has been a long-running project led by the University of Hohenheim, including a wide array of partners looking at both Miscanthus and Hemp.
The project has allowed Terravesta to trial some of its seed-based Miscanthus Performance Hybrids alongside our Terravesta AthenaTM in various European locations.
The project also brought in a wealth of end-users to explore Miscanthus’ role in the biomass supply chain.
GRACE has seen Miscanthus be used as an additive to concrete, car dashboards, insulation and soundproofing boards, bioplastics, and chemical extraction.
The project, whose results will be collated into a special issue of the journal GCB Bioenergy to be published soon, has demonstrated the versatility of Miscanthus as a biomass supply for the future green economy.
You can learn more about the GRACE project on the dedicated website. GRACE will end in December this year, and the past five years of work have demonstrated the vast array of ways Miscanthus can be utilised, hopefully leading to exciting new markets.
It was great to meet in person for both of these final meetings, as the pandemic meant these project meetings could only take place online for the past few years.
Both projects demonstrate a commitment to Miscanthus and its vital role in the future green economy, and it’s been wonderful for Terravesta to be involved in them and see what the future may hold in store for Miscanthus.
