Bioenergy Insight 2017: Q&A session with The University of Edinburgh’s Jan Mumme

The Bioenergy Insight Conference, a world-leading bioenergy event, will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4 and 5 October 2017, covering the whole bioenergy supply chain. The show will focus on all the new developments and the latest challenges.

Topics covered in the seminars include the global biomass market, financing bioenergy projects and ensuring sustainability at scale.

The debut event will be co-located with the Biofuels International Conference 2017, which is in its tenth year.

Major names including National Grid, Fram Renewable Fuels, Enviva, Scania and Green Investment Bank will be at the conference.

Among them will be Jan Mumme, Marie Curie Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. He shares his thought on the bioenergy industry below. 

What role can bioenergy play in the low-carbon economy?

• Bioenergy can provide a steady and secure supply of energy.  It will be the backup in the energy system while solar, wind, and water will deliver the main part of the energy.

What will the policy and operational landscape look like in 2018 in the UK?

• I don’t expect major changes until 2018, but I expect changes for 2020 and after. Certainly, more waste-based rather than crop-based. Small-scale waste-fed anaerobic digestion (AD) should increase in numbers.

What is the next trend for the industry?

• Downscaling and smart integration e.g. micro biorefinery.

What is set to be big for bioenergy for the rest of the year?

• Not sure what “big” means. I assume the role of bioenergy in the energy system and secondary effects e.g. digestate use and Brexit impact will be discussed.  

What represents the biggest threat for bioenergy?

• Loss of political support.

What is the next thing industry should do more of?

Decarbonisation of all sectors and processes including bioenergy production and use.

Mumme will be speaking on Day Two at 2.15pm of the Bioenergy Insight Conference & Expo 2017. He will be talking about the “latest in pyrolysis AD systems”.

Register now for Bioenergy Insight Conference & Expo 2017 for two days of essential learning to network with experts, sharpen your bioenergy knowledge and improve your skills, on 4-5 October.