2.) New DBU Support Group: Emission-reducing Biomass-driven Small Furnaces

Currently in Germany there are over 16 million small woodstoves, in which over 25 million cubic meters of wood are burned annually. Although as a renewable raw material wood is a climate-neutral fuel, its use in heating represents a challenge. Woodstoves, especially older single-room ovens, emit large amounts of unhealthy, fine dust.

In order to expeditiously develop affordable and marketable products with fewer emissions problems, the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt DBU) is organizing a support group to directly encourage and support research and development projects for the reduction of harmful emissions resulting from the operation of kettle and single-room stoves.

The University of Applied Forest Sciences of Rottenburg (Hochschule für Forstwirtschaft Rottenburg) is a partner within the framework of a corollary scientific project. Projects from small and medium-sized businesses will be supported, whereby cooperation with other businesses or research organizations is possible.

The Support Group focuses especially on:

• primary measures to avoid the production of pollutants, and complementary secondary measures to limit the emission of unavoidable pollutants

• steps to optimize the use of specific fuels

• measures aimed at constructive and/or control-engineered improvements in user behavior

Between 2012 and 2015 multiple projects of up to three years’ duration will be supported annually. Project proposals may be submitted beginning immediately to the DBU within the framework of DBU funding guidelines.

More information on the Support Group and submission of applications can be found at: http://www.dbu.de/2015