European Parliament Will Continue to Recognise Primary Woody Biomass as a Renewable Energy Source

European Union (EU), Feedstocks, Forestry/Wood/Residues/Waste, Opinions, Policy, Sustainability

September 20, 2022

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(Bioenergy Insight) The European Parliament voted today (14 September) to recognise primary woody biomass as a renewable energy source. This is consistent with its prior classification under both the first Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and RED II.
Primary woody biomass is an essential renewable energy source for meeting the ambition sought by the EU Parliament to increase renewable energy to 45 percent by 2030, and for achieving the EU’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Markus Pieper, Member of Parliament leading on RED III, said: “One thing is clear: wood-based biomass is a building block of the energy transition and, despite the vote of left-green Members of the European Parliament, can still be counted as renewable energy. The new directive will set the necessary framework to achieve the greatest possible CO2 reduction effect and not to ensure that our forests are burned in the future. I am counting on the member states to follow our proposals as the procedure progresses (“trilogue”).”

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“We still have problems with regard to the definition of secondary and primary biomass. The criteria from the Committee we feel would limit the availability of biomass.

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Answering questions on secondary and primary biomasses, he acknowledged that many do not understand why tree stumps could not be used for renewable energy seeing as there is no ecological damage there. He said we will be looking at this, and said we need a clear definition regarding primary and secondary biomasses, which have previously been “too restrictive”, but that they will seek to address this at the next plenary.

Enviva, one of the world’s leading producers of sustainably sourced woody biomass, welcomed the designation, saying it marks a critical step in the right direction toward more low-carbon, drop-in alternatives to fossil fuels for power and heat generation, as part of an all-in renewables strategy to reduce carbon emissions and limit global dependence on fossil fuels.

However, Bioenergy Europe said the lack of support for primary woody biomass was “concerning” – “this new measure will make bioenergy from primary woody biomass the only renewable source not eligible for support, creating an uneven playing field with other solutions, and this is not acceptable,” it commented. READ MORE

IEA Bioenergy argues bioenergy from wood is “part of a sustainable energy mix” (Bioenergy Insight)

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