IEA Bioenergy News March 2019

India Joins the IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme

We are delighted to announce that India has joined the IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme, bringing the number of contracting parties to 25. We look forward to India joining in the expansion of our collaboration in supporting the global deployment of sustainable bioenergy.

Biofuture Platform response to
open letter from Global Forest Coalition
and other NGOs

In response to an open letter of the Global Forest Coalition and other NGOs, expressing concerns to a scale-up of the bioeconomy, the Biofuture Platform reaffirms the commitment to its mandate to promote and exchange lessons, knowledge and analysis on sustainable, environmentally friendly, and resource efficient solutions to scale up the low carbon bioeconomy.

The full text of the response, including references, is available to read at the link below

http://biofutureplatform.org/biofuture-platform-response-open-letter-global-forest-coalition-ngos/

Task 32

Options for increased use of ash from biomass combustion and co-firing –
http://task32.ieabioenergy.com/publications/options-for-increased-use-of-ash-from-biomass-combustion-and-co-firing/

This IEA Bioenergy Task 32 report provides an overview on present practices in ash management from biomass (co)combustion, based on country reports for experiences in different member countries of Task 32.

Bioenergy for heat – the Hot Cases –
http://task32.ieabioenergy.com/publications/bioenergy-for-heat-the-hot-cases/

This Task 32 work resulted in fifteen case studies that show real life examples of modern and sustainable heating as well as co-generation of green power through biomass firing.

Best practice report on decentralized biomass fired CHP plants and status of biomass fired small and micro-scale CHP technologies –
http://task32.ieabioenergy.com/publications/best-practise-report-on-decentralized-biomass-fired-chp-plants-and-status-of-biomass-fired-small-and-micro-scale-chp-technologies/

In this Task 32 report the most relevaet technologies, including steam engines, ORC applications, Stirling engines and thermoelectric generators, the most important technical parameters and operational results, and experiences and boundary conditions for application are described and presented in fact sheets.

The future role of Thermal Biomass Power in renewable energy systems – a study of Germany
http://task32.ieabioenergy.com/publications/the-future-role-of-thermal-biomass-power-in-renewable-energy-systems-a-study-of-germany/

In this Task 32 analysis, development of the European power system is projected highlighting a thermal-dominated area, exemplified by Germany. The role of biomass technologies towards 2040 is analysed in two scenarios, Reference and Biomass+, utilizing the Balmorel model, a fundamental mathematical model of power and heat systems reproducing the day-ahead market dispatch and future development of the generation fleet.

Task 36

Waste Incineration for the future - Scenario analysis and action plans - 
https://www.ieabioenergy.com/publications/waste-incineration-for-the-future-scenario-analysis-and-action-plans/

This Task 36 erport presents narratives of two different configurations of a future circular economy in Sweden, and the journey that led there.  

____________________________________________________________________________


The Task 36 meeting in Stockholm on 6-8 May 2019 will include a workshop on nutrient recovery from waste on 7 May.

Task 39

Report published: Comparison of LCA models
(with IEA Bioenergy Task 38 & contributing to IEA Bioenergy Sustainability InterTask on Sustainability)

As part of Task 39’s commitment to examine the life cycle/sustainability aspects of conventional and advanced biofuels, Task 39 continues to assess GHG emissions and energy balances for advanced biofuels. The Task recently completed a Phase II study comparing four well-recognized biofuels life cycle analysis (LCA) models. These models are the EU’s BIOGRACE, Canada’s GHGENIUS, USA’s GREET and Brazil’s VSB, and the study focused on how each of these models estimates GHG emissions for diesel-type biofuels.

The full Phase II report is now publicly available and can be downloaded below

http://task39.ieabioenergy.com/publications/

Task 39-JRC joint workshop on biofuels sustainability and LCA:
Task 39 and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) will hold a joint workshop in Ispra, Italy, 16-17 May, 2019.

This joint workshop, entitled “Biofuels Sustainability – Focus on Lifecycle Analysis,” will provide an excellent opportunity to get updated on the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive Recast to 2030 (RED II) and to discuss strengths and weaknesses of current life cycle assessment methodologies being applied to quantify drop-in biofuels emissions reduction potential.

Advanced biofuels commercialisation challenges to be discussed that influence sustainability assessment include certification schemes, available sustainable feedstocks and quantifying renewable content for conversion routes based on co-processing biogenic and fossil feedstocks together in petroleum refineries. Speakers from industry, government as well as the IEA Bioenergy TCP are invited and several panels discussing the sustainability of advanced biofuels are anticipated.

Task 40

In conjunction with Task 36, Task 40 have a recent publication entitled Transboundary flows of woody biomass waste streams in Europe.
The report focuses on trans boundary shipment flows of solid biomass waste, particularly wood waste (hazardous and non-hazardous), in the north-western part of Europe in the years 2010-2016. Non-hazardous wood waste is a rather cheap fuel in comparison to other solid biomass resources and hence is used in some countries for bioenergy production on a significant scale. Also, large amounts of hazardous wood waste are traded, but an overview of these trade flows is so far lacking in literature.

An analysis of its trans boundary shipment can be helpful for the national plans of the countries involved as well as the industries and organizations. Next to the valorisation as material, wood waste is being used for producing energy in modern bioenergy plants in Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden. The main importers of both hazardous and non-hazardous wood waste are Germany and Sweden with a yearly import of 600+ kilotonnes (KT). The main exporters of non-hazardous wood waste are UK, The Netherlands and Norway.

The publication can be downloaded below;
http://task40.ieabioenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IEA-Bioenergy-2019.-Wood-waste-trade-study-FINAL.pdf

Task 45

Chalmers university is holding a seminar April 11, 2019 entitled “Food, energy, new materials – How do we use our land resources most effectively?” which builds further on the Webinar Biomass Production in Sustainably Managed Landscapes took place in December 2018
https://www.ieabioenergy.com/publications/biomass-production-in-sustainably-managed-landscapes/

See
https://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/math/calendar/Pages/How-do-we-use-our-land-resources-most-effectively.aspx

Linked to this on 25 June, 2019 there will be an official inauguration of Aarhus University’s new demonstration scale Green Biorefinery. This event takes place within the frame of the Circular Bioeconomy Days, which has the theme ”New protein sources for Europe” – http://conferences.au.dk/circularbioeconomydays2019/

The Danish strategies and ideas represent inspiring examples of how biofuel production co-evolves with other biobased solutions. As was presented at the December Webinar, linked above, when observing a “total system” including biofuel as one component, we observe a multitude of positive effects – including reduced nutrient leaching, a decrease in pesticide use, increases in soil carbon, and GHG savings from product substitution (including substitution of imported protein feed with biorefinery-produced feed, which reduces tropical deforestation).

EVENTS

Southeast US wood Pellet workshop: Adequacy of spatial databases for conducting Risk Assessments of sustainable wood sourcing practices of the U.S. industrial wood pellet industry supplying European energy demand. Athens, Georgia, USA on 1-3 May 2019 – https://www.hotel.uga.edu/events/bio-energy-conference

Business Forum: Are biofuels sustainable? Brussels, Belgium on 25 June 2019 –
https://innovation-forum.herokuapp.com/conferences/sustainable-biofuels