The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)’s 1.5°C Scenario forecasts that bioenergy will contribute to over 18 percent of the total final energy consumption (TPEC) by 2050, including direct uses (16 percent) and electricity generation (2.3 percent).

To raise awareness of the significance and highlight the critical role of sustainable bioenergy in the global energy transitions, IRENA has issued a joint statement alongside the Clean Energy Ministerial Biofuture Platform Initiative, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Energy Agency (IEA), the IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA Bioenergy TCP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Developed by a Cross-Initiative Coordination Group on Bioenergy and convened by the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP), the statement seeks to address the persistent debates about what role bioenergy should play in support of climate and development goals.

Versatile, storable, and dispatchable

Bioenergy derivatives are versatile, storable, and dispatchable, making them ideal for directly replacing fossil fuels in various sectors, including transport, power and heat production, industrial processes, and clean cooking.

They can complement other renewable sources, thus enhancing the resilience and sustainability of energy systems.

Currently, biofuels are regarded as one of the most feasible options in hard-to-abate sectors, such as aviation and shipping, which require energy-dense carriers.

We must be realistic – our decarbonization targets cannot be met without sustainable bioenergy, especially in hard-to-abate sectors. We need bioenergy to achieve net zero, and only good governance can ensure its sustainable use and practice, said Roland Roesch, Director, Innovation and Technology Centre.

Bioenergy is context-dependent

Since bioenergy sources are intricately tied to geographical, biophysical, and socio-economic factors – particularly in land-based sectors – varied feedstock options for diverse end-uses present unique energy transition pathways in different regions.

This leads to tailored decarbonization strategies that meet the specific needs of different countries.

As depicted in IRENA’s recent bioenergy reports, diverse business models and supply chains highlight the regional intricacies of bioenergy dynamics, especially in emerging markets like Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The benefits and trade-offs of bioenergy systems are context-dependent, requiring careful consideration of local needs and priorities.

When produced with energy-efficient and low-emission technologies, sustainable bioenergy contributes significantly to inclusive energy transitions, particularly in regions where other decarbonization options are either costly or unavailable.

The joint statement emphasizes the crucial role of sustainable bioenergy – derived from a variety of biomass resources – in the bioeconomy.

It can be produced from integrated systems in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture, alongside food and bio-based products, or from biogenic waste and residue streams.

What makes bioenergy attractive is its contribution to local socio-economic growth, especially for communities whose livelihoods rely heavily on bioeconomy.

Robust governance is required

In order to maximize the benefits of sustainable bioenergy while minimizing potential risks, robust governance is required.

This includes evidence-based assessments of environmental, economic, social, and political factors, ensuring food and energy security, climate justice, biodiversity stewardship, land and water rights, and alignment with local development priorities.

Principles of nature-based solutions, such as stakeholder engagement and informed consent, are critical in this process. Recognized norms for quality and sustainability are essential for facilitating investments, fair trade, monitoring, and verification.

In summary, sustainable bioenergy plays a vital role in the global energy transitions, supporting climate and sustainable development goals.

Through good governance, bioenergy – as part of the greater bioeconomy – can contribute to addressing risks related to land and resource use, food security, natural ecosystems, and carbon stocks, while promoting equity, justice, and economic competitiveness.

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The IUFRO World Congress is interdisciplinary and integrative in scientific content, a global forum for scientists and stakeholders to discuss technical and societal issues of forest-related research, policy-making, and management.

The opening session included a performance by folk music band Systerpolskan and folk musician Cajsa Ekstav, highlighting the cultural aspects of wood, trees, and forests. Fredrik Ingemarson, Chair of the Organizing Committee, HM King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden, Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren, John Parrota, President of IUFRO, and Maria Knutson Wedel, Vice-Chancellor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) – the host organization – held opening remarks.

In his welcome address, HM King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden noted that the last time Sweden hosted the event was in 1929, when “my great-grandfather Gustaf V was King. Back then, the forest played a crucial role in fostering stability in rural areas, providing both economic and social security.”

