News

18-09-2017

Bio-aromatics market introduction may benefit from a strong bioenergy policy

The co-production of bio-aromatics and energy products (e.g., biofuels, SNG, heat and power) is one of the technologies addressed by Biorizon. Bio-aromatics co-production may have a large positive impact on bioenergy business cases because of their higher added value. Jaap Kiel calls for a stronger bioenergy policy in the Netherlands with a wider relevance.

Bioenergy is under considerable public and political debate and compared to solar and wind energy, the market introduction of advanced bioenergy options is lagging behind in many countries. This jeopardizes the achievement of the 2050 global warming target of the Paris climate agreement. Given the prospects of co-production, it may also have a negative impact on the market introduction of bio-aromatics. According to Biorizon researcher Jaap Kiel a stronger bioenergy policy is needed:

New Dutch government should provide stronger support to biomass

In the Paris Climate Agreement, 195 countries agreed to limit global warming to less than 2 °C. This means that CO2 emissions and emissions of other greenhouse gases must be reduced by 80-95% ultimately in 2050. The Netherlands has also committed to the Paris agreement. However, the question how to reach this reduction is discussed within a too limited scope. It is narrowed down to the question: how to increase the sustainable energy supply from solar and wind? The role of biomass as a sustainable energy source remains underexposed. When biomass is mentioned at all, this is mostly limited to biomass co-firing in coal-fired power stations. Moreover, the tone is usually negative. This is unjustified. In order to comply with the Paris agreement, innovation and market introduction of biobased technologies needs to be accelerated. It is up to the new Dutch government to take a lead in this.

Electricity can be produced sustainably from solar and wind. However, these energy sources cannot cover the needs in all (energy) sectors. Heavy duty transport and the process industry for example require other innovative means to reduce CO2 emissions. Various studies show that bioenergy (including biofuels for transport) can and must play a major role within in the energy transition. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the German research institute IRENA predict that bioenergy will have a 37% share in the global sustainable energy mix in 2050 (compared to 26% for solar PV and wind together). For The Netherlands, a major role for bioenergy is sketched in the Strategic Vision on Biomass 2030 of the Ministry of Economic Affairs: the expected bioenergy share in 2030 amounts to 13-18% of the current total energy use. Moreover, studies by the IPCC and, for The Netherlands, the Biomass 2030 report reveal that globally sufficient quantities of biomass can be made available. For The Netherlands, this includes various indigenous biomass residues, imported biomass (e.g., forestry residues and residues from the palm oil industry) or import of biobased fuels and intermediates, as well as the development of large-scale seaweed cultivation on the North Sea.

Efficient co-production schemes have the potential of making bioenergy cost effective

This biomass should be used predominantly for those applications where alternative sustainable sources are less suitable. Typically, this holds for application as high-value chemical feedstock, as a fuel for aviation, shipping, heavy duty road transport and high-temperature process heat, and as a dispatchable option for power generation and heating and cooling in the built environment. Just like fossil oil, biomass can be processed in refineries producing a range of products, including materials, chemicals, biofuels, power and heat. Efficient co-production schemes have the potential of making bioenergy cost effective.

We are facing an enormous challenge, if we want biomass to play this prominent role in 2050. Many of the required technologies are not commercially available yet. Development and market introduction of technologies typically takes 10-20 years, with additional time required for large-scale rolling out. In addition, making available large volumes of sustainable biomass, development of the logistics for large-scale biomass trade and import, and good certification schemes to guarantee sustainability in all its aspects will require large efforts.

Therefore, major steps have to be taken now, to accelerate innovation, promote market introduction of new technologies and increase biomass availability. Where we can make use of existing (energy) infrastructures, this should be considered carefully. This holds, for example, for co-firing in coal-fired power stations, although lock-in effects that actually hamper the transition to a sustainable energy system should be avoided.

Now is the time to act! The government, in close collaboration with the private sector, RTO’s and NGO’s, should address the question how to shape the transition to a sustainable energy system in 2050 with a prominent role for biomass.

Jaap Kiel, Programme Development Manager Biomass of ECN / Biorizon.