The Role of Biomass in the Renewable Energy System (original) (raw)
Related papers
2022
At European level, Directive 2018/2001 / EU on energy from renewable sources is the legal framework for its development in all sectors of the EU economy. Among the other sources, biomass for energy (bioenergy) continues to occupy a leading place in the EU, with a share of almost 60%. Biomass energy can be used for heating, electricity and transport fuels, contributing to economic growth, job creation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Biomass production takes place from the growth of raw materials to the final conversion of energy, but ultimately renewable energy in biomass must meet the sustainability criteria. At present, sustainability criteria are regulated for agricultural biomass that does not have to come from forests with high forest biodiversity. The process of producing pellets consists of subjecting the very fine dry biomass to high pressures and temperatures, and the compression is done through a hole of a few millimeters where small cylinders are produced which are ...
Woody biomass as an energy source : challenges in Europe
2001
The annual use of wood energy is in Denmark 6 TWh, in Finland 68 TWh, in Norway 12 TWh and in Sweden 80 TWh. Over 40% of the wood raw material input of the Nordic forest industries end up indirectly as fuel. In Finland and Sweden, therefore, the share of wood in the consumption of primary energy is larger than in other industrialized countries. Since all industrial wood residues are already used for the production of energy, the future increase in the use of wood energy will be based on the unutilized biomass reserves of the forests, i.e. small-sized trees from young stands and logging residues from final harvest. The paper examines the biomass reserves of the Nordic forests, alternative recovery systems for smallsized trees and logging residues, and the properties of forest chips. Finally, the present use and price development of forest chips in Finland are reviewed.
Total costs and benefits of biomass in selected regions of the European Union
Energy, 2000
The paper describes results of the BioCosts project in which a comprehensive analysis of the economic and environmental performance of the energy use of biomass was carried out for selected existing facilities throughout the European Union. It is demonstrated that the appropriately organized use of biofuels has significant environmental advantages compared to the use of fossil fuels. Mitigation of global warming is the largest single incentive to use biofuels. However, only a few technologies are economically competitive under prevailing conditions, while others lead to up to 100% higher energy production costs than fossil fuels. Employment effects of using biofuels are small but positive.
OVERVIEW ON THE BIOMASS MANAGEMENT OF THE EUROPEN UNION
avacongress.net
The utilization of renewables contributes not only to the environment protection and sustainable development, but it encourages the creation of local employment, it makes the energy supply more secure, it makes possible for the Kyoto Protocol objectives to be realized in short term and it also has favourable effects on social cohesion, which is a basic principle for the future development of the EU.
European biomass resource potential and costs
Biomass and Bioenergy, 2010
The objective of this study is to assess the European (EU27 þ and Ukraine) cost and supply potential for biomass resources. Three methodological steps can be distinguished (partly based on studies explained elsewhere in this volume) (i) an evaluation of the available 'surplus' land, (ii) a modeled productivity and (iii) an economic assessment for 13 typical bioenergy crops. Results indicate that the total available land for bioenergy crop production-following a 'food first' paradigm-could amount to 900 000 km 2 by 2030. Three scenarios were constructed that take into account different development directions and rates of change, mainly for the agricultural productivity of food production. Feedstock supply of dedicated bioenergy crop estimates varies between 1.7 and 12.8 EJ y À1. In addition, agricultural residues and forestry residues can potentially add to this 3.1-3.9 EJ y À1 and 1.4-5.4 EJ y À1 respectively. First generation feedstock supply is available at production costs of 5-15 V GJ À1 compared to 1.5-4.5 V GJ À1 for second generation feedstocks. Costs for agricultural residues are 1-7 V GJ À1 and forestry residues 2-4 V GJ À1. Large variation exists in biomass production potential and costs between European regions, 280 (NUTS2) regions specified. Regions that stand out with respect to high potential and low costs are large parts of Poland, the Baltic States,
Biomass energy in industrialised countries—a view of the future
Forest Ecology and Management, 1997
