Romania is the eighth EU Member State to celebrate its National Bioenergy Day on this year's listing of Bioenergy Europe's National Bioenergy Days sharing the day with Portugal. While forests cover around 30 percent of Romania's land area, it is the biomass potential in agricultural residues that seems to be attracting the most attention.
The European Bioenergy Day campaign aims to shed light on the increasingly central role that sustainable biomass is playing in the EU’s energy transition.
According to Bioenergy Europe, bioenergy is a vital component of the EU’s energy system and economy, producing 85 percent of the EU’s renewable heat, representing alone one-third of renewable energy sector jobs, and saving enough carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to cover the annual emissions of Spain.
Awareness campaign
The campaign provides key facts on biomass and the bioenergy industry and celebrates people, projects, and companies contributing to achieving European carbon neutrality.
In the past years, Bioenergy Europe launched the European Bioenergy Day campaign to provide tangible, first-hand examples of how bioenergy impacts the lives of EU citizens.
Facts
Background European Bioenergy Day
First launched in 2018, the European Bioenergy Day campaign is powered by Bioenergy Europe 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.
Each year, Bioenergy Europe calculates the Bioenergy Day of the European Union (EU) and each Member State, showing how long a Member State or the EU could meet their energy needs using only bioenergy until the end of the year.
Every National Bioenergy Day is accompanied by a story, showcasing the impact of bioenergy in the EU, whereas the European Bioenergy Day is highlighted at the annual European Bioenergy Future conference.
This year’s motto is “Our Shared Steps Towards the Energy Transition” and the 2024 European Bioenergy Day campaign aims to share these stories, highlighting how bioenergy supports the local (bio)economy, fosters innovation, and boosts the EU’s competitiveness.
As the EU advances towards its climate goals, bioenergy continues to expand its role as a key ally in the transition.
The new EU mandate will address critical issues such as climate change, energy security, and the rising cost of living.
In this context, bioenergy is a key ally for the EU’s economy, sustainability, and energy security.
It offers a viable alternative to fossil fuels and it is a key player in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology thanks to bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and biochar through pyrolysis with carbon capture and storage (PyCCS).
Transitioning from coal to biomass
According to Bioenergy International’s World of Pellets Map 2024, Romania had 18 wood pellet plants operational in 2023 with a total installed capacity of just over 1 million tonnes, of which 13 plants (≈ 800,000 tonnes) were ENplus certified.
Rich in agricultural residues, Romania has begun to utilize these for renewable energy purposes, such as the Clariant Podari cellulosic ethanol plant.
Comprising a combined heat and power plant to power the cellulosic ethanol plant, the idea was to use the lignin, a byproduct of the cereal straw to ethanol process, as fuel.
Although built, the plant has since been closed and Clariant divested its cellulosic ethanol business in 2023.
Torrefaction of biomass is seen as an opportunity for coal-fired power plants. AAR Biocarbons s.r.l. a subsidiary of American Biocarbon Delaware LLC (ABD) has plans to supply torrefied biomass to the Paroșeni coal-fired power plant located in the Jiului Valley (Valea Jiului).
The plan is to establish a framework for collaboration to transform the Paroșeni Thermal Power Plant into a modern facility.
Using locally sourced torrefied woody and agricultural biomass instead of coal would align Romania with the objectives of sustainability and decarbonization at the European level, and stimulate the economic development of the Valea Jiului region.