The most recent forest conference was held in Brazil in 2019. The difference between boreal forests and the Amazon might seem big. But this week, many examples of similarities as well as common challenges will be discussed too. To manage forests sustainably, whether they are in boreal forests or the South, we need certain basics in place to create resilient systems. These include stable institutions like government agencies, robust markets, and solid research to help us make smart decisions supporting a greener future, HM King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden said.

HM The King also highlighted the role that conferences like IUFRO 2024 play in “building bridges between continents and people, addressing common challenges, and showcasing forest solutions for a sustainable society.”

This includes the role of “forests as carbon sinks in helping to combat climate change. Protecting and sustainably managing forests is essential to maintaining their role in capturing carbon.”

Sweden has a proud tradition of sustainable forestry. This includes family forestry, where families manage forest lands over generations. It also involves the unique right of public access, allowing everyone to enjoy the forests. Our hunting and wildlife management practices help keep ecosystems balanced and diverse, which is crucial for protecting nature. Sweden has also created a sustainable countryside through long-term ownership and collaboration among forestry stakeholders, industry, and local communities. This has created stable markets for forest products and services, making forestry a vital part of our economy, HM King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden said.

The Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren, echoed the sentiments of HM The King while emphasizing the importance of both regional and global cooperation in forestry research while Maria Knutson Wedel, Vice-Chancellor, SLU emphasized the importance of IUFRO for academia, students, and researchers.

Tree-planting ceremony

Founded in 1892, the first IUFRO congress took place in 1893. Since then, congresses have usually been held every five years in different parts of the world.

A tree-planting ceremony was held on June 23, 2024, at the Skansen Open-Air Museum in Stockholm. This event, a longstanding tradition within IUFRO, symbolized resilience and the enduring connection between generations and continents.

It also provides a platform for the host countries to showcase their regional culture and traditions related to forest and tree usage.

We applaud Skansen for their unwavering commitment to forests. This tree-planting ceremony not only celebrated our rich forestry heritage but also paved the way for future generations to appreciate and protect our natural environment. The Skansen venue was the perfect setting for this ceremony, commented Fredrik Ingemarson, Chair of the Organizing Committee.

Oaks and pines

Two oaks and two pines were ceremoniously planted, representing the rich forest culture of northern Europe.

The event featured a renowned choir “Allmänna sången” performance and included speeches from dignitaries representing the City of Stockholm, IUFRO, and Sweden.

We are proud to host this historic event. It not only highlights the importance of our forests but also strengthens the bond between diverse cultures and communities, said Yvonne Nordlind, CMO of Skansen expressing her pride in hosting the event.

The 27^th IUFRO World Congress is set to take place in Nairobi, Kenya.

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The production and consumption of pellets stagnated worldwide, breaking a two-decade-long trend of uninterrupted growth.

After years of continued growth, 2023 marks the first instance in which the global pellet market underwent a slight contraction. These are not happy news for the sector, said Pablo Rodero, President of the European Pellet Council (EPC) adding that the report “helps market actors understand the underlying causes, allowing them to adapt.”

Europe remains the largest producer and consumer

Despite slight contractions in the market, the European Union (EU) remains the world’s largest pellet producer and consumer. It produces 44 percent of the world’s pellets and consumes 50 percent.

The report finds that the challenges facing the European pellet industry are threefold: higher input prices, falling industrial demand, and a record-warm winter.

Electricity, a key cost for pellet production, remains more expensive following the energy crisis leading to elevated pellet prices.

Higher pellet prices and a volatile energy market have caused power-only producers to significantly scale back on production.

Finally, record-high temperatures during the winter reduced the need for heating, decreasing the demand for pellets.

Growth in residential- and commercial heating

Despite the challenges, the use of pellets for heating in the residential market remained strong.