Biomass fuels currently (1994) supply around 14% of the world's energy, but most of this is in the form of traditional fuelwood, residues and dung, which is often inefficient and can be environmentally detrimental. Biomass can supply heat and electricity, liquid and gaseous fuels. A number of developed countries derive a significant amount of their primary energy from biomass: USA 4%, Finland 18%, Sweden 16% and Austria 13%. Presently biomass energy supplies at least 2 EJ year−1 in Western Europe which is about 4% of primary energy (54 EJ). Estimates show a likely potential in Europe in 2050 of 9.0–13.5 EJ depending on land areas (10% of useable land, 33 Mha), yields (10–15 oven-dry tonnes (ODt) ha−1), and recoverable residues (25% of harvestable). This biomass contribution represents 17–30% of projected total energy requirements up to 2050. The relative contribution of biofuels in the future will depend on markets and incentives, on continuous research and development progress, and on environmental requirements. Land constraints are not considered significant because of the predicted surpluses in land and food, and the near balance in wood and wood products in Europe.There is considerable potential for the modernisation of biomass fuels to produce convenient energy carriers such as electricity, gases and transportation fuels, whilst continuing to provide for traditional uses of biomass; this modernisation of biomass and the industrial investment is already happening in many countries. When produced in an efficient and sustainable manner, biomass energy has numerous environmental and social benefits compared with fossil fuels. These include improved land management, job creation, use of surplus agricultural land in industrialised countries, provision of modern energy carriers to rural communities of developing countries, a reduction of CO2 levels, waste control, and nutrient recycling. Greater environmental and net energy benefits can be derived from perennial and woody energy cropping than from annual arable crops which are short-term alternative feedstocks for fuels. Agroforestry systems can play an important role in providing multiple benefits to growers and the community, besides energy. In order to ameliorate CO2 emissions, using biomass as a substitute for fossil fuels (complete replacement, co-firing, etc.) is more beneficial from social and economic perspectives than sequestering the carbon in forests.Case studies are presented for several developed countries and the constraints involved in modernising biomass energy along with the potential for turning them into entrepreneurial opportunities are discussed. It is concluded that the long term impacts of biomass programmes and projects depend mainly on ensuring income generation, environmental sustainability, flexibility and replicability, while taking account of local conditions and providing multiple benefits, which is an important attribute of agroforestry-type systems. Biomass for energy must be environmentally acceptable in order to ensure its widespread adoptions as a modern energy source. Implementation of biomass projects requires governmental policy initiatives that will internalise the external economic, social and environmental costs of conventional fuel sources so that biomass fuels can become competitive on a ‘level playing field’.
The Potential of the Bioenergy Market in the European Union—An Overview of Energy Biomass Resources
Energies
One of the bases of the European policy and energy strategy is the biomass and bioenergy obtained from it. It is estimated that by 2023, the annual demand for biomass will have increased from the current level of 7 EJ to 10 EJ. There are significant differences between estimates of the bioenergy potential due to the fact that the authors of publications do not use consistent methodology and assumptions. Forest biomass, agricultural residues, and energy crops are the three main sources of biomass for energy production. Energy crops are likely to become the most important source of biomass. Land use and its changes are a key issue in the sustainable production of bioenergy as the availability of biomass determines its potential for energy security. This article is a review of the latest publications on the bioenergy potential of the member-states of the European Union. The consumption of energy and its potential were presented, with a special focus on renewable sources, especially bio...
2018
This report illustrates part of the results from the first two years of JRC biomass study, carried out in the context of the mandate on the provision to EC services of data and analysis on biomass flow, supply and demand on a long-term basis. Finally, a comprehensive set of environmental impact indicators, beyond climate change impact, has been proposed to be added to the modelling framework. EU publications You can download or order free and priced EU publications from EU Bookshop at: http://bookshop.europa.eu. Multiple copies of free publications may be obtained by contacting Europe Direct or your local information centre (see http://europa.eu/contact).
Sustainable biomass supply in EU
Over 50% of the targets for renewable energy use in 2020 as specified in the National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) will need to come from bioenergy. As a consequence the demand for biomass will increase strongly over the coming years. In the Biomass Futures project it is estimated that the EU biomass potential ranges between 375 to 429 MtOE depending on the sustainability criteria applied. This would cover at least 2.5 times the amount that is needed to realize the total bioenergy demand as set in the NREAPs for 2020. In a demand analysis with the RESolve model it is predicted that only a part (37%) of domestic biomass supply will actually be exploited by 2020 while the rest of the demand will be met by imported biomass. The question now arises as to whether there a mismatch between the bioenergy supply and the final demand? What types of biomass sources are expected to be under exploited and is there a need to stimulate their use in order to diminish our import needs and ...