- Draft report. Potential for biomass in the Mediterranean countries

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1 PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE UNION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND WATER - Draft report Potential for biomass in the Mediterranean countries tabled by the co-rapporteurs Heinz-Joachim Barchmann (Germany) Mohamed Besaïh (Algeria) Leo Brincat (Malta) Sergio Paolo Francesco Silvestris (European Parliament) 1

2 The energy demand gains in importance in the Mediterranean member states. While traditional energy sources decrease, most people place great importance to renewable energy. The potential capacity of biomass assume a role in addition to solar power and wind power. Prospects, benefits and disadvantages of biomass specifically at the Mediterranean region should be analysed. I. Biomass Biomass in general: Biomass has an important function for humans as food, animal fodder, a raw material and a source of energy (so called bioenergies such as firewood, biofuel, etc.). Humans are already using a considerable proportion of the globally available biomass. There are large amounts of carbon stored in biomass, which is released in the form of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) when it decomposes. Biomass is therefore also significant for climate change. Biomass is currently the renewable source with the highest potential to contribute to the energy needs of modern society for both the developed and developing economies world-wide. The Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council gives a definition of 'biomass': 'the biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from biological origin from agriculture (including vegetal and animal substances), forestry and related industries including fisheries and aquaculture, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste'. II. Biomass as a source of energy (bioenergy) II.1 Different ways of using bioenergy Generating electricity and heat with biomass power plants (mostly using wood as the raw material), biomass heating plants (wood, peat; can also be decentral), biogas plants (biogas is produced through fermentation). Fuels in the form of o bioethanol (fermentation of sugars), plant oils (rapeseed, soya), biodiesel (transesterification of plant oils), biomethane (from biogases) = 1st generation or o BtL fuels (biomass to liquid) and bioethanol from cellulose = 2nd generation or o algae fuels = 3rd generation. II.2 Potential The potential of bioenergy should depend only on the volume of herbal crops residues and in general from agricultural waste material arising from existing crops, and should not use land specifically designated for biomass, so that biomass production does not compete for the land with food production. According to figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) there are 3.5 billion hectares of degraded land that could be used to grow bioenergy plants. In 2

3 2007, only 30 million hectares were used worldwide to grow biofuels. These figures show that the global potential for bioenergy is largely unexploited, and does not need to stand in competition with food crops. Globally: o A report by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) estimates that the technical potential (taking into account very extensive nature conservation criteria) is between 30 and 120 exajoules (EJ), which is between 6 and 25 percent of global primary energy requirements. Together with biogenic waste materials, bioenergy can therefore provide between 80 and 170 EJ, which is between 16 and 35 percent of global energy needs. However, due to economic and political restrictions it will only be possible to exploit around one half of this potential (i.e. between 8 and 17.5 percent of global energy needs). o At present five percent of the global grain harvest is used to produce biofuels. Of the European grain harvest around 1.6 percent is used for biofuels. The majority (58%) is used for animal fodder. o Many countries have introduced legislation to promote bioenergy. o As bioenergy is easy to store, it is regarded as an important balancing energy and is playing a key role in the switch to renewable energies. o The current trend in bioenergy is mainly towards cogeneration and less towards biofuels. II.3 Advantages of biomass / bioenergy use: The use of renewable raw materials can help conserve raw materials resources, such as crude oil. The use of biomass can also reduce the political and economic dependence on states with large crude oil reserves. Renewable energy produced from renewable raw materials enables a carbon-neutral or lower-carbon energy production. Carbon derived from biomass and then returned to the atmosphere does not add to the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere, but rather just closes the carbon cycle. The biomass production power generation cycle is characterized by near-zero contribution to the accumulation of green-house gases (sustainable growth). The production of bioenergy can strengthen rural areas and reduce migration to cities. Bioenergy from forestry and agriculture plays a key role to combat climate change and to increase security of its energy supply II.4 Disadvantages of biomass / bioenergy use: Extending the use of biomass to so far unused natural land (for example deforestation) can destroy ecosystems. Especially deforestation using fire releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, which obviously has a substantial negative impact on the carbon footprint. Another danger is the emergence of monocultures. In Germany we currently have this problem with the cultivation of corn. Competition in land use will always be an important factor for biomass and bioenergy. Ecologically valuable land could become endangered by promoting the cultivation of agricultural crops. The use of pesticides can be damaging to the environment and to human health. The combustion of solid biomass (such as wood) causes higher emissions of pollutants (carbon monoxide, particulates, PAHs) than the combustion of oil or gas, unless additional measures are taken. 3

4 II.5 Recommendations for the use of biomass in the Mediterranean region Overall, it must be concluded that: o Hardly any in-depth analysis has been made in the field of biomass, especially in the Mediterranean region. o In contrast to renewable energies, especially solar energy, the Mediterranean region is lagging far behind. o The region's potential and external conditions need to be analysed. o In particular, investigations need to be made to explore under which conditions it could be worth using biomass in the individual regions around the Mediterranean. o The potential role of biomass in the energy mix of the countries on the Mediterranean needs to be defined. o Objectives and targets also need to be defined. These investigations need to place particular emphasis on: o The impact of the differences between the individual regions of the Mediterranean on the conditions for the use of biomass. o Including the different climatic, economic and social conditions of the individual regions. o The economic, cultural, social and ecological differences between the group of countries on the Mediterranean, which mean that it will be almost impossible to formulate uniform recommendations for the whole region of the Mediterranean for the use of biomass. o Taking particular account of the dangers of competition in land use, the waste of resources and environmental pollution. o To what extent a use of biomass is possible in countries that mainly have subtropical climates. o To weigh up, in particular, to what extent the use of biomass makes sense when compared with other energy sources, such as solar energy. o What consequences and impact the use of biomass will have on the ecological, social and economic conditions in the individual regions. o To what extent biomass could make a useful contribution to existing programmes and already established energy sources. II.6 Main suggestions: The availability of appropriate funding and know-how to the region s member states that need them most. Applied research aimed at adapting solutions to the Mediterranean reality that have worked elsewhere (on a country/region specific basis) The setting up of private-public partnerships to exploit biomass energy production commercially. Need to factor in, the demographic pressures in the region that increase the need addressing waste issues more proactively. Account must be taken of the low technological achievement and limited R&D in the region so far. The significant agriculture and agricultural/animal wastes generated. The fact that many parts of the region have tolerated environmental neglect for long in spite of more recent positive efforts to address such a deficit. The added responsibility of the European component of the Mediterranean region to step up its R&D contribution to address such an issue. To draw up national biomass action plans on the lines of the EU Biomass Action plan of December 2005 which had identified 32 key activity areas. 4

5 The need to draw up and adopt a biomass sustainability report targeted specifically at the Mediterranean region. To determine how much can biomass contribute in a long term to the current/potential future Mediterranean region energy demands. Biomass energy production from non-residues or agriculture waste material should supply only after the regions have achieved food self-sufficiency. The organisation of an information session for Member States of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership on the ongoing work of the European Commission relating to the sustainability requirements of solid and gaseous biomass sources in electricity, heating and cooling. 5