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How much bioenergy can Europe produce without harming the environment?
The purpose of this report is to assess how much biomass could technically be available for energy production without increasing pressures on the environment. As such, it develops a number of environmental criteria for bioenergy production, which are then used as assumptions for modelling the primary potential. These criteria were developed on a European scale. Complementary assessments at more regional and local scale are recommended as a follow-up of this work.
Routes for converting biomass to energy
The schema shows the most common biomass categories derived from agriculture, forests and wastes, and the conversion routes that are expected to become economic by 2020.
The carbon debt
The schema shows carbon restocking curves over time.
The two key aspects of resource efficiency
The schema shows how resource efficiency relates to the use of natural capital and ecosystem resilience.
Total domestic agricultural bioenergy potential per country in 2020
The figure shows the differences in terms of the contribution to the overall EU domestic agricultural potential.
Total EU bioenergy potential from agriculture in 2020
The 2012 study potential estimates refer to the EU’s agricultural bioenergy potential in 2020 for 3 storylines. These storylines explore plausible bioenergy development paths from a resource efficiency perspective under three specific sets of economic and political assumptions.
Waste potential (PJ) and technology mix per storyline in 2020
The potential estimates refer to the EU’s agricultural bioenergy potential in 2020 for three storylines. These storylines explore plausible bioenergy development paths from a resource efficiency perspective under three specific sets of economic and political assumptions.
National perennial cropping mixes in the 'Market first' storyline
The graph gives an overview of the absolute contribution of perennials per type to the bioenergy potential of a country in the market first storyline.
National perennial cropping mixes in the ‘Climate focus’ storyline
The graph gives an overview of the absolute contribution of perennials per type to the bioenergy potential of a country in the Climate focus storyline.
National perennial cropping mixes in the ‘Resource efficiency’ storyline
The graph gives an overview of the absolute contribution of perennials per type to the bioenergy potential of a country in the Resource efficiency storyline.
Projected life cycle land use of fossil, nuclear and renewable electricity systems in 2030 (m2/GJel)
The graph illustrates that energy systems differ in the extent and complexity of their impacts by presenting the projected life cycle land use of fossil, nuclear and renewable electricity systems in 2030. To understand the implications of increased bioenergy production, it is important to recognise that the land used for energy cropping is a natural resource, comprising soil, minerals, water and biota. Where bioenergy involves energy cropping it often necessitates changes to land use, with significant implications for related systems as well Other renewable technologies do also use some land and so do fossil and nuclear systems but the area is comparatively small. Nevetheless these technologies have other limitations.
Forest potential (PJ) and technology mix per storyline in 2020
The potential estimates refer to the EU’s agricultural bioenergy potential in 2020 for 3 storylines. These storylines explore plausible bioenergy development paths from a resource efficiency perspective under three specific sets of economic and political assumptions.
Analytical steps in assessing the EU bioenergy potential
The schema shows the analytical chain employed in assessing the EU bioenergy potential.
Assessing the environmental performance of bioenergy
The chema outlines critical factors for the overall environmental performance of bioenergy and how the resource efficiency concept can be applied for environmental assessment.
Direct and indirect effects of land use for bioenergy
The schema shows a simplified chain of effects that use of land for bioenergy production can bring about.
Land use and ecosystem cycles
The schema illustrates the interactions between land use and important environmental cycles.
Mix of energy crops, 2006–2008 (left) and EEA scenario for environmentally compatible energy cropping in 2020 (right)
The graph presents the ‘environmentally compatible’ energy cropping data and scenario developed by the EEA for 2020.
Domestic agricultural bioenergy potential estimates in the 2006 and 2012 studies
The 2012 potential estimates refer to the EU’s agricultural bioenergy potential in 2020 for 3 storylines. These storylines explore plausible bioenergy development paths from a resource efficiency perspective under three specific sets of economic and political assumptions.
Efficiency range of different biomass-to-energy conversion routes
The figure provides a first overview of the relative efficiency of different types of bioenergy. Data represent net efficiencies taking into account results of life-cycle analysis.
EU bioenergy potential from a resource efficiency perspective
The main objective of this report is to review the implications of resource efficiency principles for developing EU bioenergy production. The results presented are primarily based on the 2013 ETC/SIA study, capturing key messages while excluding some of the more technical elements. The report aims to be a more accessible version of the ETC/SIA study, aimed at the non-technical reader.