In 2023 the share of residential and commercial consumption of pellets reached 59 percent, the highest in a decade.

Pellet heating is a good option for households, especially in rural areas rich in biomass with lower connections to the energy system.

Biomass heating reduces heat-related electricity demand at the time of year when renewable electricity production is often lower and less efficient.

By reducing the load on the electricity grid, bioenergy can complement electrification, lower electricity needs, increase energy efficiency, and safeguard the EU’s energy future.

For us as an association, it is now particularly important to reaffirm the image of pellet heating as a reliable, clean, sustainable, and especially price-stable source of heat and to work towards a secure regulatory environment, said Doris Stiksl, CEO of Propellet Austria commenting on the report.

Call for “wise implementation” of the Green Deal

Bioenergy Europe highlights that to fight climate change and increase Europe’s energy autonomy, “the new EU leadership needs to ensure a wise implementation of the Green Deal while continuing to replace fossil fuel with renewables such as bioenergy from wood pellets.”

To that end, Bioenergy Europe has put together three proposals for the new EU leadership “3 Steps Towards the Energy Transition”. The European bioenergy sector is ready to scale up and push forward for a more sustainable, affordable, and innovative EU.

Despite significant progress, our industry’s growth is being stunted by the EU’s continued dependence on fossil fuels. It is imperative that we accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources to stabilize energy prices and combat climate change effectively, commented Jean-Marc Jossart, Secretary General of Bioenergy Europe.

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That adds up to a job multiplication factor of 12. For comparison’s sake, the job multiplication factor for the sector that includes solar photovoltaics (PV) is 6.50 and the multiplier for the sector that includes wind turbines is 3.73.

Providing new impetus for President Biden’s National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative launched in June 2023, the report illustrated state-by-state gains linked to the transformation of renewable biomass into new products.

And most importantly for policymakers, the report explains why, “A considerable competitive and policy advantage of these industrial bioeconomy jobs is their tie to U.S. soil, both literally and figuratively—these jobs are here and stay in the U.S.”

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Guillaume Boissonnet, Research Director at the CEA’s I-Tésé Institute, is this year’s General Chairman and the CEA will be well represented alongside IFPEN, INRAE, CIRAD, CNRS, the academic world, ADEME, FranceAgriMer and the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment.

Exploring the full potential

In Europe and France, bioenergy is the most widely used renewable energy making a significant contribution to the defossilization of the energy mix.

Although biomass is mainly used to produce heat and electricity, it has great potential for other applications such as biofuels, biogas, and biomolecules for the chemicals and materials industries.

European policies and those of several countries, including France, show that this resource will play an important role, both in terms of its uses and its carbon storage properties: food, materials, molecules, energy, and negative emissions.

It is also an ambitious component of the National Low Carbon Strategy and the National Biomass Mobilisation Strategy. It is also the subject of several national programs and public-private partnerships for energy transition.

Packed program

The EUBCE 2024 conference program, coordinated by the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC) with the support of the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking, with nearly 800 presentations, will be an opportunity to discover the latest scientific, technological, and commercial trends, and to review the latest research and developments from institutes, universities and companies around the world, as well as energy policies.

It will be an opportunity to answer the questions that arise now that a large number of technologies have reached technological maturity and the feasibility of industrial processes has been demonstrated:

• How to develop the best use of biomass in sectors that need to be defossilized but are difficult or impossible to decarbonize?
• How can we harmonize the approaches and interests of the various research, industrial, and economic communities at the European and national levels?
• What legislation(s) should be in place to ensure that increased use respects ecosystems and biodiversity and addresses Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) issues?

The opening morning of the conference will take place on the morning of June 24, 2024, and will be attended by scientific, industrial, and institutional leaders.

High-level representatives from the International Energy Agency (IEA), ADEME, the General Secretariat for Ecological Planning, the General Directorate for Energy and Climate, and the Ministries of Research, Agriculture, Environment and Economy will be present.

