BIOMASS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

Biomass energy plays a vital role in meeting local energy demand in many regions of the developing world. Biomass is a primary source of energy for close to 2.4 billion people in developing countries. It is easily available to many of the world’s poor and provides vital and affordable energy for cooking and space heating. Biomass-based industries are a significant source of enterprise development, job creation and income generation in rural areas. Modern biomass energy is widely used in many developing countries as well as in parts of the industrialized world. With proper management backed by adherence to appropriate ecological practices, modern biomass can be a sustainable source of electricity as well as liquid and gaseous fuels. Biomass, therefore, is not only a vital source of energy for many today but is likely to remain an important source of energy in the future subject to its sustainable exploitation.

Biomass energy plays a vital role in meeting local energy demand in many regions of the developing world. Biomass is a primary source of energy for close to 2.4 billion people in developing countries . It is easily available to many of the world’s poor and provides vital and affordable energy for cooking and space heating. Biomass-based industries are a significant source of enterprise development, job creation and income generation in rural areas. Modern biomass energy is widely used in many developing countries as well as in parts of the industrialized world. With proper management backed by adherence to appropriate ecological practices, modern biomass can be a sustainable source of electricity as well as liquid and gaseous fuels. Biomass, therefore, is not only a vital source of energy for many today but is likely to remain an important source of energy in the future subject to its sustainable exploitation.

Various global studies on the potential of biomass indicate that its use is expected to increase in the future. The IEA estimates that final consumption of biomass energy will increase in most regions , although at a slower rate than conventional energy consumption. The share of biomass energy in total global energy supply will, however, not increase and is expected to remain at about 11% .

Modern biomass technologies have the potential to provide improved energy services based on available biomass resources and agricultural residues. Widespread use of combined heat and power generation biomass options in rural areas can address multiple social, economic and environmental issues that now constrain local development.

The availability biomass power in rural areas could help provide cleaner, more efficient energy services to support local development, promote environmental protection, provide improved domestic fuels and improve rural livelihoods. Bioenergy technologies based on sustainable biomass supply are carbon neutral and lead to net CO2 emission reduction if used to substitute fossil fuels.

The progress has been made, the 2010 target of 21 % renewable electricity for EU corresponding to 22.1 % for EU15 will not be achieved under current policies and measures. Instead, currently implemented policies will probably result in a share of between 18 % and 19 % in 2010. In total, renewable energy accounted for about 15.2 % of total electricity generation in 2002. It has been identified that the main reason why the target is not being achieved is because the production of electricity from biomass has not been as high as initially foreseen. To ensure that biomass will contribute in the planned way to achieve the renewable energy goals for 2010 the European Commission presented an Biomass Action Plan4 in December 2005. This action plan sets out measures to increase the development of biomass energy from wood, wastes and agricultural crops by creating market-based incentives to its use and removing barriers to the development of the market.