Transcript The potential role of biomass in the EU

The potential role of biomass in the EU
Veerle Dossche
FERN Bioenergy Campaign
The campaigning NGO for greater environmental and social justice, with a focus on forests and
forest peoples rights in the policies and practices of the EU
Aim
FERN wants to launch a discussion that aims to look
at the potential role woody biomass could play in a
Europe that uses energy sustainably.
Questions :
• What is role of wood into future energy mix ?
• Under which conditions can we support the use of
wood to be used for biomass ?
EU energy scene
• Rising global demand + growing worries over energy security
+ climate change
• Overall, EU depends on fossil fuels for approx 80 % of its
energy needs.
• Energy mix within the EU varies widely from country to
country and region to region
• If present trends continue, world energy demand is set to
increase by more than 50 % by 2030
• World energy outlook (2007): from 2012, oil supplies will be
tight.
• EU has set out number of policies and energy targets to deal
with challenges of supply, Climate Change, etc
RES in EU’s energy mix
Share of renewable energies in primary energy consumption of
European Union countries in 2005 (in %)
Renewables and biomass
Share of each resource in the renewable primary energy production (in %)
EU’s biomass potential
59 Mtoe of
wood and
wood wastes; 3
Mtoe of biogas;
and 5 Mtoe of
municipal solid
waste
Wood fuel sources for Europe and North America
How important is wood energy in the energy
supply picture ?
Biofuels from wood
• Now more attention for second generation biofuels
• 31 mtoe would be needed in order to meet transport
target, how much wood needed to cover this ?
• Technical development not ready and expensive
• Competition for resources would increase prices and
imports
Competition over wood resources
• CEPI members responsible for 27 % of global paper
and pulp production
• Industry is both largest producer and consumer of
biomass based energy in Europe ; they produce 25 per
cent of the EU total.
• Already competition between the industry and
bioenergy sector for wood resources.
• CEPI demands : need for policies and incentives that
stimulate biomass production ; mobilise existing
resources and encourage new ones.
Biomass does not escape from environmental criticism
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Land availability
Increased conflicts over land resources
Fertilizer and pesticide input
Deadwood
Perennial energy crops (short rotation crops)
Forest inventories
Stump uprooting
GMOs
etc
Conclusion
• Woody biomass at present account for a major share
of renewable energy generation in Europe
• If resources are well managed and efficiently used,
then wood based biomass could have potential and
contribute to meeting the EU’s RES targets
• Mistakes that have been made in regard to the
formation of agrofuels policy must not be repeated
• But what are the conditions ? Let’s discuss.
www.fern.org
Avenue de l’Yser 4
Brussels 1040 • Belgium
t +32 (0)2 733 08 14
e [email protected]
m +32 (0)498 54 48 73
The campaigning NGO for greater environmental and social justice, with a focus on forests and
forest peoples rights in the policies and practices of the EU