Research

The EIP “Sustainable Biogas” project focuses on developing a practical tool to assess environmental sustainability and operational efficiency in agricultural biogas plants. The tool aligns with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II/III), including the collection of currently missing NUTS-2 values for specific biogas substrates, to help farmers meet regulatory requirements more easily. Farmers actively contribute by providing real-world field data (including AI- and satellite-supported data collection), testing the prototype with their datasets, and offering feedback to improve usability and functionality. To ensure broad, low-cost access, the tool is being built as an Excel application that delivers the specialized methodology and extensive data in a flexible, public format. Training materials and regional workshops will support adoption. A second core component is a voluntary system to monitor and reduce methane emissions. Through a leak detection and repair (LDAR) program, the project will not only identify and minimize operational emissions, but also generate more accurate data for sustainability assessments. In addition, a benchmarking system will enable peer comparisons to identify improvement potential. A specification document will ensure integration with an existing biogas benchmarking platform. A practical guide will also outline site-specific optimization measures and emission-reduction actions within the LDAR framework. Overall, the project strengthens the sustainability and competitiveness of Austrian biogas production, supports certification, and sets new standards for transparency and emissions reduction.

Redox Flow Batteries (RFBs) are emerging technologies for large-scale energy storage and are important for climate neutrality, grid stabilization and peak shaving. However, they have their own environmental footprint and can contain hazardous substances such as the 'forever chemicals' PFAS. This project aims to compare, identify and collect data on (potentially) hazardous substances in RFB components, as well as on PFAS-free alternatives (e.g., PEEK or nanocellulose membranes, non-halogenated gaskets, binders or flame retardants, etc.). Information on their technical and environmental performance will be collected in a RFB-specific product inventory, which will form the basis for life cycle considerations. In addition, a laboratory scale release and recycling test will be carried out. This will involve shredding membranes with and without PFAS to simulate recycling and re-granulation processes, during which aerosol measurements will be conducted. The resulting dust (ultra-/fine particles) and regranulates are collected and further tested for toxicity. Tests will include ecotoxicity assessments using zebrafish and Daphnia magna, and human toxicity assessments using lung and skin models. The primary data obtained from the product inventory, release tests and toxicity tests will be used for a chemical footprint assessment (CSA) using USEtox, and for a social life cycle impact assessment. The project results and a stakeholder workshop will be used to derive safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) related key performance indicators and recommendations for sustainable RFB systems free of hazardous substances. The expected results will provide technical guidance to support the production of PFAS-free RFBs to improve occupational health and safety and reduce environmental risks.

The latest nationwide analyses have confirmed that over 60% of residual waste contains incorrectly disposed items or recyclable materials. Reducing this proportion is very important for achieving several EU targets and from the perspective of resource conservation and climate protection. As part of the implementation of a new nationwide analysis concept, monitoring the composition of residual waste by the federal and state governments is becoming increasingly important for effective action planning. As a basis for this, current reporting processes need to be improved, as they do not sufficiently support action planning and evaluation with regard to data visualisation and the identification of easily realisable recovery potential (e.g. by region and waste streams). The aim of the project is to compare residual waste fractions, waste collection rates, skimming potential and waste collection volumes for municipal groups (e.g. district groups, municipalities with the same collection systems) in the state of Lower Austria in a nationwide, anonymous comparison with structurally similar municipalities using • interactive dashboards with, for example, diagrams, tables and area cartograms (see Figures 1 and 2) and • automated, adaptable standard reports . The database includes residual waste and recyclable material collection volumes, residual waste analysis results, and the most up-to-date data on waste management and settlement structure in Austria.