New report: Biomass usage in electricity and district heat production

It analyzes optimized biomass usage in the Danish electricity and district heating sector towards 2030 and 2040.

The analysis considers the most recent knowledge concerning how the combustion of biomass results in a carbon release from the biogenic carbon pool.

The report was prepared by Ea energy analyses for CONCITO.

Based on the report, CONCITO has made the following recommendations: 

CONCITO recommendations

• A target should be set for the reduction of biomass consumption for electricity and district heating - a halving in 2030 and a 75 % reduction in 2040.
• A tax on the combustion of biomass should be considered - today no taxation on the harvest of biomass
• This will not alter the UN-calculation methods as the emission of CO2 is still not included in the Danish climate accounts. It will be a Danish contribution to global mitigation efforts.
• The socio-economic calculation assumptions should be updated by the Danish Energy Agency, so they include the additional emissions of CO2 from biomass usage for electricity and district heating
• Energy utilities should be required to plan the future heat supply using an (shadow) price for the biomass that reflects the additional CO2 emissions. Also they should also draw up plans for how the amount of biomass being burned can be reduced, including identifying suitable alternative heat sources.
• A strategy for the expansion of wind power and a heat pump strategy should be mandatory. In addition, further development of energy storage technologies should be supported.

Below you can download a handout, summary and/or Q&A of the report.