Representatives of the European Commission Joint Research Center, the European Parliament, and the Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region will also be present.

The welcome ceremony and speeches by the PACA Region, the City of Marseille, and the host, the University of Aix-Marseille will take place late on June 24, 2024, in Parc Chanot.

It’s time to make it clear that biomass has a key role to play in Europe’s energy future while preserving its role as a carbon store and sink. It’s time to show that biomass can be advantageously combined with other decarbonized energy sources and vectors such as electricity, heat, and hydrogen. It’s time to show that the circular carbon economy is a concept for the future, applicable to both biomass and CO₂, said Guillaume Boissonnet, General Chairman of the Conference, and Research Director at CEA.

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According to a statement, the Irish Government is “committed to supporting the delivery of up to 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030.”

The National Biomethane Strategy sets out the necessary policy and regulatory measures, and provides a roadmap, to developing a biomethane industry of scale in Ireland. The development of the Strategy focused on a framework of five interlinking pillars seen as critical to target delivery:

• sustainability;
• demand for biomethane;
• bioeconomy and the circular economy;
• economics of biomethane; and
• enabling policy requirements.

Each pillar has been aligned with twenty-five key strategic actions. Each action looks to address the challenges and support the opportunities anaerobic digestion and biomethane production has to offer.

Implementation of the Strategy and delivery of these actions will require concerted action across key Government Departments and agencies to ensure the necessary support and infrastructure are in place to support the biomethane industry.

A newly formed Interdepartmental Biomethane Implementation Group will oversee the implementation of the Strategy, measure its impact, and monitor target delivery. The Implementation Group will report directly to the Heat and Built Environment Taskforce.

An integral part of the Strategy is sustainable production. An early action for delivery will be the development of a Biomethane Sustainability Charter in consultation with policy, industry, and societal stakeholders.

The Charter will support an agri-led biomethane industry, whilst having regard to established goals for the protection and restoration of water, soil, biodiversity, and ecosystem services and protect against any unintended negative consequences.

Further market certainty is required

Responding to the publication, IrBEA says that it “welcomes biomethane strategy publication but further market certainty is required to attract investment.”

The publication of the biomethane strategy is another step forward in the development of the industry in Ireland. The initial feedback from members on the strategy is that further market certainty will be required to attract investment and to make projects fundable and viable. While capital grants and the renewable heat obligation (RHO) are outlined as mechanisms to stimulate a market for biomethane, further details and long-term certainty will be required on these measures to encourage investment, Seán Finan, IrBEA CEO said.

IrBEA members in their response to the initial consultation on the draft strategy indicated their concerns regarding capital grants driving up development costs and favoured an ongoing operational support mechanism.  It’s disappointing this has not been considered, explored, or referenced in the strategy. Ongoing operational support has been the funding mechanism of choice used in many developing and established European biomethane markets including Denmark which is broadly lauded as a best practice example. Given the cost of feedstock and ongoing feeding requirements of a biomethane system, the fundamental question of AD plant economic viability exists. A capital grant alone or with an obligation will not eliminate this viability challenge, Seán Finan said.

Lacks details on renewable heat obligation

The strategy commits to the introduction of a renewable heat obligation (RHO) in the heat sector in 2024 which will incentivize suppliers of fossil fuels used for heat, to ensure a proportion of the energy they supply is renewable.

Until the details of this obligation are finalised it is not possible to determine if it will constitute an adequate market stimulant.

We welcome the commitment to introduce the RHO. The RHO introduction has been talked about for years. Why the delay? Why are the main design components not included in the biomethane strategy to give the market confidence that it can deliver? The obligation threshold level, the percentage obligation by 2030, the types of renewable fuels allowed to fulfill the obligation, and the buyout rate are all critical components that require particular attention in the design for a successful obligation scheme to deliver. The industry awaits these details to give the certainty that it will deliver as envisaged, remarked Seán Finan.

