Sustainable Energy Days: practical workshops on renewable energy for primary school students: the BEONNAT project

The Centre for the Development of Renewable Energy (CEDER-CIEMAT) is a public research body focused on the use of biomass energy, the study of wind energy in small wind turbines, and the search for practical solutions for the integration of renewable generation sources and storage systems in smart microgrids.

After the success of the Sustainable Energy Days held about TIGON project, we considered that, among all the European projects of CEDER-CIEMAT, the BeonNAT project, related to Circular Economy and Biomass Energy could also be an interesting option for school students.

With the BeonNAT project (Innovative value chains from tree & shrub species grown in marginal lands as a source of biomass for bio-based industries), we aim to increase natural resources, not at the expense of viable farmland, but through the intelligent use of marginal lands and currently little or no exploited shrubs and trees to supply the demand for bio-based materials such as extracts, essential oils, bioplastics, particleboards, wood pulp, biochar, active carbon and absorbents for pets and to contribute to sustainability and biodiversity. In line with the precepts of the circular economy, the potential energy of residual biomass after the extraction of bio-based products will be explored.

At CEDER-CIEMAT we have an Energiteca, a fun but scientific space where we can carry out interactive activities. We also have a greenhouse where visitors can check out the initial steps needed to produce some of the plants which will be used later for establishing plantations to produce both bioproducts and bioenergy. In the Energiteca, we display examples of different biomasses at different stages of the pelletisation process, so that visitors can distinguish the particularities of each of them. We also have a giant periodic table of elements, which shows if a certain chemical element is present or not in biomass. After the Energiteca and the greenhouse, we will play a renewable energy escape room.