Two recent reports by IEA Bioenergy’s Task 43 add to the literature on assessing and tracking the availability of biomass feedstocks for production of bioenergy, biofuels and bioproducts.
The Review of feedstock supply for bioenergy in selected IEA Bioenergy member countries aims to define and inform a structured framework for tracking biomass feedstocks; and to provide an update on different types of feedstocks that are (or can be) available within Task 43 countries. The work evaluates biomass flows, accessibility and sustainability considerations, and highlights issues in understanding potential supplies, including missing or inconsistent datasets.
A second related focuses on integration of waste feedstocks in one country. The report on Integration of Agricultural and Municipal Solid Waste in bio-Hubs in Canada makes the case for Biohubs as a means of establishing a value-added supply chain, enhancing biomass accessibility and supporting emerging bio-based industries. It includes development of a techno-economic assessment tool to review amounts and types of biomass resources and develop biohub cost estimates.
The reports are freely available from IEA Bioenergy: see Task 43 Publications
Dr Yue Zhang, co-Lead of EBNet’s Anaerobic Fermentation WG, said: “The issue of feedstock supplies is critical for development of a sustainable bioeconomy, as they are more dispersed and decentralised than fossil-based alternatives. and more diverse; the properties of the material are also crucial to selection of appropriate products and processes. There is a large amount of work going on to identify potential biomass feedstocks, but the IEA Reports give a really authoritative update”.
For more on UK biomass feedstocks, see e.g. the IEA Bioenergy Country Report for UK 2024 and the Biomass Strategy 2023 by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zeri (DESNZ). The AF WG’s animation also provides a simple illustration of some of the processes and issues mentioned in biorefinery processing of biomass.
