Rationale for bioenergy. Biomass-based energy is the oldest source of consumer energy known to mankind, and is still today the largest source of renewable energy, accounting for roughly 10% of world total primary energy supply (TPES) (IEA, 2011a). Most of this is traditional biomass, which plays an important role in providing energy for cooking and heating, in particular to poor households in developing countries. Biomass is a unique source of renewable energy as it can be provided as solid, gaseous or liquid fuel and can be used for generating electricity, transport fuels, as well as heat – in particular, hightemperature heat for industry purposes. Bioenergy can be stored at times of low demand and provide dispatchable energy when needed. Depending on the type of conversion plant, bioenergy can thus play a role in balancing the rising share of variable renewable electricity from wind and solar in the power system. In addition, the possibility to store biomass allows for generation of biomass-derived heat to meet seasonal demand, as is commonly done for instance in Nordic countries. Since bioenergy can be generated from energy crops and biomass residues, as well as organic wastes, there is considerable potential for new sources of income along the whole value chain, from cultivation to harvest, processing and conversion into energy. This can potentially benefit farmers and forest owners and support rural development.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 19:41:19 +0000
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