One of the leading newspapers of Finland, Karjalainen refers (Nov. 19, page 12) to the studies of the Technology Research Centre of Finland according to which even 20 percent of the global energy consumption could be covered with bioenergy. The article is discussing about the new challenges of forest sector and presents bioenergy as one of the key alternatives in the future. The research indicates that biomass/dendromass could have a significant role in the future energy mix.
Energy Dendromass Corridor has presented similar predictions and has put emphasis on the fact that opportunities to utilize biomass are greatly varying in different countries and in different regions in the world. The calculations are mainly based on the resources of to-day. However, in the improved scenarios we should be able to take into account better the opportunities of technological, social and systeemic innovations for future land use. Education and training which are taking the very first steps even in many industrialized countries would lead to needed innovations and to better understanding and acceptance of dendromass energy.
Enough wood?
Hot on the heels of recent announcements of institutions seeking funds for investing in biomass projects in the UK there have been reports in the past few days that there is insufficient biomass supplies or infrastructure to meet this potential demand.
Some energy companies are taking the line of buying forests to meet this demand / guarantee their supply (link).
Update (20th November)
Another article today about lack of resources, this one quotes Forestry Commission "According to the Forestry Commission, the growing number of planned biomass-powered plants in the UK will surge timber imports by 150 per cent, from 20 million tonnes this year to 50 million by 2015." Additionally thhe article briefly mentions potential impact on consumers of wood products (increased costs as a result of increased competition for wood products).
Some energy companies are taking the line of buying forests to meet this demand / guarantee their supply (link).
Update (20th November)
Another article today about lack of resources, this one quotes Forestry Commission "According to the Forestry Commission, the growing number of planned biomass-powered plants in the UK will surge timber imports by 150 per cent, from 20 million tonnes this year to 50 million by 2015." Additionally thhe article briefly mentions potential impact on consumers of wood products (increased costs as a result of increased competition for wood products).
Can we measure the effects of energy policies?
To measure the effects that specific policies have on the promotion of new technologies is quite difficult. In Sweden, during the 1980s and 1990s there were many changes in the policy framework affecting the promotion of willow cultivation for bioenergy. We have tried to measure these effects by assuming a S-shaped model to explain the adoption rates of willow by the Swedish farmers. The paper is "The effects of policy incentives in the adoption of willow short rotation coppice for bioenergy in Sweden", and has been published in Energy Policy.
In total, 56 municipalities were studied, with 891 farmers that planted willow during the period 1986–1996. The model included variables related to the subsidies applied, the taxation on fossil fuels, the development of the wood-fuel consumption by the district heating systems, and the geographical and socio-economic characteristics of the municipality. We found that there was an increment of almost 70% of farmers planting willow during the period studied when the subsidy and tax incentives and the increments of the wood-fuel capacity by the district heating system took place. The aftermatch was easier to analyse, as when the subsidies were removed in 1996, the number of new adopters was nearly zero for the next years...
MOLA-YUDEGO B, PELKONEN P. 2008. The effects of policy incentives in the adoption of willow short rotation coppice for bioenergy in Sweden. Energy Policy 36(8): 3062-3068
Abstract
The effect of policy incentives in the development of short rotation willow plantations for bioenergy is studied by using an aggregate adoption model based on sigmoidal curves for the Swedish municipalities. A total of 56 municipalities were studied, with 891 farmers that planted willow during the period 1986–1996. The model included variables related to the subsidies applied, the taxation on fossil fuels, the development of the wood-fuel consumption by the district heating systems, and the geographical and socio-economic characteristics of the municipality. Results of the simulations using the model show an increment of almost 70% of farmers planting willow during the period studied when the subsidy and tax incentives and the increments of the wood-fuel capacity by the district heating system took place. This study gives tools for future policy implementations in order to achieve the goals of the energy strategies.
Keywords
Bioenergy policy; Adoption models; Energy plantations
In total, 56 municipalities were studied, with 891 farmers that planted willow during the period 1986–1996. The model included variables related to the subsidies applied, the taxation on fossil fuels, the development of the wood-fuel consumption by the district heating systems, and the geographical and socio-economic characteristics of the municipality. We found that there was an increment of almost 70% of farmers planting willow during the period studied when the subsidy and tax incentives and the increments of the wood-fuel capacity by the district heating system took place. The aftermatch was easier to analyse, as when the subsidies were removed in 1996, the number of new adopters was nearly zero for the next years...
MOLA-YUDEGO B, PELKONEN P. 2008. The effects of policy incentives in the adoption of willow short rotation coppice for bioenergy in Sweden. Energy Policy 36(8): 3062-3068
Abstract
The effect of policy incentives in the development of short rotation willow plantations for bioenergy is studied by using an aggregate adoption model based on sigmoidal curves for the Swedish municipalities. A total of 56 municipalities were studied, with 891 farmers that planted willow during the period 1986–1996. The model included variables related to the subsidies applied, the taxation on fossil fuels, the development of the wood-fuel consumption by the district heating systems, and the geographical and socio-economic characteristics of the municipality. Results of the simulations using the model show an increment of almost 70% of farmers planting willow during the period studied when the subsidy and tax incentives and the increments of the wood-fuel capacity by the district heating system took place. This study gives tools for future policy implementations in order to achieve the goals of the energy strategies.
Keywords
Bioenergy policy; Adoption models; Energy plantations
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