IEA Bioenergy has published its Annual report for 2022. The comprehensive 105-page report covers all aspects of bioenergy systems, the bio-economy and its impact on climate and sustainability.
IEA Bioenergy is a Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) set up in 1978 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) with the aim of improving cooperation and information exchange between countries that have national programmes in bioenergy research, development and deployment.
“The report, which is based on work conducted by some 200 experts active within the IEA Bioenergy Tasks, presents an evidence-based assessment of the status of bioenergy around the world. The report’s goal is to reinvigorate awareness and interest in bioenergy, address concerns that arise in the public debate, and demonstrate the synergies between bioenergy and other renewable as well as the biobased economy. It also seeks to point out opportunities that can be seized by IEA Bioenergy member countries, most of which have a strong bioenergy strategy already in place, and also by countries outside the IEA Bioenergy membership.”
The report concludes that biomass can have an important role in reducing fossil fuel consumption in the short to medium term – but also has a role in the longer term in sectors where carbon neutrality is difficult to achieve. It also states that biomass will be important alongside other renewables to provide negative greenhouse gas emissions and that bioenergy should not be considered in isolation, but as part of a broader, circular bioeconomy in which materials, food and energy are co-produced.
The report also notes that in the longer term, a transition to bioenergy and renewables won’t in itself be enough and longer-term Carbon Dioxide removal will need to be applied to achieve negative greenhouse gas emissions. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) will be critical in achieving negative emissions, combining renewable energy production with CO2 removal from the atmosphere.
The report is divided into two parts:
- Part A “Strategic View on Biomass and Bioenergy” deals with bioenergy and its contribution to a sustainable future.
- Part B “Technologies for Sustainable Bioenergy” describes the status and perspectives of different bioenergy technologies.
While primarily directed at policy and decision-makers, it is also an authoritative reference for a broader stakeholder audience. The full report can be accessed here: https://www.ieabioenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Annual-Report-2022.pdf
