Trøndelag, with its concentration of industry, research institutions and political commitment, is positioning itself to deliver these answers. That was the picture that emerged at a workshop titled “How can Trøndelag become the lighthouse of the bioeconomy?”, in Trondheim on Monday. The event was part of NTNU’s Energy Transition Week. Representatives from industry, research, regional government and national funding bodies gathered to explore how the region can become a driving force in bioenergy and the broader bioeconomy.
Demand is real, and growing
One of the clearest demand signals is being driven by EU regulation. David Emberson, associate professor at NTNU, outlined how the EU's FuelEU Maritime regulation sets requirements for the average greenhouse gas intensity of marine fuels. This covers all energy used for intra-EU/EEA shipping and half of that used for voyages beyond the region. For most ships, which still run on diesel, the only near-term way to comply is to blend in drop-in biofuels that require no engine modifications. But production is nowhere near enough to meet the coming demand.
At ST1 Biokraft, which produces biogas in Trøndelag, head of business development Terje Hyldmo described a similar mismatch. The company has ambitious plans to expand output, but faces unresolved questions. New markets like shipping show potential, but the willingness to pay is not yet high enough. Another bottleneck is that biogas production generates a nutrient-rich residue that could be used as fertiliser, but local demand is limited. Building those value chains is as much a research challenge as a commercial one.
Research as a starting point
Several speakers described research as the foundation for the progress already made in the region.
Gisle Bakken, head of sustainable innovation at Reitan Retail, said the company's innovation process begins with identifying a knowledge gap and working with research partners to close it. At the Norsk Kylling facility in Orkanger, a collaboration with NTNU and SINTEF led the company to rethink the plant in the context of the wider energy system — integrating excess heat from nearby metal production and adding thermal energy storage. "We were encouraged to see the facility not in isolation, but as part of the energy system around it," Bakken said.
Audun Brenne, director of district heating company Lunera Energi, described how what began as waste disposal evolved into a climate-relevant heating network, and how the next frontier, adding carbon capture, could turn the process into a source of negative emissions. Making that step will require further research and development.
Kathrin Weber, research director at SINTEF Energy Research, framed bioenergy as more than a climate measure. It can reduce strain on the electricity grid during extreme cold and provide backup in case of major outages; a point made all the more tangible by the blackout in Spain in the spring of 2025. Understanding how bioenergy fits into the broader energy system, and where it adds the most value, is an active area of research.
Trøndelag fylkeskommune has set a goal of making the region a leader in bioeconomy, and senior adviser Odd Arne Bratland pointed to the region's concentration of students and research communities as a strategic asset.
The workshop also heard from representatives of the Research Council of Norway, Innovasjon Norge, Enova and SIVA, who outlined available support mechanisms. Innovasjon Norge highlighted Bionova, a dedicated programme for bioeconomy projects.
