Page 25 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2019 publication
P. 25
Spring 2019 European Energy Innovation 25
BIOENERGY & BIOFUELS
of bioenergy is of paramount Feedstock categories in Renewable Energy Directive –
relevance, i.e. it must deliver optimal 2030 Recast
greenhouse gas (GHG) savings and
it must be produced according to 14%
strict sustainability requirements.
These sustainability criteria include 12%
restrictions on biomass production in
high biodiversity value land (primary 10% MIN 1.00% MIN 3.50%
forests, highly biodiverse forest, MIN 0.20% MAX 1.70%
protected areas and highly biodiverse MAX 3.80%
grasslands) and in high-carbon stock 8%
land, such as wetlands, forest land
and peatland. Furthermore, forest 6%
biomass needs to comply with Land-
Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry 4%MAX 7.00%
(LULUCF) criteria. 2%
Combined heat and power (CHP) 0%
provides currently 11 % of Europe’s 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
electricity and 14 % of its heat.
Biomass fuelled CHP had about Renewable fuels of non-biological origin
21 % from the total CHP market of
in the EU in 2017. The Scandinavian Advanced biofuels & biogas IX (A)
countries with large forestry Waste-based biofuels & biogas Annex IX (B)
biomass resources have the highest Food/Feed biofuels
penetrations rates.
As for biofuels, the Directive ensures hybrids offer flexible solutions final), which identifies ten priority
that the share of renewable energy applicable to both energy supply actions aimed at accelerating
allocated for final consumption in and energy storage, including solar the transformation in the energy
the transport sector (road and rail) thermal systems, Concentrated system through coordinated or
reaches at least 14% by 2030. The Solar Power (CSP), geothermal, heat joint investments between EU
contribution of biofuels derived from pumps, waste heat recovery, etc. Member States, private stakeholders
food and feed crops is capped at (including research and industry)
7%. Within the overall 14% quota, Bioenergy can be competitive and the European Commission. The
the contribution of the so-called in some cases, especially when Implementation Plan (IP) of Action 8,
advanced biofuels shall be equal to cheap or even negative cost of Bioenergy and Renewable Fuels for
at least 0.2% in 2022, 1% in 2025 and biomass feedstock, such as waste Sustainable Transport, proposes to
increasing up to 3.5% minimum by and residues, is available. While a prioritise the execution of Research
2030. number of bioenergy technologies and Innovation (R&I) activities to
approach maturity, further technology achieve the SET Plan targets for
Bioenergy has a primary role to play development is needed to allow renewable fuels for transport, other
on the road to a low-carbon energy promising technologies to reach renewable fuels of non-biological
system, by allowing higher integration commercial production and to origin, bioenergy intermediate
of variable, intermittent sources of achieve cost competitiveness. carriers, renewable hydrogen and
renewable energy (such as wind and large-scale biomass CHP.
solar) into energy systems. Biomass The main focus is to close the gap
power production can be used to between research and innovation As the European Commission’s
deliver continuous electricity or grid and industrial implementation of Science and Knowledge Service, the
balancing, offering certain flexibility innovative technologies. In this Joint Research Centre supports EU
capability in operation. A number respect, the European Commission policies in the field of bioenergy and
of bioenergy solutions are currently adopted a Communication for biofuels, covering the entire policy
available and are applied at various an Integrated Strategic Energy cycle from research and innovation to
size ranges to enable flexible power Technology Plan (C(2015) 6317 implementation of regulatory acts. l
generation. Integrated bioenergy
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
