What do YOU think of when you hear the term bioenergy?

Asking people across Europe what bioenergy is often raises more questions than it solves – and this is understandable!

Today, bioenergy represents the largest renewable energy source in the EU – covering 57,4% of the EU’s renewable energy mix. It is a versatile and flexible energy type. In fact, bioenergy is the only renewable energy source (RES) that can provide for the three main sources of energy needed in both private households and industry: heating, power generation and transportation. Bioenergy is mainly produced from local biomass (import dependency being below 4% for the whole sector), and it generates a considerable economic growth and jobs (more than 800.000 jobs!)

Despite its widely-recognised role in fostering EU climate-neutral transition, the bioenergy industry and its complex value-chain encompass a wide range of products and conversion processes. In fact, bioenergy is a term that can have different meanings for describing various feedstock and uses. Woody biomass, agricultural biomass, energy crops, biofuels, bioheat, biopower, solid biomass, bioliquids and biogas, are all different subcategories of the bioenergy sector. In addition, technological progress regularly generates new feedstocks and appliances – enriching the field of bioenergy with neologisms.

To better understand and assess the role of bioenergy in the EU’s energy transition, it is essential to properly define the terms used in the sector in a straightforward way. This page will guide you through the key facts, main concepts and applications of bioenergy.

Key Facts

Feedstock

EU Forests

Processing

EU Energy Transition

Bioenergy – a versatile and flexible energy source

Bioenergy is the only renewable energy source that can provide for the three main sectors of energy needed in both private households and industry: heating, power generation and transport.

These three sectors are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. According to the latest EUanalysis, bioenergy has the potential to significantly increase within the limits of a sustainably available biomass.

Biomass for heating

76% of bioenergy’s final energy consumption is for heating purposes. Bioheat currently offers a reliable and affordable solution to decarbonising domestic and district heating, as well as the industry. Read more.

Biomass for power generation

Bioenergy covers 5,3% of total electricity in EU-27 and represents 15,4% of total renewable electricity. Because RES intermittency remains an issue biomass is essential to maintaining grid stability since it represents a dispatchable and reliable back-up energy source.
Read more.

Biofuel for transport

The transport sector has always been the most challenging sector for renewables market penetration, representing 6,8% of EU-27 total energy consumption. The biggest contribution to renewable energy in the EU transport system comes from sustainable biofuels (89%), consumption of which grew consistently in the last decade.
Read more.

Bioenergy comes in all shapes and sizes

More than any other renewable energy, bioenergy covers a wide range of feedstocks and conversion technologies.

Organic materials such as plants, algae and organic wastes can be valuable fuels as soon as technology makes it possible to efficiently extract all of their energy potential. We refer to biomass when describing these usable feedstocks.

Biomass currently being used in Europe includes wood from forests, agricultural crops and residues, by-products of the wood and agricultural industries, herbaceous and woody energy crops, and municipal organic waste and manure. Future potential lies with algae and marine biomass.

Solid bioenergy feedstock

More than 2/3 of biomass consumed in Europe consists of solid biomass, which is forestry residue and, to a limited extent, agricultural by-products. Read more.

Biofuel feedstock

Represents 12% of gross inland energy consumption of biomass. Biofuel comes in the form of bioethanol and biodiesel. Bioethanol is mainly produced from grains and sugar beet derivatives. Biodiesel’s most common feedstock remains rapeseed oil, but the use of another feedstock may vary based on local and national production. Read more.

Biogas feedstock

Represents 11% of gross inland energy consumption of biomass. In EU27, landfill and sewage gas accounts for approx 25% of total biogas production with most biogas being produced from anaerobic fermentation of agricultural feedstock (71%). Read more.

Municipal & industrial waste feedstock

Waste-to-energy is the 4th most important category of bioenergy feedstock being used in Europe. Read more.

Biomass & EU forests

In 2019, 70% of the bioenergy consumed in Europe was sourced from forests. Among all biomass materials, wood has always been the most popular source of energy in Europe. Forests are also a key habitat for biodiversity and act as a carbon sink.

Biomass and the state of EU forests

Contrary to popular belief, EU-27 forests have been steadily growing over the past decades. In 1990, European forests totaled 19,7 billion m3 and in 2020 they reached 27,35 billion m3. This means that forest stock increased by 37% over the past 30 years. Read more.

