Opening ceremony
Mr. Zhang Shougong, CAF President, was delivering his speech
Mr. Timothy Cross, Chancellor of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S., was delivering his speech
Mr. Li Jianzhu, Deputy Director General, Department of Science and Technology Development, SFA, was delivering his speech
Mr. Wang Chunfeng, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation, SFA, was delivering his speech
Mr. Zhou Yonghong, Director General, Research Institute of Chemical Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, CAF, was delivering his speech
Mr. Chu Fuxiang, Vice President of CAF, was presenting his report
Signing the cooperation agreement
Unveiling ceremony
Representatives
During 6-7 Nov, the 2017 Sino-US Seminar on Lignocellulosic Biomass Science and Engineering, hosted by CAF and University of Tennessee was convened in Nanjing.
Mr. Zhang Shougong, CAF President, Mr. Timothy Cross, Chancellor of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S., Mr. Li Jianzhu, Deputy Director General, Department of Science and Technology Development, SFA, Mr. Wang Chunfeng, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation, SFA, Mr. Willian Brown, Dean of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S., and Mr. Zhou Yonghong, Director General, Research Institute of Chemical Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, CAF, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by Mr. Chu Fuxiang, Vice President of CAF.
At present, with the increasing population, constraints in resources and excessive consumption of fossil fuel, mankind is faced with pressure of economic development and environmental protection. Development of technologies and industries on biomass transformation and efficient utilization plays a positive role in sustainable development of human society and natural and ecological environment. China and the U.S. are the largest two economies, but also the largest producer and consumer of fossil fuel products. It is of importance for China, the U.S. and the world at large to conduct research on biomass resources jointly and reducing consumption of fossil fuel resources, in particular, as 80% of China’s population live in rural areas.
Mr. Zhang Shougong, CAF President, said that the development of forest biomass industry depends on that of forest science. On scientific and technological innovation of biomass industry, CAF set up innovation platforms, including national engineering laboratory of chemical utilization of biomass, research center of chemical processing and utilization of forest products, technology innovation alliance of bio-based materials industry, and key laboratory of chemical processing and utilization of forest products of SFA. Fruitful results have been made, and a large number of experts, scholars and technological talents cultivated, who are reputable in efficient transformation and utilization of biomass. Strengthening international cooperation on scientific and technological innovation with clear goals and pragmatic actions can promote progress of China and other countries. The University of Tennessee is renowned in biomass resources production and utilization research in the U.S. It could work with CAF to jointly establish the biomass science and engineering research center, a platform for cooperative research, academic discussions and personnel exchanges. This can further enhance CAF’s research and development level in biomass science and engineering.
Mr. Zhang Shougong expected that the biomass science and engineering research center can attract research institutes in biomass science and engineering from China and the U.S. for basic research in key and common technologies breakthrough and utilization. In this way, synergies will be produced, and the research center be stronger to become a Sino-U.S. biomass science and engineering cooperation research network benefiting both countries and the world.
Mr. Li Jianzhu said that as a government agency with administration over forestry, the State Forestry Administration attaches importance to development of biomass industry. A large number of scientific plans and programs have been conducted. SFA promotes to establish the state and provincial level scientific innovation platforms, talent cultivation in forest biomass industry, pilot demonstration and setting up examples.
During the 12th five-year plan, SFA conducted programs of forest biomass industry on biomass energy and materials in non-commercial forest research, making breakthroughs in many key biomass resources utilization technologies, including efficient transformation of all component biomass, cultivation of cellulosic ethanol and butanol bacteria, production of liquid fuel and follow-up upgrading. During the 13th five-year plan, research on utilization technologies of residues in plantations and physical and chemical basics of timber material improvement were conducted in the earmarked program of forest resources cultivation and efficient utilization, with a fund totaling nearly 400 million RMB. SFA facilitated to set up a series of platforms for major disciplines on the forest biomass industry, including the state key laboratory of forest genetics and tree breeding, state key engineering laboratory of chemical utilization of biomass, national research center for bamboo and rattan technologies and SFA biomass energy engineering center. Four pilot bases were identified, nurturing a group of discipline leaders, scholars and research talents for core technologies to build a team of high-level talents, which support the development of forest biomass industry.
Mr. Li Jianzhu believed that China and the U.S. would make new breakthroughs in development and utilization of new technologies in forest biomass science and engineering, showing prospects for new economies, industries, operations and modes in forestry.
Mr. Wang Chunfeng hoped that enhancing scientific cooperation and exchanges between China and the U.S. in forest biomass science and engineering, expanding the international innovative and cooperative network, and building a sound international innovative and cooperative platform could practically help China and the U.S. solve key technological difficulties in biomass resources and processing and utilization. He also suggested that scientific and research innovation should be enhanced for shared benefits, personnel exchanges strengthened for talents cultivation, and multi-method cooperation conducted for the leadership role.
At the opening ceremony, Mr. Zhang Shougong and Mr. Timothy Cross signed the cooperation agreement representing CAF and the University of Tennessee respectively, and unveiled the title of the biomass science and engineering research center.
The Seminar was organized by Research Institute of Chemical Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, CAF, the national engineering laboratory of chemical utilization of biomass, the research center of chemical processing and utilization of forest products and Jiangsu key laboratory for biomass energy and material.
More than 100 experts, scholars and young students from the University of Tennessee, Beijing Forestry University, Nanjing Forestry University, Northeast Forestry University, Southwest Forestry University, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hunan Academy of Forestry, Xiangshuling State Laboratory, and Research Institute of Forestry, Research Institute of Wood Industry, Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Research Institute of Chemical Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, China National Bamboo Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Office and Division of International Cooperation of CAF attended the Seminar. (Wang Jianlan and Li Zhiqiang, Office, Chen Yujie, Division of International Cooperation, and Liu Jiajia, Research Institute of Chemical Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, CAF)