Digestate presents a considerable opportunity

The biomethane strategy correctly identifies that one of the by-products of anaerobic digestion is digestate, which can serve as an alternative to chemical fertilizers, thus reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers in agriculture.

Digestate presents a considerable opportunity for Ireland. However, the strategy fails to acknowledge in either the text or actions to deliver, the regulatory challenge posed by the Nitrates Directive and the 170kg/N/Hectare limit in replacing inorganic chemical fertilizer with organic digestate despite this issue being flagged in our consultation response on behalf of members, commented Seán Finan.

Other IrBEA feedback on the biomethane strategy includes:

• The strategy does not identify the strategic risks associated with imported fuels including biomethane (fuel or certificates) or Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)  and its traceability, as a cheaper drop in fuel, on the development of the Irish biomethane industry.
• Minister Ryan’s statement in his foreword suggests a considerable reduction in gas usage by the mid-2030s, “as we shift our economy away from gas in favour of electrification”. The substantial reduction in dependence is unrealistic given the dependence of the energy system on gas and the need to balance growing intermittent electricity generation by wind and solar with dispatchable generation. Domestic and industrial heating will, through inertia, not deliver the considerable gas dependence reduction suggested with current policy.
• IrBEA welcomes the strategies recognition that different sizes and scales of AD plants will be required in Ireland to deliver the target including a mix of Scenario 1 ‘Widespread Deployment’ (farm scale) and Scenario 3 ‘Economic Deployment’ (large scale).
• IrBEA welcomes the recognition of existing Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plants currently operating to produce biogas and that they will be eligible for capital support to upgrade their facilities to produce biomethane and other biobased products, along with new AD plants.
• IrBEA welcomes the opportunity and potential for biogas that is transported directly to users and that the Biomethane Implementation Group, GNI, and SEAI will determine the best method for certifying this biomethane that is directly transported to end users from biomethane developments.
• IrBEA states that the Biomethane Sustainability Charter must be developed by active and meaningful engagement through meetings and structured dialogue with the industry and not just an online consultation without engagement.
• IrBEA is concerned that the industry or its representatives are not recognized as stakeholders in any of the measures for delivering the National Biomethane Strategy. How will the industry feed into the implementation group, the biomethane charter, or any of the other actions? How will the Biomethane Implementation Group interact with industry (plant operators and developers) and IrBEA as their representative body?

The strategy is another step toward the mobilization of the biomethane industry. We must move quickly towards implementation to deliver on the ambition and targets set out by the Government, concluded Seán Finan.

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The EU is already one of the largest export markets for US ethanol and there is still so much opportunity for growth as its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction policies continue to develop. Ethanol uses like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will make a massive impact on reducing the transportation sector’s carbon footprint and these countries deserve recognition for their forward-thinking mindset on creating a cleaner, safer environment for us all, Cory Sifferath said.

The team arrived in Oslo, Norway, and met with advisers from the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment on May 13, 2024.

The day’s docket also featured a meeting with ZERO, a non-profit leader in carbon emission reduction strategies in Europe.

Norway implemented an E10 gasoline blend to consumers in 2023 and in 2020 became the first country to mandate SAF blending. The government plans to blend SAF at 30 percent by 2030.

On May 14, 2024, the USGC delegation traveled to Stockholm Sweden to participate in a roundtable with representatives from Bioenergy International; Colabit; the European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE); Lantmännen Group; the International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) Task 39; the Swedish Bioenergy Association (Svebio), and the World Bioenergy Association (WBA).

High-blend ethanol, E85, for flexi-fuel vehicles (FFVs), was introduced in Sweden in 2005, and E10 was introduced in 2021.

Sweden also has a high demand for biofuel-blended diesel fuel, presenting several major opportunities for ethanol growth in the country.

For instance, ED95, a blend of 95 percent ethanol and a 5 percent ignition improver for modified diesel engines with a higher compression ratio and an adapted fuel system, was launched in Stockholm city buses back in 1985.

