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ePaper created 2014-06-03, 15:03:20 | version 1.30.01
33 02 RENEWABLES 2014 GLOBAL STATUS REPORT The leading markets for biomass energy are diverse and vary depending on the fuel type. Use of modern biomass is spreading rapidly, particularly across Asia.9 Biomass is meeting a growing share of energy demand in many countries and accounts for a significant portion of total energy in some countries. For example, end-use shares exceed 25% in Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and Estonia.10 Most primary biomass used for energy is in a solid form and includes charcoal, fuel wood, crop residues (predominantly for traditional heating and cooking), organic municipal solid waste (MSW)i , wood pellets, and wood chips (predominantly in modern and/or larger-scale facilities). Wood pellets and wood chips, as well as biodiesel and ethanol, all are now commonly traded internationally in large volumes; in addition, some biomethane is traded in Europe through gas grids.11 There is also significant informal trade in solid biomass that takes place regionally and across national borders.12 The total energy content of all solid biomass fuels traded (mainly pellets and wood chips) remains about twice that contained in the net trade of liquid biofuels.13 Wood pellets account for only around 1–2% of global solid biomass demand, yet the volume of consumption continued to increase rapidly during 2013.14 Bio-heat Markets Solid, liquid, and gaseous biomass fuels can be combusted to provide higher-temperature heat (200–400 °C) that is used by industry, district heating schemes, and agricultural processes, as well as lower-temperature heat (<100 °C) that is used for drying, heating water for domestic or industrial use, and heating space in individual buildings. Approximately 3 GWth of new biomass heat capacity was commissioned in 2013, bringing the global total capacity to an estimated 296 GWth.15 Biomass is the most widely used renewable source for heating by far, accounting for approximately 90% of heat from modern renewables; solid biomass is the primary fuel source.16 Europe remained the world’s largest consumer of modern bio- heat in 2013. The region’s use of solid biomass for heat was up 5.4% in 2012 (the latest year for which data are available).17 In 2013, Germany generated almost 116.6 TWh (424 PJ) of heat from biomass, up from 112.6 TWh (405 PJ) in 2012; 88% of this was from solid biomass.18 In Sweden, bioenergy (mostly from woody biomass) accounted for more than half of all space heating in the housing and commercial sectors, either through direct use in boilers or indirectly through heat plants and district heating.19 Wood was also the leading fuel for the district heat system during 2013 in Finland.20 A large portion of Europe’s bio-heat is produced for district heating networks, and sales into heat networks increased 12.9% in 2012.21 Use of biomass in small appliances has risen as well. By 2013, Europe’s total stock of small-scale biomass boilers was about 8 million appliances, with annual sales of around 300,000 units. In addition to other modern appliance designs, around 1.85 million wood-burning stoves, cookers and fireplaces are sold annually, with a total of some 55 million in operation.22 The EU is the largest regional consumer of wood pellets, burning over 15 million tonnes in 2013 (up 1 million tonnes annually since 2010), with the largest share of demand coming from the residential heat market.23 The use of biomass, including pellets, forheatproductionisincreasinginNorthAmericaaswell.24 Inthe United States, the largest domestic market for the consumption of wood pellets for heating is located in the northeast.25 Biogas also is being used increasingly for heat production. In developed countries, it is used primarily in CHP plants, with relatively small amounts used in heat-only plants. In 2012, most of the biogas produced in Europe was used on-site or traded locally. Most was combusted to produce 110 TJ of heat and 44.5 GWh of electricity.26 The small remainder used by the transport sector was first upgraded to biomethaneii , with limited volumes now being traded among EU member states by injection into the natural gas grid. Considerable effort is under way to remove trade barriers in order to expand this potential.27 A number of large-scale plants that run on biogas are also operating across Asia and Africa, including many for industrial process heat.28 Biogas is also produced in small, domestic-scale digesters, mainly in developing countries—including China, India, Nepal, and Rwanda—and is combusted directly to provide heat for cooking. Bio-power Markets An estimated 5 GW of bio-power capacity was added for a total of 88 GW in operation at the end of 2013. Bio-power generated around 405 TWh of the world’s electricity in 2013, assuming an average capacity factor of over 50%.30 The United States is the top producer of electricity from biomass, followed by Germany, China, and Brazil. Other top countries for bio-power include India, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Sweden.31 The United States added nearly 0.8 GW of bio-power capacity in 2013 for a total exceeding 15.8 GW at year’s end.32 Net U.S. bio-power generation increased 3.9% compared with 2012, to 60 TWh.33 Solid biomass provided two-thirds of the total fuel, and the remainder came from landfill gas (16%), organic MSW (12%), and other wastes (6%).34 To the south, Brazil increased its bio-power capacity more than 10%, from 10.8 GW to 11.4 GW. Electricity generated from sugarcane bagasse accounted for nearly 7% of national electricity production, up from 6.7% in 2012, and the black liquor share rose to over 1.1% (from just under 1%).35 In the EU, capacity additions during the year brought the region's total to about 34.5 GW.36 Bio-power accounted for 5% of the region’s new power capacity from all sources.37 Electricity generated from biomass increased 7.9% relative to 2012, to 79 TWh.38 Germany’s bio-power capacity increased by more than 0.5 GW, to just over 8 GW by year’s end.39 Bio-power generation was up about 7% to 48 TWh, and it accounted for 8% of Germany’s total electricity generation in 2013.40 Sweden continued to generate around 10% of total electricity from bio-power, with most of it coming from solid biomass.41 i - Municipal solid waste includes inorganic (e.g., plastics) as well as organic components, of which only the latter are renewable. Only the organic component is quoted in this report where possible, although data sources do not always separate out the share of “green” MSW from the remainder. ii - Biomethane is produced from biogas after removal of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. It can be injected into the natural gas pipeline and is also used as a vehicle fuel.