Transcript Title: Forest/Environment

European policies and the mobilisation
of biomass for non food
Andreas Pilzecker
European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture
Biomass

is the most important source of renewable
energy
 is the only renewable source of carbon
2
Biomass as C-source
“Natural photosynthesis by chlorophyll
generates carbohydrates and oxygen from
the abundant raw materials CO2 and H20
using sunlight as the driving force.”
 “The stability of CO2 makes economical
utilization of CO2 as a feedstock for the
synthesis of fuels or chemicals in artificial
photochemical systems a formidable
challenge.”

3
Biomass (source: DBFZ)
4
The EU aims at

mitigating climate change
 increasing security of its energy supply
5
EU climate and energy package

20 (30) % reduction of GHG emissions
 20% share of renewable energy
 20% increase in energy efficiency
By 2020
6
RES-Directive

20% RE share
 10% RE in transport
 No specific target for bioenergy
 Ensure sustainability
7
Where are we?

88 Mtoe of biomass was consumed for
energy purposes (primary energy
consumption) within the EU-27 in 2006,
representing an 8% increase from 2005
 In terms of final energy consumption,
bionergy accounted for about 7-8 % in 2008
8
Where could we be in future?


Projections using modelling by PRIMES and
GreenX estimate that around 165-195 Mtoe of
biomass would be used in 2020 to achieve the 20%
renewables in primary energy target.
The Environment Energy Agency (EEA) report of
2006 concluded that significant amounts of biomass
can be theoretically available to support ambitious
renewable energy targets: 235 Mtoe in 2020 is
deemed feasible even if strict environmental
constraints are applied
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20% RE target in 2020

Maximum biomass contribution needed: 230 Mtoe
 With 15 % of imports, maximum
contribution from EU:
195 Mtoe
 Maximum contribution from agricultural crops:
63 Mtoe
 Maximum contribution from other than
agricultural biomass
132 Mtoe
10
Status of biomass ressource
assessments (BEE project)

Reasons behind great disparities in estimated
potentials are:
 different definitions of concepts of potentials
 lack of data on (current) biomass production
 different methods of estimating (future) biomass
production and availability
 different assumptions on system-external factors
that influence potentials (such as land use and
biomass production for food and fibre purposes)
11
12
Status of biomass ressource
assessments (BEE project)




The review of over 70 studies found that total 2020
potentials estimated for the EU-27 differ to a
considerable degree: 76 Mtoe - 480 Mtoe
deviations increase over time
the potentials for residues from agriculture and
forestry, and organic waste, do not exhibit any clear
trend, the deviations in potentials are smaller.
the biomass category mainly responsible is
dedicated energy crops
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EU-25 biomass production
potential
EU25 biomass production POTENTIAL (mtoe)
300
295
250
total
235
187
200
wood direct from forest
150
100
69
wastes and residues (includes wood
direct from forest in 2003)
50
0
2003 (actual)
2010
2020
2030
energy crops from agriculture
Sources: Eurostat (2003) / European Environmental Agency (projections)
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Conclusions

There are some unused sources which are
available in the short to medium term.
 In the long term, potential is basically fixed – apart
from energy crops
 Biomass will make a substantial contribution to the
RE target
 Biomass for energy will have to double, to triple? by
2020
 Many uncertanties: dedicated energy crops, forest
biomass
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Concerns about increased use of
biomass




Forests: risks of overuse should be assured, all EU
Member States have signed up to the Ministerial
Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe
(MCPFE)
Sustainaility criteria in the RES-Directive and the
Fuel Quality Directive (biofuels and bioliquids)
Sustainability criteria for biomass for other energy?
Competition with food production
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How to increase the use of biomass?






RES-Directive: National Renewable Energy Action Plans
EU Forestry Action Plan: necessary elements for national
action plans.
EU Standing Forestry Committee advocates Member States to
develop a strategy on mobilisation and efficient use of wood.
The Commission's Communication on innovative and
sustainable forest based industries asks that Member States
pay attention to the different uses of biomass when developing
the national action plans.
Research, Development and Demonstration
Agriculture/Common Agricultural Policy
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The Common Agricultural Policy

Since 1992 in a continued reform process
 European farmers are free to decide what
and how much to grow – and for what
purpose
 Farmers react to market signals
 Prices in the EU are close to world market
level (grains, oilseeds), except for sugar
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Health Check of the CAP
Main policy questions:
 How to adjust to new market opportunities?
 How to simplify the Single Payment
Scheme?
 How to respond to new challenges?
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Health Check – Market orientation



Examination whether/to what extent
production based (coupled) instruments
still needed
Energy crop scheme: Mandatory targets
will stimulate demand and high prices
encourage production
Obligatory set-a-side: A tool for managing
(limiting) supply, original purpose has lost
its relevance
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EU: Non-food cropland
(Mio ha)
2004 (EU-25)
2005 (EU-25)
2006 (EU-25)
2007 (EU-27)
Set-aside
0,5
0,9
1,0
1,0
Energy premium
0,3
0,6
1,3
2,8
Without specific support
0,8
1,6
1,4
0,2
Total
1,6
3,1
3,7
4,0
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Health Check: Energy Crop Premium

Energy crop premium to be abolished
 Premium proved to be of very limited
efficiency (equivalent to 15 €/t rapeseed,
current market value is 300 €/t)
 Red tape = costs incurred by farmers
 Main driver for production is the dynamic
market development (due to political targets)
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Health Check: Compulsory Set-aside

Abolish compulsory set-aside
 3.7 million ha of compulsory set-aside,
including 0.8 million ha for non-food (2007)
 Half of the area will come into production,
i.e. 1.5 to 2.0 mio ha.
 Neutral for the supply of biomass, demand
is main driver
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Health Check

Starch production aid abolished, for similar
reasons as for the energy crop premium
 Intervention (obligatory purchase of grains
to a guaranteed minimum price) is limited to
bread wheat only
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Health Check


To account for the EU's new challenges made
available additional funds for bio-energy under the
European Rural Development Fund (EAFRD), an
increase of 3.2 billion Euros for 2010-2013.
By mid-2009, Member States had to revise their
national rural development plans and programmes
taking into account the new challenges, including
biomass for energy from agricultural and forestry
sources.
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CAP has set land free (mln ha)
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Uncultivated land, incl set-aside
Sugar beet
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
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The reformed CAP

Provides for low-cost feedstocks
 Increases the land base available
 Supports actions which increase biomass
supply and use in rural areas through the
Rural Development policy
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Food versus Non-Food






EU agriculture’s first role is and will remain to produce food!
The RE target for transport would require about 10-12 mln ha
of EU arable land in 2020, much less than previous
projections had expected.
Recent CAP reforms bolster the impact on EU land use
By-products soften the impact on third countries’ land use
Share of non land-based biomass sources will increase
There is at least 4 mln ha of uncultivated arable land in the EU
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Material versus energy use





EU is active in the promotion of both
Control&command and economic
instruments are predominant for energy use
Biomass for energy has (will have)
sustainability requirements
Bio-based products may offer new
functionalities and higher product quality
The cascades concept is not yet exploited
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Final conclusions

EU promotes and regulates biomass at all
stages in the chain: production of
feedstocks, production of biofuels,
distribution, market
 EU uses several types of instruments:
Command and Control, economic,
collaboration, communication, diffusion
 EU sets the framework, Member States
formulate national biomass policies
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