Sustainable sourcing of biomass

Bioenergy providers in Europe do not just use any type of wood indiscriminately. Both for economic and environmental reasons, woody biomass is sourced from by-products of forest management operations and of the wood industry like sawmills. Read more.

Biomass and benefits for the forest

Discussing sustainable woody bioenergy is tricky because it depends on many variables and assumptions. Read more.

Biomass and synergies with the forestry sector

The bioenergy sector has grown steadily, becoming an established player alongside traditional industries. However, this does not mean that wood removal for bioenergy has increased. Read more.

Biomass Processing

Bioenergy is one of the most reliable forms of clean energy being adopted by companies, municipalities and households all across Europe today. This section offers a brief overview of the specific processes and technologies:

Solid Biomass Conversion Processes

If you have ever tried to make a fire using green wood, you already know that combustion happens when moisture is limited. This is why most technologies developed over the past decades have focused on ways to reduce water in the final product. Read more.

Wet Biomass Conversion Processes

Wet biomass is present in high volume across Europe (manure, agricultural waste or by-products). Anaerobic digestion and fermentation are the 2 main conversion pathways used for transforming wet biomass feedstock into advanced fuel. Read more.

Sustainable bioenergy: a flexible renewable energy source and the key to the EU climate and energy transition

Bioenergy’s contribution to the EU’s renewable energy objectives is crucial. By 2020, bioenergy was expected to contribute to half of the EU’s 20% renewable energy target. In fact, bioenergy exceeded this target and currently contributes wih 57,4% to the total renewable energy mix. In 2020, bioenergy consumption in EU-27 reached 139.277 kilotonnes of oil equivalent which is more than double the consumption in 2000.

About the campaign

The campaign is powered by Bioenergy Europe and relayed across Europe by both national and international partners supporting the belief that bioenergy is more than a renewable energy source, it is also a reliable path that will lead Europe to achieve its renewable energy transition in the shortest span of time.

Biomass for heating

H&C share of total EU energy consumption

Bioenergy share in gross final consumption in H&C

Bioenergy share in RES H&C

Renewables are often associated with power generation and transport. Studies show than when asked about renewable heating and cooling technologies, almost 35% of European citizens weren’t able to name one single technology. The heating and cooling sector remains underrepresented, showing great room for improvement. Heating and cooling constitute approx 50% of total EU-27 energy consumption, of which 79% is powered by fossil fuels. Renewables have become a key priority in EU-27 policies, especially concerning the construction sector, which is essential for reaching EU-27 decarbonisation objectives. Bioenergy is currently the leading renewable in heating and cooling (87%) and represents 18% of European gross final consumption of energy in this sector (Bioheat Report, 2019).

In the bioheat sector, residential consumption makes up half of total consumption (49,6%) and remains a strong driver. The residential sector consists of individual heating appliances, such as stoves and boilers using wood logs, woodchips and/or pellets. Industry (26%) and district heating (17%) together represent approx 40% of biomass consumption in the heating sector. This sector, together with medium-scale installations in places such as schools, hospitals and hotels, still has great potential for development. As far as industry is concerned, many companies have already switched from fossil fuels to biomass, but more can be done in the coming years. Heat, brought through district heating networks to individuals and businesses, is also an important component of EU bioheat consumption and is essential, especially in Nordic and Baltic countries. This segment has high potential for further development.

Biomass for power generation

Traditionally, the electricity market has been closely regulated by European policies, allowing renewable energies to make up 33% of the market share. Wind and hydro are leading the transition in the sector. With regards to power generation, bioenergy represents 5,3% of the overall EU-27 generation. Most renewable power is generated by wind, hydropower and photovoltaic sources. Bioenergy represents 16,1% of the EU-27 renewable electricity production. As intermittency remains an issue in the near future, biomass will continue to play a role as the back-up, dispatchable energy source. Contrary to what is said or written about bioenergy, statistics show that in the overall EU-27 power energy mix, a majority of biomass electricity being generated (71%) comes from combined heat and power plants, also known as cogeneration or CHP, rather than from plants producing only power. The situation is the total opposite of traditional power generation from conventional thermal sources. CHP plants represent only 28% whereas power-only plants amount to 72% (Bioelectricity Report, 2020). This demonstrates that bioenergy is actually an effective means for promoting and further developing the use of modern and efficient CHP in Europe.

