Biomass potentials

The potential availability of lignocellulosic biomass for bioenergy and the sustainability of its production is assessed by the application of environmental, social, economic, policy and institutional indicators and criteria in selected target regions.

Thereby, the requirements of different sectors and activities including: energy, buildings, industry, road transport, maritime transport, aviation are taken into account.

The review of feedstock potentials is focused on lignocellulosic biomass, including some commodities such as pyrolysis oil and pellets (also torrefied ones), as follows:

  • Primary and secondary forest residues.
  • Agricultural residues (for 2G and advanced biofuels).
  • Dedicated energy crops (woody and herbaceous).
  • Current forest plantations and land availability for further forest plantations.

Potentials of the following regions are examined:

    • For forest biomass: North America (e.g. SE USA, East and West Canada), South America (e.g. Chile) and Eastern Europe (e.g. NW Russia and Ukraine). Most of these regions have also been identified by the IEA Bioenergy Task 40 as likely supply regions of woody biomass / wood pellets.
    • For agricultural residues: SE Asia (e.g. Indonesia, Malaysia) and South America (e.g. Brazil, Argentina and Colombia).
    • For lignocellulosic dedicated energy crops and forest plantations: North America (e.g. SE USA), East Africa (e.g. Mozambique and Tanzania), Eastern Europe (e.g. Ukraine) and South

To assess the sustainable biomass potentials of the various selected lignocellulosic feedstock, first the theoretical potential is evaluated based on existing data for the selected export countries, and information collected from respective stakeholders. The theoretical potentials will be determined based on the most updated data on agricultural and forestry productivity, land use and land use projections and other relevant data on product/residue ratios, projections on productivity increase, etc.

After that, the sustainable potential will be calculated based on factoring the criteria and indicators which constrain the potential. These constraints will be applied at relevant spatial scales (stand/field level, country/region level).

BioTrade2020plus Reports on Potentials for download

Report on Availability and Sustainable Potentials (D2.1) (download)

Assessment of sustainable lignocellulosic biomass export potentials from Indonesia to the European Union (D3.1) (download)

Assessment of sustainable lignocellulosic biomass export potentials from Brazil to the European Union (D3.2) (download)

Assessment of sustainable lignocellulosic biomass export potentials from Ukraine to the European Union (D3.3) (download)

Biomass Use and Potential for export to the European Union from 2015 to  2030 United States Southeast – Case Study (D3.4) (download)

Assessment of Sustainable Lignocellulosic Biomass Potentials from Kenya for export to the European Union 2015 to 2030 (D3.5) (download)

Progress report on WP 3 case studies Colombia (D3.6) download