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Potential for biomass overestimated – studies

May 20, 2014

The amount of biomass available for energy is likely to be a lot less than previously thought. Two new studies have suggested the Commission has overestimated the amount of land that will be usable for energy crops, at least without displacing food or damaging habitats, and the demand for wood as an energy source will probably outstrip the amount that can be safely and sustainably extracted from European forests.

The two studies, commissioned by T&E, BirdLife Europe and the European Environmental Bureau, were published on 21 May. The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) concludes that the amount of land that can be used for energy crops without displacing food or damaging valuable habitats is only 1.3 million hectares, whereas the Commission foresees a demand five times larger in 2030. The International Institute for Sustainability Analysis and Strategy, working with the European Forest Institute and Joanneum Research, finds that planned demand for wood will probably outstrip the amount that can be safely and sustainably extracted from European forests.

The IEEP study calculated that, if the amount of energy generated from sustainable biomass production on land not suitable for food production in the EU were given solely to transport, it would still only provide 1% of the sector’s fuel needs.