The role of biomass in the European energy system

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The role of biomass in the European energy system

• Current and future developments
• Perspectives for the European agricultural sector

By Herwig RagossnigAEBIOMEuropean Biomass
Associationwww.aebiom.org
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Content of Presentation

• What is AEBIOM ?
• Contribution of biomass to the energy system
• Future energy goals for biomass in Europe
• The diversity of biomass for energy purposes
• Biomass to heat
• Biomass to electricity
• Biofuels for transportation
• Overview about different energy outputs per
  hectare
• Outlook

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What is AEBIOM ?

• The European Biomass Association (AEBIOM) is
  a non profit Brussels-based international
  organisation founded in 1990. Its objective is to
  study and promote bioenergy in Europe
• Notably to support any initiative at national and
  international level aiming at the promotion of
  the use of bioenergy and to communicate to policy
  makers the opportunities and concerns regarding
  the development of bioenergy in Europe.
• Association there are currently 28 members,
  along with companies from all over Europe who are
  engaged in the business of bioenergy

AEBIOMEuropean Biomass Associationwww.aebiom.org
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The Contribution of Biomass to the European
Energy System
Gross inland energy consumption 1747 Mtoe (2004)
Renewables 109 Mtoe (2004)
Renewable heat 50.6Mtoe (2004)
Renewable electricity 37.5 Mtoe (2004)
Liquid biofuels 3.3 Mtoe (2005)
100
Others
100
95.7
Biomass
65.8 72.3 Mtoe
Mtoe Million tons of oil equivalent
15.6
4.1
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Future energy goals for biomass in Europe
according the Biomass Action Plan (COM(2005)528)

• Target for 2010 ? Additional 80 Mtoe (based on
  2003)

149 Mtoe
19 Mtoe
18 Mtoe
Liquid biofuels
27 Mtoe
75 Mtoe
Biomass for heat
1 Mtoe
69 Mtoe
Biomass for electricity
48 Mtoe
35 Mtoe
55 Mtoe
20 Mtoe
2003
2010
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The supply of Biomass for Energy in 2004 and
projections for 2020 (Mtoe)
!!!
The potential of biomass for energy in Europe is
much bigger than its present use, but this
potential has to be developed by activities on
local, regional, national and international
level. AEBIOM Estimates
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The Diversity of biomass for energy purposes
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Biomass to Heat (1)- General Aspects

• Biomass for heat production is the most efficient
  form of biomass use (conversion efficiency of
  over 90)
• Can be used in any scale from small scale
  pellet stove with 2 kW capacity up to district
  heating networks with some MW of capacity.
• Due to new technologies the use is very consumer
  friendly full automatic pellet or wood chip
  heating systems are in their user-friendliness
  very similar to oil or gas heating systems.
• Despite these advantages of biomass to heat it
  grows slower than bioelectricity and biofuels due
  to a lack of political support.

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Biomass to heat (2)- Opportunities for the
agricultural sector

• Supplier of wood based biomass resources like
  wood chips and wood logs
• - The annual incremental wood growth in the EU
  reaches 574 Mm³ per year. Only 315 Mm³ are
  currently used by the forest based industries.
  Therefore there is still a high unused potential
  for energy purposes.
• Plantation of short rotation forests (willow,
  popular etc.) or perennial energy crops like
  Miscanthus etc.
• Farmers as heat sellers (Energy Contracting)
• - Farmers can act as operator of small
  district heating networks outgoing from their
  farm to deliver heat to neighbors.
• - Farmers can act as heat suppliers to
  individual buildings, like schools or other
  public buildings. In this case they rent the
  costumers cellar and close a contract with the
  owner of the building

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Biomass to heat (3)
Small district heating plant
Harvest of short rotation forest
Energy crops
Collecting forest residues for energy use
Wood chip burner
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Biomass to electricity (1)- General aspects

• In 2004 22.03 Mtoe biomass were used to produce
  67.91 TWh electricity
• The small scale use of solid biomass for
  electricity production will be a promising field
  in the future due to new technologies (small
  scale steam turbines, gas motors, Stirling engine
  etc.)
• The agricultural sector will gain substantially
  on importance to deliver the necessary biomass
  resources (Short rotations forests, perennial
  energy crops. etc)
• For the agricultural sector combined heat and
  power production (CHP) by converting biogas to
  bioelectricity and bioheat is at the moment the
  most important technology.

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Biomass to electricity (2)- Biogas production

• Overview about primary production of biogas in
  the EU 25 from 2004-2006

• Other biogas mainly biogas plants on farms using
  manure or energy plants like corn, cereals or
  grass as raw material.
• The primary energy production in biogas plants
  is growing with impressive rates and has due to
  the high efficiency and environmental benefits a
  promising future.
• In the last few years many farmers built biogas
  plants in countries with high feed in tariffs for
  electricity from biogas. In countries like
  Germany or Italy the development was very
  dynamic. AEBIOM calculates that in 2006 ca
  600.000 ha arable land were used to produce
  energy crops for biogas plants.

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Biomass to electricity (3)- Biogas production
Methane yield rate
ODS Organic Dry Substance
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Biofuels for transportation (1)
European Union Ethanol and Biodiesel production
2000 - 2006 (kt)
The biofuels production in the EU was rising
sharply from 2003 to 2006. The reason for this
take off is the Directive 2003/30 EC for the
promotion of liquid biofuels that proposes a
target of 5.75 for all countries by 2010.
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Biofuels for transportation (2)- Opportunities
the agricultural sector

• Due to the European climate commitments and
  renewable energy targets for the EU, future
  market opportunities are given.
• Farmers can act as feedstock producers or invest
  in cooperation with other farmers in small scale
  biofuel plants.
• The use of pure vegetable oil in tractors and
  machines is a promising way to reduce costs and
  increase energy independence.
• In the middle term biogas for transport will play
  a more important role to fulfill the biofuels
  target of the European Union

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Overview Energy output per hectare on the basis
of average yields 2002-2004 (toe per ha)
The energy output per unit land varies widely
depending upon the plant cultivated, the yield
attained and the technology used to transform the
solar energy stored in the plant to final energy
Conventional forest assumed yield 7 m³/ha and
year
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Outlook

• The agricultural sector will play a decisive role
  in the fulfillment of future RES targets.
• The additional mobilization of biomass will be
  realized due to utilization of set aside land,
  energy crops, short rotation coppices,
  mobilization of wood resources and increased
  yields in Eastern European countries
• For example The average yield for wheat in
  Belgium in 2005 was 8.42 t/ha (European maximum)
  in Poland this was just 3.95 t/ha and in Romania
  just 2.97 t/ha
• The total arable land available in the EU 27 is
  around 109 mill. ha. In 2005 7.2 mill. ha were
  set aside land which can be used in the future
  for biomass production. For the moment 2.5 Mha
  are used for energy crops in the EU 27. This
  figure will increase significantly.
• Due to improved agricultural practices and
  other measures a high biomass potential can still
  be mobilized

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Thank you for your attention
Contact Herwig Ragossnig Tel [phone]
61 Fax [phone] Email  
ragossnig_at_aebiom.org European Biomass
Associationwww.aebiom.org