The Irish government's COFORD Council for Forest Research and Development has published a paper that recommends future policies to support an expanded role of forest-based biomass.
The paper, entitled "Forest Based Biomass and Modern Bioenergy, Moving to Net Zero", complements and rounds out an earlier series of COFORD statements on the role of forests and forest products in climate change mitigation.
In considering current levels of use and expansion, it is a requirement that bioenergy supply, both indigenous and imported, is sourced from sustainable sources and supply chains. Scarce biomass needs to be used in an efficient manner, and in a way that does not damage air quality, said the paper.
It added that a number of policies and measures at national and EU level deal with bioenergy in general and forest-biomass in particular. However, there is no overarching strategy or policy covering bioenergy, and its role in substituting for fossil-based fuels and addressing renewable energy targets.
This tends to lead to an uncoordinated mix of policies and measures, a lack of clarity of objectives, and a lack of confidence among companies and investors when considering bioenergy as a substitute for oil and gas, according to COFORD.
It is essential to have an evidence base around supply, costs, sustainability and technical feasibility of bioenergy to inform national policies and the climate action plan processes, added the document.
It is also essential to raise the level of ambition around sustainable bioenergy and biomass in the context of contributing to climate, energy and development goals, and as well to provide confidence to specifiers and investors.
One recommendations was that a national bioenergy strategy be developed to set out the general aims for bioenergy use into the future, and a level of ambition for deployment in the context of climate and energy goals, security of energy supply, sustainability and balanced regional development.
Another was that the support scheme for renewable heat (SSRH) be extended to the ETS sector as announced, with an extended timeframe to 2035 in climate action plans, with ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets.
This should be driven by a concerted and sustained promotion of the scheme by SEAI, working with public and private sector specifiers and relevant industry groups, and commensurate with effort in other sustainable heating systems.
It also said a separate target for solid biomass should be included in the district heating action in the Climate Action Plan, in line with the target for biomethane.
