On October 15th, 2024, the ALFA project, represented by its coordinator (Q-Plan), had the opportunity to attend the CINEA Cluster Meeting for Aviation/Maritime Fuels and Biomethane in Brussels, joining forces with 32 other Horizon Europe projects working on renewable fuels, 
biofuels, and biomethane technologies. This event, organised by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), aimed to create a platform for sharing knowledge, collaborating, and discussing relevant policy frameworks that will shape the future of sustainable energy.
The projects within this cluster are focused on utilising similar feedstocks and technologies, with a shared goal of developing renewable fuels. The cluster-participating projects, which attended the event were:
- ALFA: Focuses on supporting the production of biogas in livestock farming by using manure, promoting both energy and financial independence and sustainability.
- CarbonNeutralLNG: Works on developing a cost-effective and carbon-neutral process for liquefied natural gas (LNG) production.
- METHAREN: Demonstrates a circular biomethane production system, managing renewable energy sources more efficiently.
- BIOMETHAVERSE: Aims to increase the cost-effectiveness and adoption of biomethane technologies.
- HYFUELUP: Develops technology to produce biomethane via gasification and methanation for long-haul maritime and road transport.
- PHOTO2FUEL: Uses artificial photosynthesis to convert CO2 with bacteria and polymers into biomethane.
- SEMPRE-BIO: Promotes novel, cost-effective biomethane production pathways to boost market uptake.
- FlexSNG: Focuses on producing synthetic natural gas and biochar through biomass and waste gasification.
- BIOStar2C: Aims to revise biomethane standards to ensure consistent quality across the industry.
- GreenMeUp: Seeks to enhance the deployment and uptake of biomethane across the EU.
Each of these projects shares a common vision of advancing biomethane technologies and creating more sustainable energy solutions.
The Cluster Meeting: A space for collaboration and policy development
The Cluster Meeting brought these projects together to not only share their innovations but also to explore how policy frameworks can support the technologies and fuels they are working on. With the common goal of accelerating the development of renewable fuels, the event was an opportunity to identify areas for collaboration, tackle shared challenges, and discuss how to best position these technologies within the broader energy landscape.
ALFA had a significant presence at the event, showcasing two posters. One highlighted the overall work within the ALFA project, while the second shared findings from the analysis of a social acceptance survey focused on biogas production using manure as feedstock. This survey, developed by White Research and supported by all project partners, delved into the factors influencing public attitudes towards biogas, which is crucial for driving its adoption.
Additionally, ALFAā€™s coordinator, Ioannis Konstas from Q-Plan, presented an ongoing initiative for continuous collaboration among biomethane Horizon Europe projects. This initiative, featuring bimonthly meetings moderated by ALFAā€™s D&C manager (WR), was praised as a best practice for establishing ongoing cooperation and knowledge sharing. Itā€™s an excellent example of how project clusters can work together more effectively, both within and beyond formal meetings like this one.
The discussions at the event covered a wide range of topics, including opportunities for collaboration in developing policy recommendations for biomethane projects, the barriers these projects face in implementation, and sharing innovative approaches and best practices.
