Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
land to the power plant, the scale of conversion (whether a domestic stove or a power
plant), financing mechanisms and, last but not least, the price of fossil fuels. The estimated
commercial bioenergy cost ranges are as follows:
• liquid and gaseous biofuels: 2-48 U.S. dollars (2005) per gigajoule;
• electricity or CHP systems more than 2 megawatts: 10-50 U.S. dollars per
gigajoule (U.S. cents 3.5-25 per kilowatt-hour);
• domestic or district heating systems (solid waste to wood pellets): 2-77 U.S.
dollars per gigajoule.
Recent analyses of lignocellulosic (second-generation) biofuels indicate potential
improvements that will enable them to compete with oil prices of 60-70 U.S. dollars
per barrel (0.38 to 0.44 U.S. dollars per litre). Depending on oil and carbon pricing, a
combination of strong short-term research and development and market support could
The Potential of Bioenergy
With 50 EJ of energy produced every year, biomass accounts for roughly 10 per cent
of global primary energy supply. Global bioenergy use has steadily grown worldwide in
absolutetermsinthelastfortyyears,withlargedifferencesamongcountries.In2006China
was the world leader in the use of bioenergy (9 EJ), followed by India (6 EJ), the United
States (2.3 EJ) and Brazil (2 EJ). The vast majority of this consumption is by the world's
poorest people. Indeed, whereas biomass use in the industrialized world is associated with
progress and technology, in the developing world it is still associated with subsistence.
In the largest developing countries (China, India, Mexico, Brazil, and South Africa),
biomassaccountsforuptoone-quarterofprimaryenergyproduction,andforasmuchas80
per cent in parts of Africa. Although consumption in absolute terms continues to grow, the
bioenergy share in India, China, and Mexico is decreasing, mostly as traditional biomass
is substituted by kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas within large cities. By contrast, in
many African countries, demand for wood fuels (mainly charcoal) has been increasing
steadily in swelling urban areas.
In the highly industrialized countries, biomass accounts for 3 per cent of primary energy
production(3.7percentiforganicwastesareincluded).Buthere,too,especially inEurope,
the share is growing through the use of modern biomass. The main sectors of bioenergy
use are combustion of solid biomass and biogas for electricity generation, heat and steam
production in paper plants and sugar factories, and combustion of pellets for residential
