Biomass usage in the EU

Abstract

Biomass is considered a key driver in the European Union’s long-term prospect to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It has a significant contribution in electricity and heat generation, and transportation across the EU. The amount of biomass consumed over the last thirty years suggests that the growth of biomass in the EU is remarkable and holds a prosperous outlook. While the EU region produces most of its biomass locally, there is a significant trade within and outside of the region. In the European energy mix, biofuels are mostly consumed in heating plants. Besides, its share in electricity generation and transportation is on the rise. Some popular forms of biomass that are being consumed are wood pellets, bioethanol, biodiesel, charcoal, torrefied biomass, and pyrolysis oil. The future of biomass depends on how sustainably it can be cultivated, and how it can compete with other renewable sources.