Bioenergy is Europe’s leading renewable energy source. According to Eurostat data and calculations by the European Biomass Association (AEBIOM), bioenergy will account for 11% of the final energy consumption in the EU-28 this year. Other renewable energy sources, like hydropower, wind, solar and geothermal, stand for another 7%. But still, non-renewable energy makes up 82% of the EU’s energy use.
For the EU as a whole, this means that all energy use from November 21 until the end of the year will come from bioenergy, and therefore to mark the occasion AEBIOM will celebrate the European Bioenergy Day on November 21.
Bioenergy – a renewable leader often overlooked
For Finland, its Bioenergy Day occurs on September 1, which is second of all the EU member states as Finland’s bioenergy share in the final energy consumption is 33%. The total use of renewable energy in Finland was 39% in 2016, compared to 18% in EU as a whole.
Other EU member states with high shares of bioenergy are Sweden (36%), Latvia (31%), Estonia (27%), Denmark (25%), Lithuania (22%), and Austria and Romania (both 20%).
Although bioenergy is the leading form of renewable energy in the EU and Finland, its role is often forgotten in public debate. For this reason, Bioenergia is participating in a campaign aimed at providing a clearer picture of the state of bioenergy development at the EU and its Member States, said Harri Laurikka, Managing Director of Bioenergia.
Bioenergy is utilized in many fields in Finland, such as electricity generation, heating, and transport. The potential, especially in heating and transport, is significant. Finland is an international pioneer in the production of biofuels. In 2015, the share of biofuels in transport was 13.5%, and the government’s goal is to increase the share to 30% by 2030.
Although bioenergy is used in Finland for many purposes, thanks to sustainable forestry, the growing forest stock volume has almost doubled since the 1920s.
European Bioenergy Day
The European Bioenergy Day campaign is powered by the European Biomass Association (AEBIOM) and relayed across Europe by both national and international partners supporting the belief that bioenergy is more than a renewable energy source, but a reliable path that will lead Europe to achieve its renewable energy transition in the shortest span of time.
