Opportunities for bioenergy in the Baltic Sea Region

Security of energy supply, promotion of the bio-economy, nutrient recycling, and innovation are prioritized policy areas in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUBSR). The Baltic Sea Region (BSR) has a great bioenergy potential worth exploring in this context. This paper explores the state-of-art of bioenergy systems and synergies with eco-systems services in the BSR region in the context of developing the region’s bio-economy. In this brief assessment, we consider 8 countries (i.e. Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, and Belarus) in the region. While the production and use of modern bioenergy can help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, promote energy security, diversify energy resources, and contribute to a successful circular economy and rural development, it is important to find a balance between the exploration of resources and the management of eco-systems services. In addition, both climate change vulnerability and bioenergy production may affect the environment and the capacity of the BSR to deliver ecosystem services (ESS). We recommend integrated strategies for optimal use of bioresources in the region. Bioeconomy can be realized by innovative approaches, establishing cross-cutting institutional and policy linkages for increased prosperity and green growth in the Baltic Sea Region

Towards redox active liquid crystalline phases of lipids: a monoolein/water system with entrapped derivatives of ferrocene

The phase and electrochemical behavior of the aqueous mixtures of monoolein (MO) and synthetic ferrocene (Fc) derivatives containing long alkyl chains -(Z)-octadec-9-enoylferrocene (1), (Z)-octadecen-9-ylferrocene (2), and ferrocenylmethyl (Z)-octadec-9-enoate (3)-were studied. At low hydration, the reversed micelles (L-2 phase) and cubic Q(230) phase of MO can accommodate relatively high amounts ( > 6 wt.%) of the Fc-derivative 2, whereas at high hydration, the pseudoternary cubic phase Q(224) is destabilized even at about 2 wt.% of this Fc. Increasing the Fc-derivative content induces L-alpha L-2 and L-alpha --> reversed bicontinuous cubic phase (Q(II)) H-II transitions depending upon hydration. A rough study of the MO system containing compounds I and 3 indicates very similar phase behavior to that of the MO/2/H2O system. Compound 2 apparently has no effect on the lipid monolayer thickness in the pseudoternary L-alpha, H-II and Q(II) liquid crystalline phases of MO. Within a 3D-structure of the Q224 phase, derivatives 1-3 exhibit electrochemical activity on the gold electrode. The one-electron redox conversion processes are electro-chemically quasi-reversible and controlled by diffusion. The values of apparent diffusion coefficient (D-app) and heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant (k(s)) of Fcs are significantly lo er in the cubic,phase matrix when compared to the acetonitrile solution. By contrast, the MO H-II phase with entrapped Fc-derivatives does not exhibit electrochemical activity on the electrode surface. It is suggested that the diffusional anisotropy and/or localized aggregation of compounds 1-3 within a 2D-structure of the H-II phase account(s) for the latter observation. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved