Project: Terrasolis

Terrasolis is the innovation centre for low-carbon agricultural resources. Its goal is to create and commercialise a dynamic ecosystem for agriculture high in biomass production (renewable carbon) with low GHG emissions, serving the stakeholders and populations of the Grand Est region. The objective of the centre is to demonstrate that agriculture is a sustainable and resilient economic activity generating high levels of added value for farmers and the local communities alike, providing the resources required to meet the needs and challenges facing society. To this end, it focusses its activities in 6 areas: carbon, agronomy, agricultural machinery, digital, genetics, agricultural biomass and energy transition. These themes are then transformed within Terrasolis Hub, Terrasolis Farm, Terrasolis Energy and Terrasolis Park.

At its Living Lab within the Terralab, the 5-year operational objective of Terrasolis is to construct the first low-carbon territory within the Grand Est region, based on a model of circular economies where agriculture is central and a source of solutions, where the issue of green mobility acts as a link between industries, economic sectors and citizens (Viticulture/Agriculture/Transport/Citizens).

Terralab is structured around 3 main pillars, developed in synergy:

• Terrasolis Farm, a 220 ha pilot farm dedicated to increasing carbon productivity (+25%) and to fossil energy autonomy (-75%, targeting improvement in the overall carbon footprint). With agronomic work, innovative cultivation systems, machinery and new technologies, the Terrasolis experimental farm is an actual-scale demonstrator of low-carbon but high-performance and sustainable agriculture and a vehicle for improving R&D and knowledge transfer to the benefit of the region’s stakeholders.
• Terrasolis Energy, a division promoting creation in the Grand Est of centres of energy excellence in renewables (CEERs) dedicated to the production of green energy (from biomass and agricultural by-products) and to green mobility. One of the first CEERs will therefore be established at Terralab. Meeting the demands of energy transition, producing energy and added value from agricultural biomass and demonstrating that agriculture is able to provide solutions are just some of the questions to be tackled by the creation and development of the CEERs and renewable energy commercialisation systems (network of multi-energy stations…).
• Terrasolis Park, a 25 ha business park dedicated to hosting activities and companies related to agriculture, renewable energies and the bioeconomy. To contribute to the dynamism and attractiveness of the Grand Est region is the objective of the Terrasolis Park. Currently being developed, the business park is designed to develop services (agricultural machinery, storage) and to host companies. The association has imagined and created an offering structured around agriculture, the bioeconomy and renewable energies in order to attain its goal of developing a dynamic low-carbon ecosystem generating innovations and added value for the region.

With its systems, expertise and network of 42 members, Terrasolis therefore has the means to create an open operational ecosystem and low-carbon benchmark, channelling demonstrations and innovations in response to the challenge of energy transition and a low-carbon circular economy.