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Achieving the full benefits of Ireland’s renewable energy
targets will depend on the sustainability of biomass as an
energy source.
This was one of the messages heard at a conference in Dublin
entitled - 'Biomass, Achieving Targets – Maximising Benefits'.
The conference, which heard insights from international experts
on the sustainability of biomass, was organised jointly by
Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), Tipperary Institute and
International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Task 29.
According to speakers at the conference, Ireland needs to
mobilise significant quantities of biomass for energy in order
to reach the national renewable energy targets for 2020. One
critical characteristic of biomass which needs to be carefully
considered with regard to both domestic and imported biomass
for energy, is its sustainability. Approaches to assessing
sustainability of biomass are being applied in other countries
and an EU-wide scheme for determining the sustainability of
biofuels is at an advanced stage of development.
Pearse Buckley, SEI’s representative on the Executive Committee
of the IEA Bioenergy Implementing Agreement said - “The sustainability
of biomass has become a focus of public debate - particularly
due to the rise in global demand for biofuels. Here, in Ireland,
the Bioenergy Working Group - which has been set up by the
Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources in
conjunction with SEI - has a goal to develop a sustainable
bioenergy supply roadmap towards the national renewable energy
targets for 2020.
"This conference is happening at an opportune moment
and will provide an important international perspective and
inform the work of the Bioenergy Working Group.”
Over the past 5 years however, the global market in biomass
for energy - particularly as refined wood pellets and liquid
biofuels - has grown substantially. Biofuels produced from
first-generation technologies are unlikely to be adequate
to meet future demand in a sustainable manner. Investment
in second-generation biofuel production technologies from
residues and purpose-grown energy crops is necessary in order
to increase the sustainability of biomass as an energy source.
Mr Clifford Guest, Tipperary Institute and IEA Task 29 representative
for Ireland said - “While it is important that national targets
for bioenergy are reached, it is also crucial that resources
used are sourced from sustainable sources. The conference
will look at these issues and investigate best practice internationally
in order to identify positive ways forward.”
The sustainability of biomass is likely to be determined
according to a number of parameters including -
- Effective Greenhouse Gas reductions achieved when substituting
for fossil fuels
- Impact on biodiversity
- Impact on land use - and
- Impact on society at both a local and global scale.
The conference was primarily aimed at those involved in policy
and the development of bioenergy in Ireland. Biomass has significant
potential as a source of energy in Ireland - contributing
to demand for heating, electricity and transport fuels - and
could provide between 5 and 10% of Ireland’s total primary
energy requirement by 2020.
Among the international perspectives shared at the conference
were the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) position on the sustainability
of global biomass production, as well as a testing framework
for sustainable biomass currently being applied in the Netherlands.
The Irish Government’s Energy White Paper - Delivering
a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland - has established
ambitious targets for bioenergy by 2020, including -
- 12% renewable heat – while not directly identifying biomass,
nevertheless, it is likely that biomass would need to contribute
more than 90% of this target if it were to be realised;
- 30% co-firing with biomass at the three peat power plants
(to be achieved by 2015);
- 800 MWe of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) with an 'emphasis
on biomass-fuelled CHP' - and
- 10% biofuels – this would be exclusively derived from
biomass.
For more information on SEI - Click
Here
For more information on IEA Bioenergy Task 29 - Click
Here
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