Status report on gasification in IEA Bioenergy member countries

This report by Task 33 (Gasification of Biogenic and Waste Feedstocks for a Sustainable Future) provides a comprehensive overview of the global status of thermochemical gasification of biomass and waste as of 2025. Gasification is a flexible technology that converts carbon-based feedstocks into a combustible gas (syngas), which serves as a building block for a wide range of products, including heat and power (CHP), hydrogen, Substitute Natural Gas (SNG), advanced biofuels, and renewable chemicals.

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The report details developments across key application areas and geographical regions, highlighting both significant progress and persistent challenges:

• Europe: Small-scale combined heat and power generation (CHP) from gasification is a mature and well-established technology, with over seventeen hundred operational units. The focus is now shifting to higher-value products like Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and renewable hydrogen, with projects like France’s BioTJet aiming to build Europe’s largest SAF facility. However, the report documents a critical trend of technically successful projects failing to reach commercial scale due to financial and economic barriers. High-profile facilities in the UK (ABSL, KEW), France (Gaya), and Germany (Bioliq®) have been halted or closed despite proving their technical feasibility, highlighting a significant “valley of death” between demonstration and commercial deployment.
• North America: The landscape is characterized by ambitious projects facing major commercial setbacks. Canada’s Enerkem, a pioneer in waste-to-biofuels, closed its flagship Edmonton plant and its larger Varennes project is under creditor protection due to cost overruns. In the U.S., Fulcrum BioEnergy’s Sierra BioFuels SAF plant filed for bankruptcy after significant operational difficulties. Despite these failures, new players like SunGas, DG Fuels, and Mote are advancing large-scale projects for green methanol and carbon-negative hydrogen. However, the report notes that an uncertain policy environment under the current administration, which prioritizes fossil fuels, poses a risk to renewable energy projects.
• Asia: In sharp contrast, China is rapidly becoming a global leader, with over eighty large-scale gasification plants in operation. The country is aggressively pursuing the production of renewable methanol, with over ninety projects planned or under construction, and is projected to account for over 60% of global green methanol production by 2028. This expansion is supported by national strategies and an emerging carbon tax system. India is also making progress, notably with its second-generation (2G) ethanol plant in Panipat, which uses gasification to convert agricultural residues into biofuel.

Key take aways for policy makers

In conclusion, the report establishes gasification as a crucial and technically viable pathway for producing renewable fuels and chemicals and enabling carbon-negative solutions. However, its widespread commercial adoption, particularly in Europe and North America, is critically dependent on overcoming the financial gap for first-of-a-kind plants through stable, long-term policy support and significant investment.