Work Plan:


Eight workpackages (graphical presentation) have been scheduled in order to fulfill the main and the scientific objectives of this proposed RTD project.

  WP1 is a general work package aiming at the coordination of the project and establishment of a link with the American Kenaf Society (AKS). WP2 aims at the determination of the sustainable yielding potential of kenaf as energy crop at several locations in southern Europe.
  The appropriate varieties and cultural practices for yield maximization in relation to the specific pedoclimatic conditions of each cultivation site will be deterred. Furthermore, this work package will provide data to the WP3, in which a dynamic growth simulation model will be developed. The model development will be a very useful tool for the yield and energy production prediction of kenaf it can be further used as a core module of any expert system for economic quantitative land evaluation including land uses systems with kenaf.

In WP4 the appropriate harvesting time and methods as well as the appropriate storage methods (indoors and outdoors) will be determined. In WP5 the suitability of kenaf both for selected industrial (high added value) and for thermochemical energy applications (combustion, gasification and pyrolysis) on the whole crop and the core fiber remaining after removal of the high value bark fiber. Environmental impact assessment for the whole production chain of the crop and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) taking into account both the industrial and thermochemical energy applications of the crop will be conducted in WP6. The valuable information that will be collected in the WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5 and WP6 will be used in WP7 for the cost analysis of kenaf as a “non-food crop” in comparison to other annual traditional crops. In WP8, all the above-described work packages will be used as a base for the development of a Handbook and a Booklet for kenaf. In the Handbook and the Booklet apart from the project information, an extensive literature review will be included to define the state-of-the-art of kenaf in Europe.
The project is being carried out by a group of twelve partners (geographical presentation).

 
More specifically, the consortium is consisted by four universities (University of Catania, University of Thessaly, University of Bologna, and New University of Lisbon) and eight research institutes (CRES, BTG, CETA, INIA, NAGREF, ATO, INRA and ADAS).