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 Latvia, its Bioenergy Day occurs on September 10, which is third of all the EU member states as Latvia’s bioenergy share in the final energy consumption is 31%. The total use of renewable energy in Latvia was almost 38% in 2015, compared to 18% in the EU as a whole. The government’s goal is to reach 40% renewables in gross final energy consumption by 2020.
Other EU member states with high shares of bioenergy are Sweden (36%), Finland (33%), Estonia (27%), Denmark (25%), Lithuania (22%), and Austria and Romania (both 20%).
It cannot be stressed enough; bioenergy is essential for the EU-28 to reach its climate and energy goals, remarked Didzis Palejs Chairman of the Latvian Biomass Association (LATbio) and President of AEBIOM.
Bioenergy is primarily utilized in Latvia for heat and power generation and there is a significant export of biomass fuels, in particular, wood pellets. In 2015, the share of renewables in transport was 3.9%, below the EU average of 6.7%.
Like its Nordic and Baltic neighbours, Latvia is a forest rich nation and forests currently cover 52% of the land area (3.383 million ha) almost double compared to 27% in 1923. The sector now accounts for 20% of export income. The value of the bioenergy sector was estimated to be worth EUR 688.5 million in 2014 of which the export value of wood pellets was almost worth EUR 170 million.
Although demand for forest products and biomass is growing in Latvia, with reafforestation and sustainable forestry the growing forest stock volume has almost quadrupled since 1935.
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.