Scania and Lantmännen relaunched ED95 for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) in late 2018.

Sweden raised its SAF blending mandate to 1.7 percent in 2022 and in 2023, Trollhättan-Vänersborg Airport (THN) became the first in the world to offer blended SAF for all aircraft refueling.

Of note too is Swedish Biofuels AB, the inventor of the original Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology to produce fully formulated SAF (FFSAF) from alcohols. Patented in 2004, the proprietary technology produces a ready-to-use drop-in jet fuel, not a blend component.

The visit continued in Helsinki, Finland, with meetings with the Bioenergy Association of Finland (Bioenergia) and the renewable energy policy unit at the Finnish Ministry of Economy and Employment.

Finland aims to have the majority of its energy come from renewable sources and reduce GHG emissions from the aviation sector by 30 percent by 2030. The government also provides financial incentives for consumers to purchase E85-compatible vehicles.

Our meetings in Finland, Norway, and Sweden were a great opportunity to better understand the sustainability objectives of the countries and to explain how US producers are well positioned to assist them on their journey to GHG reduction, commented Doug Berven.

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EPF aims to discuss matters focusing on pellet applications for heat generation in the domestic, commercial, and industrial sectors, not industrial pellets for utility applications.

This year, the EPF is being hosted by Propellet France, the French national pellet association. Furthermore, it is being held in conjunction with Carrefour International du Bois, a biennial tradeshow that brings together exhibitors and international visitors in the solid wood processing- and wood products trade.

This is potentially a big deal.

Founded in 1992, Carrefour International du Bois has grown to become a three-day event with over 14,000 visitors, and some 630 exhibitors from 40 countries showcasing everything from sawn wood to wood-based panels, engineered wood products (EWP), flooring to highlight a few.

Against this background, co-locating the 2^nd European Pellet Forum with Carrefour International du Bois in Nantes makes perfect sense.

It is a rare opportunity not only to dive into the French pellet industry ”SWOT”, as the EPF program is formed around but also to parlez with the hundreds of sawmill owners, and operators from around the world that will be on site.

Wood processing industries generate residues – bark, sawdust, shavings, slabs, off-cuts, trimmings – and not all make use of these residues.

According to 2022 figures from the organizers, 69 percent of the visitors were ”company heads and directors” – that’s over 9,600 decision-makers…

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The 13 signatories support their respective member companies in successfully implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which requires significant adjustments from suppliers, operators, and traders to meet its obligations.

The signatories back the EUDR’s goals and keep providing constructive feedback for developing the EUDR Information System.

However, companies involved in the pilot testing of the EUDR Information System in January 2024 have highlighted many gaps that still need to be addressed. They listed the requirements for a fully functional system for DG ENV services, echoed by the undersigned organizations on many occasions.

The last deforestation platform meeting, which took place on April 24, 2024, did not reassure the sector’s stakeholders, and the technical specifications of the Information System and the timeline for making it accessible to all operators and traders still raise serious concerns.

For these reasons, the signatories call for:

• A second round of testing with the business community;
• Making the API specifications ready as of May for business to prepare,
• Lifting the 25MB limitation or substantially increasing file size for uploading files as part of the due diligence statement;
• Accepting other data formats than the only GeoJson standard;
• Opening up the information system for all users as soon as possible and, at the very latest, beginning November 2024.

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Cofiring mandate

A driving force for solid biomass use is the cofiring mandate issued by the Ministry of Power in 2021. This mandate coming into force in the FY 2024-25 requires thermal power plants to cofire with 5 percent biomass. In 2023 the mandate was modified to increase to 7 percent biomass cofiring in the FY 2025-26.

Taking into account that thermal power plants in India are currently using approximately 700 million tonnes of coal per year the enormity of the challenge is apparent. Compliance with the mandate would make India the single largest producer and user of biomass for power generation worldwide.

Translated into biomass pellets, India would require around 50 million tonnes of pellets to fulfill the targets.