Biofuel for transport

Renewables represent 8,0% of EU-27 total energy consumption (22.473 kilotonnes of oil equivalent) in transportation, of which 68% is provided by biofuels in 2018. It is rather challenging to foresee how biofuels (in particular first-generation biofuels) will continue to develop, since recent EU legislation established a quota for these biofuels. EU statistics on renewables in transportation can also be misleading regarding the actual level of production, because multiple counting rules are applied in accordance with the EU renewable energy directive. Looking at it in more detail, the biofuel market is driven by biodiesel and bioethanol. Biodiesel was the first biofuel developed and used in the EU in the transport sector in the 1990s. EU-27 remains the world’s largest biodiesel producer and it consumed 13,303 Ktoe in 2018. By comparison, bioethanol consumption in 2018 reached 2,620 Ktoe for an actual production of 2,365 Ktoe (Biofuels Report, 2020).

Solid bioenergy feedstock

Biofuel feedstock

The European biofuel industry is spread between two distinct sectors – bioethanol and biodiesel – which do not rely on the same feedstocks to produce fuel. According to ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association, 5,55 million tonnes of co-products were produced in 2018, of which 4,20 million tonnes were animal feed. The feedstock used by ePURE members to produce European renewable ethanol, for example, was cereals (75%), sugars (21%) and ligno-cellulosic (4%). In the EU, bioethanol is mainly produced from grains and sugar beet derivatives. Wheat is generally used in northwestern Europe, while corn is favoured in Central Europe and Spain. Sugar beet users include France, Germany and Belgium. Regarding the volume consumed for ethanol production, the required feedstock for the 2018 production (5,81 million liters of bioethanol) is estimated at 11,11 million metric tonnes of cereals and 2,07 million metric tonnes of sugar equivalent (mainly from sugar beets). In other words, this means that only approx 3,8% of total EU cereal production and 1,7% of total sugar beet production was used for energy purposes in 2018. Bioethanol is not only a sustainable source of energy due to its low impact on land use, but its production also provides EU farmers with €6,6 billion in income annually. Contrary to popular belief, it does not compete with other grain use, like food production, and does not have a negative impacts on food prices. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the International Food Policy Research Institute even confirm that biofuels and food production can be mutually supportive. Biodiesel’s most common feedstock remains rapeseed oil, accounting for 38% of total production in 2018, but its position is decreasing considerably, due to the increasing use of palm oil and recycled vegetable oil/used cooking oil (UCO). Palm oil comes second place in terms of feedstock (27%), followed by used cooking oil and animal fats (17% and 8% of the total biodiesel feedstock, respectively). UCO is the third most-important feedstock, with the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany in the lead. Other sources of biofuel, such as wood, fatty acids or cottonseed oil, are used depending on local/national production.

Biogas feedstock

The European biogas sector is very diverse. Depending on national priorities, as to whether biogas production is primarily seen as a means of waste management, or as a means of generating renewable energy, or a combination of the two, countries have structured their financial incentives to favour certain feedstock over another. In this regard, two countries represent the two ends of the scale: Germany and Sweden. Germany generates 93% of its biogas from the fermentation of agricultural crops and crop residues, while in Sweden sewage sludge gas accounts for nearly 92% of the biogas production. All other countries use a variety of feedstock combinations. Looking at the big picture, field crops, manure and agri-food industry waste constitute approx 3/4 of the biomass being used for European biogas production, a share that tripled since 2010. Sewage sludge and landfills make up the remaining 1/4.

Renewable municipal and industrial wastes feedstock

Waste-to-energy is the 4th most important category of bioenergy feedstock used in Europe. Approx 410 installations in Europe rely on the yearly waste production of both industry and municipalities. In 2018, Europeans treated a total of 216 million tonnes of municipal waste, of which 28% went to waste-to-energy plants (60 million tonnes), besides recycling (47%) and landfill (23%) practices.

