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New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
The ‘push-pull’ debate around using biomass
20/11/2024
8 min read
Feature
Is biomass an environmentally-friendly component of the energy transition amid net zero targets or adding to emissions? There’s no simple answer, explains sustainability consultant Michelle Meineke.
Biomass is a fuel that has been a key component of human evolution for millennia, and is considered by some parties to be ‘integral’ to a net zero future. It is a renewable fuel source. Biomass exists because plants were able to extract carbon from the atmosphere and fix it into their cells in the form of cellulose and lignin. However, it is shadowed by controversy. As demand for the biomass market grows, so do the worries voiced over subsidies and land management, amongst other issues of concern from highly vocal environmental and regulatory groups.
Bioenergy, produced by combustion biomass, is already a huge player in the global energy transition. It accounts for 55% of renewable energy worldwide and more than 6% of the global energy supply, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Power production and transport fuels are among the primary end markets, where bioenergy is not only key to meeting rising demand, but also to supporting a greener supply chain, such as for production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).