Bioenergy

Bioenergy are diversified systems to convert biomass resources into heat, power and transportation fuels. Biomass is the biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from agriculture (including vegetable and animal substances), forestry and related industries, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste. Conventional crops for non-food use: starch crops (maize, wheat, corn, barley), oil crops (rape seed, sunflower) and sugar crops (sugar beet, sweet sorghum...) Dedicated crops: short rotation forestry (willow, poplar) and herbaceous (grasses) Forestry by-products: logging residues, thinnings, etc. Agricultural by-products: straw, animal manure, etc. Industrial by-products: residues from food, and wood-based industries Biomass Waste: demolition wood waste, sewage sludge and organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

Bioenergy

Three ways of using the biomass resources constitute the bioenergy sector: Biomass for heating purposes (bio-heating), Biomass for electricity production (bio-electricity), Biomass for transport fuels (transportation biofuels)

All these processes enable to take profit of the CO2 mitigation potential of biomass. The CO2 released is equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by the biomass (photosynthesis) in the growing phase.
Practically, the equivalent of 10 to 30% of the energy content of the raw biomass is used in cropping, transport, conversion and upgrading. This amount of energy can partially come from the biomass itself, which makes the overall CO2-balance nearly neutral.
Therefore, biomass can substantially contribute to reach the targets of the Kyoto protocol and to reduce long-term greenhouse gas emissions.

Key Advantages of Biomass

• Widespread availability in Europe and abroad
• Contribute to the security of energy supply
• Low fuel cost compared to fossil fuels
• Can be stored and used on demand
• Stable employment opportunities, especially in rural areas
• Good opportunities for technology exports
• Reduced CO2 and other emissions
• Source of many business opportunities
• Contribution to a balanced growth of agriculture

Biomass Potential

The potential for Bioenergy is very large and widely distributed throughout the world. Today, biomass is already the major contributor to the total world energy needs of all renewable energy technologies available, and reaches 12 % (50 EJ/y) of the total world need (406 EJ/y). The use is essentially based on agro-forestry residues and natural forest. Because bioenergy can be implemented at small, medium and large scale, it is applicable to a wide variety of resources and processing/utilisation schemes. There is a need for wider availability of modern and efficient technologies of bioenergy, and great efforts are being made to promote the contribution they can make towards environmentally, technically and economically sustainable use of resources. In the future, a large contribution to Bioenergy production may also derive from dedicated crops (Short Rotation Forestry plantation, herbaceous crops).

Job Creation

Bioenergy production creates new and stable jobs, mostly in rural areas. It contributes to a balanced growth of agriculture. High demand for biomass conversion and utilisation technologies can be expected in the future in both industrialised and developing countries. This means major export opportunities for European technologies, know-how and services, particularly for small and medium capacity plants. The table below shows that the implementation of the Biomass Action Plan would involve the creation of 182.000 additional jobs in the EU.

BIOMASS ACTION PLAN
of the European Commission for a coordinated approach to biomass policy

The Biomass action plan sets out measures to increase the development of biomass energy from wood, wastes and agricultural crops by creating market-based incentives to its use and removing barriers to the development of the market. The Biomass Action Plan is a coordinated programme for community action, including measures to improve demand for biomass; improve supply; overcome technical barriers; and develop research. In this way Europe can cut its dependence on fossil fuels, cut greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate economic activity in rural areas. Cost effective measures in favour of biomass need to be developed at European level to: Draw maximum advantage from national & local innovation and Provide a clear way forward for major industries organised on a European scale Share burdens fairly.