Biomass and the state of EU forests

Contrary to popular belief, EU-28 forests have been steadily growing over the past decades. In 1990, European forests represented a total of 19,7 billion m3. In 2015, EU-28 forests reached 26 billion m3, meaning that forest stock increased by 32% over the last quarter of a century. This growth is due to 2 main reasons: (1) forest areas increasing and (2) a growth in standing volume: (1) According to Eurostat, EU-28 forest coverage gained 322.800 hectares every year, meaning that European forests are increasing by the size of a football field every minute. (2) On average, approx 62% of the annual forest increment in Europe is actually felled, meaning that 38% of this annual increment remains in forests. The situation can vary from one country to another. Forest spread is more common in the Mediterranean region, in countries such as Italy, France, Spain and Slovenia, where at least 40% of the annual increment remains untouched. Carbon stock in EU-28 forests has constantly increased over the past 15 years. European forests store large amounts of carbon both above ground (in the leaves, stems and other parts of plants) and below ground (tree roots, rotting leaves, debris and soil organisms that store carbon). As compared to 2000, the year 2015 saw an increase in both the carbon being stored in the aerial parts of forests and that being stored below-ground, by 19% and 21% respectively. Between 2005 and 2015, the average annual sequestration of carbon in forest biomass, soil and forest products reached 719 million tonnes of CO2. To put this into context, this is equal to the average annual emissions of 97 million Europeans. The fact that forest stock keeps increasing, as well as its carbon sequestration capacity, can be considered positive news for Europe. On the flip side, this creates upcoming challenges for an urbanised Europe to maintain and mobilise the full potential of its forests. According to the latest State of Europe’s Forests Report, 3% of the total forest area in Europe is damaged, generally owing to biotic agents such as insects and diseases. On the other hand, the amount of deadwood – in particular standing deadwood – has slightly increased in most of Europe over the past 20 years. The average volume of deadwood, both standing and lying, ranges between 8 m3/ha in northern Europe and 20 m3/ha in central and western Europe. Lack of control or management can generate additional issues such as forest fires, especially in the Mediterranean region. In 2015 alone, there were more than 58.000 forest fires registered in Europe, with total burnt surface area being over 256.000 ha, releasing 1,9 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere, according to a JRC initial estimate. Bioenergy can play a major role in combatting forest degradation, since extra sources of income for forest owners, municipalities and governments allow them to sustainably manage their forests in the long run.

Sustainable sourcing of biomass

Historically, the European bioenergy sector has developed to work in synergy with other wood-based industries in order to give value to non-mobilised and/or low-value biomass such as sawdust, mill residue, thinnings, low-quality wood, tops and limbs. Bioenergy generators do not use high-quality timber, because using lumber would make the price of energy uncompetitive for end consumers.

For example, in Belgium during the winter of 2016-2017, the price of 1 m3 of lumber (100-120€/m3) was almost 10 times higher than the price of 1 m3 of wood for energy (6-13€/m3). Bioenergy players are not able to match the prices offered by the timber industry. Based on this price index, using Belgian lumber to produce 1 MWh of electricity would cost between 833-1000€. This would actually be 10 times more than the average price of electricity in Belgium (108-235€/MWh).

EU-28 woody fuel consumption reached approx 107 million m3 in 2017. According to UNECE/FAO, only 3,6% of this total consumption came from woody material imports. This means that more than 95% of EU-28 bioenergy consumption comes from local sourcing, providing added value to regional economies and helping the EU-28 reduce its energy dependency.

Biomass and the benefits for the forest

Simple estimates of forest biomass potential for energy use can be derived from the current size of forests, forest removal and the size of the forest bioenergy sector in any given country.

According to the IEA’s estimate, 180.000 ktoe of forest biomass could be mobilised for energy use if current mobilisation logistics are optimised, the proportion of sustainably managed forests is increased and the quality management of mobilised biomass is improved.

The primary energy production from EU-28 forest biomass was 95.207 ktoe in 2017, indicating that there is still room for an increase in forest biomass mobilisation.

If forest biomass mobilisation were to reach 180.000 ktoe, it would replace 67% of the gross inland consumption of solid fossil fuel in 2015!

Biomass and synergies with the forestry sector

With the enforcement of the EU-27 directive on renewable energy, the bioenergy sector has grown steadily, becoming an established player in the wood industry, alongside traditional players such as sawmills, paper producers and panelers. However, when looking at the EU-28 wood removal according to end use, the great majority goes to the wood industry (77,30%). Only a fraction of woody materials is used for energy (22,70%), and this is generally tops, limbs and low-quality wood. This indicates that bioenergy doesn’t necessarily compete with other uses of wood.

