A significant rise in European demand for biomass is expected over the next decade.
A new study from RISI titled, European Biomass Review, said that the renewable energy policy in Europe will generate a 44% increase in lignocellulosic biomass demand between 2010 and 2020. According to the study, the energy sector will principally drive the increased use of biomass, but the industrial and residential sectors will play a part as well.
Though other renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar and geothermal are developing rapidly, lignocellulosic biomass is currently the largest renewable energy source (RES) and remains attractive due to its relative abundance and reliable supply. The economics of biomass versus other RES is analyzed in the study using macro demand drivers and the National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs), to forecast biomass demand by sector until 2020.
“The NREAPs offer insights into how governments plan to meet the renewable energy targets by 2020,” said Glen O’Kelly, author of the study. “But forecast biomass demand is based on announced investments, carbon costs and the relative economics of biomass, as well as an analysis of macro drivers: forecast GDP, population, household energy use, forest industry production – all considered in this study.”
The review also includes three scenarios for each region for the mobilization of new supply sources by 2020. According to RISI, the key to the future development of European biomass markets is the region’s supply potential and how well it can mobilize new sources of supply, such as forest residues, agricultural residues and energy crops.
For more information, visit www.risi.com/ebiomass.
