A review of bionenergy farming with wood (#Journal)

Bioenergy farming using woody crops. A review

Global energy consumption was 540 EJ in 2010, up about 80 % from 1980. Energy demand is predicted to grow more than 50 % by 2025. Without radical change, fossil fuels will supply about 75 % of energy demand in 2030, substantially increasing atmospheric CO₂. One solution is to replace fossil fuels by renewable biomass. Cultivated woody biomass has many advantages such as allowing multiple harvests without having to re-plant. Poplar, eucalyptus, salix, paulownia and black locust are common examples. This article reviews the current situation and future tendency of biomass energy in Europe. It also discusses the potential for short-rotation plantations and the current constraints in Spain. Countries with low biomass resources and high targets for renewable electricity may have to depend on imported solid biomass, because the expansion of short-rotation plantations is much lower than expected in countries such as Spain.