Solid Biomass Conversion Processes

Logging, grinding, screening and drying operations are mechanical processes for enhancing solid biomass fuels. These operations help transform biomass into homogeneous fuel that is easy to handle, with a higher energy recovery (eg. woodchips, wood logs, agrofuel). In general, moisture content in woodchips used for energy generation in municipal or industrial plants ranges between 20-30%.

Densification is another popular way to transform woody material into an advanced fuel with high calorific value. This process involves compressing biomass and lowering moisture levels to a range of 8-10%, allowing for an homogenous fuel – either in the form of pellets or briquettes. The heat during compression fuses the lignin in the biomass, naturally binding the biomass together in a new, enhanced shape. Thanks to densification, the homogenous biomass fuel is easier to transport and can be used in automated biomass installations, such as pellet stoves and boilers.

Thermo-chemical conversions are now used to produce fuel with even higher calorific value, utilising torrefaction or steam explosion technologies. During the torrefaction process, wood is subjected to temperatures of 230°C-300°C at atmospheric pressure without oxygen. Comparable to some extent to coffee torrefaction, this method creates a fuel with unique characteristics. As compared to conventional wood, torrefied wood has very low (>5%) moisture content, is easily grindable and is relatively hydrophobic.

Thanks to advanced technologies, woody biomass can also produce liquid and gaseous fuels. Pyrolysis, for instance, is a thermal-chemical conversion that requires a high temperature (>400°C) and little oxygen to convert solid biomass into gas, liquid fuels (pyrolysis oil) and/or biochar. Gasification is another thermo-chemical conversion that takes place at high temperatures (>800°C), with limited oxygen and/or steam, and converts solid biomass into synthesis gas, known as syngas – which contains carbon and hydrogen and can be used to produce liquid fuels such as biodiesel.

Wet Biomass Conversion Processes

Wet biomass is present in high volume across Europe (manure, agricultural waste and by-products). As it contains too much moisture to be converted efficiently into energy via a direct combustion process, other conversion pathways and energy outputs have been developed by the biogas (eg. anaerobic digestion) and biofuel sectors (eg. fermentation). Anaerobic digestion and fermentation are the two main conversion pathways used for converting wet biomass feedstock into advanced fuel.

Anaerobic digestion is the microbiological process of decomposition of organic matter, in the absence of oxygen, and is common to many natural environments; it is largely applied today in order to produce biogas in airproof reactor tanks, commonly referred to as digesters. A wide range of micro-organisms are involved in the anaerobic process which has two main end products: biogas and digestate. Biogas is a combustible gas consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and small amounts of other gases and trace elements. Biogas can be used in direct combustion to produce heat, but also power if converted within a cogeneration plant or in adapted gas motors. Biogas can also be upgraded via purification processes to a biomethane that can be injected into the existing natural gas networks, used as a chemical product and/or vehicle fuel. Digestate is the decomposed substrate, rich in macro- and micro-nutrients and therefore suitable for use as plant fertiliser.

Fermentation is a biochemical conversion whereby microorganisms, including yeast and bacteria, convert matter into products such as ethanol and liquid transport fuel (biodiesel). This process is done in several stages. First, sugary and starchy feedstock such as corn must be crushed and combined with water, allowing enzymes to convert this starch into sugar. This ferments along with the addition of yeast and is distilled into bioethanol. Bioethanol can also be produced from cellulosic biomass, such as grass, wood and stalks, via fermentation; however, this process is more complex and involves a mechanical pre-treatment and the addition of enzymes, or the breakdown of the lignocellulose into sugar through hydrolysis, followed by the same procedure.

Bioenergy comes in all shapes and sizes

Within our close environment, a great source of organic materials such as plants, algae, or organic wastes, can be valuable fuels as soon as a technology makes it possible to efficiently extract all of its energy potential. Bioenergy players traditionally refer to biomass to describe those usable feedstocks. Biomass currently used in Europe includes wood from forests, agricultural crops and residues, by-products from the wood and agricultural industry, herbaceous and woody energy crops, municipal organic wastes and manure, and could potentially integrate algae and marine biomass in the future.

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