Wednesday 17 June 2009

Biomass energy crops look certain to follow biofuels in gaining sustainability criteria at a European level

A European consultation has found overwhelming support for the development of a sustainability scheme for biomass feedstocks used to generate electricity or heat.

A scheme is being devised by the European Commission, and could be put forward as early as December 2009.

It would set certain requirements for energy crops in order to minimise or control the environmental or social impacts of their cultivation.

The development of a biomass sustainability scheme follows on from the sustainability criteria laid down for transport biofuels within the new European Renewable Energy Directive, which was itself directly related to public criticism of biofuels from NGOs.

The Commission has now published a report summing up responses to its consultation held last year on its intent to set up sustainability criteria for biomass feedstocks (see this New Energy Focus story).

The consultation found 90% in favour of a scheme.

The 243 consultation responses included 142 from businesses or trade groups, 19 from public authorities, nine from NGOs and 54 from individual EU citizens. By country, most responses cam from Germany (46), the UK (31) and Belgium (29).

Pan-European

According to the Commission, "most" of those in favour of the scheme want a single, unified pan-European sustainability scheme.

They believe such a scheme would guard against potential harm to biodiversity or the environment in cultivating energy crops - while also giving the industry a level playing field.

A single European scheme would be the most simple and cost-effective option, the responses suggested.

There were differing views on the extent to which a sustainability scheme should be enforced, with a slight majority - 55% - in favour of the option where only biomass meeting the EU sustainability criteria should count towards European renewable energy targets.

Smaller proportions of respondents thought compliance with the criteria should be the requirement for placing biomass on the market (18% were in favour), or the requirement for energy generators to buy biomass (10% in favour).

Just 17% of respondents backed a voluntary scheme, where the obligation would be only for biomass producers or energy generators to inform consumers about the sustainability of their biomass.

The new biomass sustainability criteria being drawn up by the Commission would not include transport fuel, since biofuels are already subject to the criteria within the new Renewable Energy Directive.

Greenhouse gas savings

The Commission is currently examining a range of biomass fuels - including different types of wood fuels and forest residues - to determine what kind of greenhouse gas savings should be achieved by "sustainable" biomass compared to fossil fuel use.

For biofuels, the requirement in the new Directive was for a 35% saving, rising to a 50% level from 2017 for existing production plants, and 60% for new facilities (see this New Energy Focus story).

For biomass, the Commission consultation saw a majority - 58% in favour of biomass criteria matching the biofuels requirements of 35%. Some 18% said biomass should do more than the biofuels sector to cut emissions, while 5% said biomass should not have as stringent a greenhouse gas saving requirement than biofuels.

About 19% said there should be no set minimum for greenhouse gas savings.

The report from the Commission also looked at views on how to calculate greenhouse gas emission savings, and how to monitor or control issues like land use change.