BIOPLAT-EU · Project

Map-Based Tool to Find Underused Land Suitable for Bioenergy Projects Across Europe

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Imagine thousands of patches of land across Europe sitting idle — too polluted for farming, too degraded for parks, but still capable of growing energy crops. BIOPLAT-EU built an online mapping tool that lets you pinpoint exactly where these lands are and whether a bioenergy project there would actually make environmental and financial sense. Think of it like a Google Maps for abandoned land that could generate clean energy. The platform also connects biomass growers with processors and investors, helping turn overlooked plots into bankable bioenergy ventures.

By the numbers

consortium partners across Europe

countries covered by the platform

project deliverables produced

42%

industry partner ratio in consortium

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Bioenergy developers and land managers across Europe face a costly, time-consuming challenge: identifying which marginal, contaminated, or underutilized lands could actually support biomass production for energy — and whether such projects would be environmentally, socially, and financially viable. Without a centralized tool, companies rely on fragmented data, manual surveys, and country-by-country regulatory research, often missing viable sites entirely.

The solution

What was built

The project built an operational web-based GIS platform that maps marginal, underutilized, and contaminated lands across Europe and assesses their suitability for bioenergy production. The tool evaluates environmental, social, and techno-economic sustainability of defined biomass value chains. In total, 22 deliverables were produced, including guidance on making bioenergy projects bankable and connecting producers with investors.

Audience

Who needs this

Bioenergy project developers looking for viable European sitesEnvironmental consultancies assessing contaminated land reuse optionsAgricultural cooperatives with idle or degraded land seeking new revenueRenewable energy investors evaluating biomass project pipelinesMunicipal governments managing contaminated or abandoned land parcels

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Bioenergy project development

SME

Target: Biomass-to-energy developers and project planners

If you are a bioenergy developer struggling to identify suitable sites for new projects — BIOPLAT-EU built an operational webGIS tool that maps marginal, underutilized, and contaminated lands across Europe. The tool assesses environmental, social, and techno-economic sustainability for defined bioenergy value chains. Instead of months of manual land surveys, you get a digital shortlist of viable sites with sustainability profiles already calculated.

Environmental consulting

any

Target: Land remediation and environmental assessment firms

If you are an environmental consultancy advising clients on contaminated or degraded land reuse — this project created a platform covering 10 European countries that evaluates whether marginal lands can support biomass production. The tool provides sustainability assessments that can feed directly into your client proposals. It also maps legal barriers by country, saving you regulatory research time.

Agricultural land management

SME

Target: Landowners and agricultural cooperatives with idle or degraded land

If you own or manage land that cannot be used for food production due to contamination or degradation — BIOPLAT-EU's platform shows whether your land could generate revenue through energy crop cultivation. The project developed guidance on making such projects bankable and connects biomass producers with processors and investors across a 12-partner network in 10 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to use the BIOPLAT-EU platform?

The webGIS tool was developed as a publicly accessible platform under EU funding. Based on available project data, there is no indication of subscription fees — the tool was designed for public use. However, the project has ended (2021), so current availability and any access terms should be verified via the project website.

Can this tool work at industrial scale for large land portfolios?

The platform was built to cover multiple countries across Europe, with consortium partners in 10 countries (AT, BE, DE, ES, FI, HU, IT, NL, RO, UA). It assesses environmental, social, and techno-economic sustainability for defined value chains, suggesting it can handle portfolio-level screening. The GIS-based approach is inherently scalable for geographic analysis.

Who owns the IP for the webGIS tool and can we license it?

The project was funded as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) with 12 partners. The webGIS tool was developed primarily by UCLM with contributions from FAO and JR. IP arrangements would follow the consortium agreement. Contact the coordinator (WIP, Germany) for licensing or integration discussions.

Does the platform account for local regulations on land use?

Yes — the project explicitly aimed to identify and help remove legal barriers for bioenergy projects on marginal lands. Communication activities with responsible authorities were organized to address regulatory obstacles. Country-specific legal considerations across the 10 partner countries were part of the analysis.

Is the platform still operational after the project ended in 2021?

The project closed in October 2021. The webGIS tool was described as operational during the project. Current status should be verified at bioplat.eu. Sustainability of EU-funded platforms after project end depends on the consortium's maintenance arrangements.

Can the tool integrate with our existing GIS or land management systems?

Based on available project data, the platform is a web-based GIS tool rather than an API or integrable module. It was designed as a standalone public platform. Any data export or integration capabilities would need to be assessed directly through the tool or by contacting the development team.

Consortium

Who built it

The BIOPLAT-EU consortium brings together 12 partners from 10 countries, with a strong geographic spread across Western, Central, and Eastern Europe — including Ukraine, which adds a significant underutilized-land perspective. The 42% industry ratio (5 out of 12 partners) with 4 SMEs signals practical orientation beyond pure research. The coordinator, WIP Renewable Energies (Germany), is an SME specializing in energy infrastructure planning. With 4 research organizations, 1 university, and 2 other entities rounding out the team, the mix favors implementation over theory. For a business looking at bioenergy site selection, this consortium covered real market conditions across diverse European regulatory environments.

WIRTSCHAFT UND INFRASTRUKTUR GMBH & CO PLANUNGS KGCoordinator · DE
JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBHparticipant · AT
THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONSparticipant · IT
CENTRUL PENTRU PROMOVAREA ENERGIEI CURATE SI EFICIENTA IN ROMANIA ENERO ASOCIATIEIparticipant · RO
NESTE OYJparticipant · FI
1TO3 CAPITAL BVparticipant · NL
NAUKOVO-TEHNICHNII CENTAR BIOMASA LLCparticipant · UA
FORSHUNGSINSTITUTE FUR BERGBAUFOLGELANDSCAFTEN E.V.participant · DE
EUROPEAN LANDOWNERS ORGANIZATIONparticipant · BE
GEONARDO KORNYEZETVEDELMI TERINFORMATIKAI ES REGIONALIS PROJEKTFEJLESZTO KORLATOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAGparticipant · HU
UNIVERSIDAD DE CASTILLA - LA MANCHAparticipant · ES
CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

WIP Renewable Energies (Wirtschaft und Infrastruktur GmbH & Co Planungs KG) based in Germany — an SME specializing in renewable energy planning and infrastructure.

Order a report on this consortium See WIRTSCHAFT UND INFRASTRUKTUR GMBH & CO PLANUNGS KG profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how the BIOPLAT-EU land mapping tool could fit your bioenergy site selection process? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the development team and help you assess applicability to your specific land portfolio.

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