The reality of solid biomass use in India is very different from the ambitious plans. The Ministry has published current numbers of cofiring that amount to no more than 165,000 tonnes of biomass that have been cofired in total by May 2023.

While 46 thermal power plants have been doing their first trials of cofiring, only three plants have been using more than 10,000 tonnes. Many have reported volumes of tested biomass pellets below 100 tonnes. A 1.2 GW power plant reported cofiring five tonnes of biomass, suggesting a certain lack of ambition.

At a dinner hosted by the World Bioenergy Association during the India Energy Week, the general manager of a technology multinational disclosed that the company has established a total of 27 pellet mills in India with a combined annual production capacity of 500,000 tonnes – about 0.01 percent of 50 million tonnes needed for the mandate.

All are producing wood pellets and they were established in the woodworking region of India, where mainly imported sawlogs are being processed in around 6,000 sawmills.

The source also reported that major new projects were under negotiation with production capacities of over 1 million tonnes annually based on bamboo as a raw material. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) reported a national daily pellet production capacity of 7,000 tonnes for 2022-23, which means a national annual production capacity of slightly over 2 million tonnes.

A logistical challenge

The driving motivation behind biomass cofiring in India is related to the tremendous air pollution caused by straw burning in the fields. The biomass potential that would be available for energy use is well beyond 200 million tonnes of various sorts of residues.

The specific challenge of utilizing these resources is the logistics. As soon as farmers have harvested their fields, they are in a hurry to put seeds into the ground for the next harvest. This leaves little time for collecting straw and burning it in the fields immediately solves the problem of getting rid of the straw.

Significant investments would be necessary, to establish capacities for baling and collecting the residues and storing them in a dry place.

At the same time power plant operators want to keep the price of biomass as low as possible and a model contract for long-term biomass supply issued by the Ministry of Power suggests a pellet price of around EUR 100 per tonne ex-works, which can be achieved only by hardly paying anything for the raw material.

The intention seems to be to force farmers by legal requirements to refrain from straw burning and deliver the straw at almost no cost, rather than creating an economic incentive to do so. It remains to be seen, if this approach will be successful.

Clean green cooking with biomass pellets

The domestic use of biomass in India as fuel for cooking is still predominant. Cooking over an open fire is widely used with catastrophic health implications for women and children, especially if cooking takes place indoors during the cooler periods of the year.

Atul Joshi, Director at Earthfith, an Indian producer of improved cookstoves, confirmed that pellet cooking would by far be the best way to improve the cooking situation.

However, the century-old habit of collecting firewood and any rubbish that can be found for cooking fuel is very hard to overcome. Hence, he sells only improved firewood stoves and remains skeptical that pellet cooking will become more successful if pellets become widely available due to ramping up biomass cofiring.

Ashwin Patil, director of Biofuels Junction PVT Ltd reported that his company is successfully producing pellets and briquettes and offering energy service contracts to industries needing process steam.

While the client invests in the boiler, Biofuels Junction supplies it with fuel and remains responsible for boiler operation and maintenance. Industries are willing to pay more for the fuel than power plants, especially if pellets replace oil or gas.

International opportunity

It should be said that the Government of India is aware of the current huge gap between the ambition and reality of solid biomass use in India.

World Bioenergy Association has offered the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energies to establish close cooperation to make the experiences gained during the expansion of the European pellet sector available for developing biomass supply chains in India.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is currently being negotiated and could become the foundation of a fruitful international cooperation creating significant economic opportunities for the wider pellet industry value chain.

An upcoming WBA webinar “Solutions for reducing India’s coal use in power today – The role of biomass” will convene policymakers and industries including biomass producers, traders, and utilities to share experiences on biomass co-firing on May 23, 2024.

This article was first published in Bioenergy International no. 2-2024. Note that as a magazine subscriber, you gain access to the e-magazine and articles like this before the print edition reaches your desk!

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