The Contributions of Biomass Supply for Bioenergy in the Post-COVID-19 Recovery

Biljana Kulisic, Bruno Gagnon, Jörg Schweinle, Sam Van Holsbeeck, Mark Brown, Jurica Šimurina, Ioannis Dimitriou and Heather McDonald
Additional contact information
Biljana Kulisic: Department for Renewable Energy Sources, Climate and Environmental Protection, Energy Institute Hrvoje Pozar, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Bruno Gagnon: Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN), Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, Canada
Jörg Schweinle: Thünen-Institut für Waldwirtschaft, 21031 Hamburg, Germany
Sam Van Holsbeeck: Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast 4558, Australia
Mark Brown: Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast 4558, Australia
Ioannis Dimitriou: Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Heather McDonald: Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN), Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, Canada

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-31

Abstract: This research investigates how biomass supply chains (BSChs) for bioenergy within the broader bioeconomy could contribute to the post-COVID-19 recovery in three dimensions: boosting economic growth, creating jobs, and building more resilient and cleaner energy systems in four future scenarios, in the short term (by 2023) and long term (by 2030). A SWOT analysis on BSChs was used for generating a questionnaire for foresight by a two-round Delphi study. To interpret the results properly, a short survey and literature review is executed to record BSChs behavior during the pandemic. In total, 23 (55% response rate) and 28 (46% response rate) biomass experts from three continents participated in the Delphi and the short survey, respectively. The strongest impact from investment in BSChs would be on economic growth, followed by a contribution to the resilient and cleaner energy systems and job creation. The effects would be more visible in the long- than in the short-term period. Investments with the most impact on recovery are those that improve biomass material efficiency and circularity. Refurbishment of current policies to enhance the supply of biomass as a renewable resource to the future economy is a must.

Keywords: biomass supply chains; pandemic; Delphi; bioenergy; bioeconomy; recovery; investments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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