The Potential of the Bioenergy Market in the European Union—An Overview of Energy Biomass Resources

Marek Wieruszewski () and Katarzyna Mydlarz
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Marek Wieruszewski: Department of Wood-Based Materials, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
Katarzyna Mydlarz: Department of Law and Organization of Agribusiness Enterprises, Faculty of Economics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 24, 1-23

Abstract: One of the bases of the European policy and energy strategy is the biomass and bioenergy obtained from it. It is estimated that by 2023, the annual demand for biomass will have increased from the current level of 7 EJ to 10 EJ. There are significant differences between estimates of the bioenergy potential due to the fact that the authors of publications do not use consistent methodology and assumptions. Forest biomass, agricultural residues, and energy crops are the three main sources of biomass for energy production. Energy crops are likely to become the most important source of biomass. Land use and its changes are a key issue in the sustainable production of bioenergy as the availability of biomass determines its potential for energy security. This article is a review of the latest publications on the bioenergy potential of the member-states of the European Union. The consumption of energy and its potential were presented, with a special focus on renewable sources, especially biomass. The potential of biomass resources was presented and the types of biomass and its sources of origin were indicated. The research was conducted on the member-states of the European Union, whose policy is based on long-term development from the dependence on fossil resources to the dominance of renewable resources. As results from the research, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the potential of both forest biomass (from 4.8 EJ per annum to the forecasted 15 EJ per annum) and agricultural biomass from (from 2.3 EJ per annum to the forecasted 7 EJ per annum). The increase in the demand for energy biomass in the EU member-states is balanced by partial imports from non-EU countries.

Keywords: bioenergy market; energy biomass; forest biomass; agricultural biomass; resources; energy security (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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