Bioenergy EurOpe responds to a study by Argos in defense of biomass

Pioneer sector in the establishment and respect of strict sustainability criteria in its supply chain, bioenergy has become the only source of energy affected legally by the mandatory criteria of sustainability, something that is not equivalent in any other energy, material or food product, and that automatically position it, in the eye of the analysis that can cause the network implemented by the Eur. They will begin to be taken into account in mid -2021.

Extraordinary guarantees carriers in the use of biomass as a source of energy for europeos citizens, the sector welcomed with satisfaction and responsibility from the first moment these criteria, since they consolidated the role of bioenergy in the mitigation of climate change and transmitted tranquility to users and investors.

However, after the presentation of the “money to burn” carried out by different journalists and news agencies eur Opeas and promoted Argos, a collaboration between Human and VPRO, the different associations have felt the need to clarify and deny certain statements promulgated by the former.

The EU endorses the use of woody biomass obtained sustainably as a source of renewable energy
in the first place, the Redii considers that woody biomass is a source of renewable energy, both that comes from waste from the wood industry and that obtained directly from forest uses. And this is because in Eur OPA there is a rigorous control over the supply of wood and biomass to the industry that guarantees its sustainability.

The use of bioenergy in no case leads to deforestation. In fact, it contributes to the exact opposite.

Forests grow trees that are too small, deformed or diseased to be used by wood processing industries, but that can be used to generate energy sustainably.

The president of AVEBIOM, Javier Díaz, considers that removing these trees “is totally necessary to maintain forest masses in optimal conservation conditions, store and sequester carbon continuously and reduce the volume of fuel likely to facilitate or aggravate the feared fires. forests or pests.

The forestry sector is clear that allocating low -value trees to generate renewable energy that replaces fossil fuels allows us to pay part of the improvement of forest masses eurOPEAS in the medium and long term.

According to the latest FAO figures, the surface of the europeos forests has increased by 47% since 1990: in the last 30 years, forest coverage was expanded in 482,000 hectares annually. This is equivalent to 1.3 soccer fields per minute.

The bioenergy sector is an example of a circular bioeconomy
To continue, the bioenergy industry is part of a very complex value chain with strong links to forestry activities. In this sense, the bioenergy sector is an example of an effective bioeconomy, which generates environmental and socioeconomic benefits in rural areas.

The use of biomass has increased over recent decades thanks to the more efficient use of waste and byproducts from forestry industries.

A fact that some disseminators and lobbies eurOpeos are unaware is that the percentage of wood use for energy purposes has remained stable over time: the use of firewood in poorly efficient equipment has evolved in a few years a modern use of standardized biomass in automated and high efficiency equipment.

Emissions from fossil fuels are very negative for the climate compared to those caused by biomass.
Thirdly, the fundamental difference between the two energy sources is the carbon cycle. While burning fossil fuels introduces additional carbon into the atmosphere that cannot be fully absorbed by natural sinks, emissions due to the combustion of biomass from sustainable forest management are offset by the growth of the trees where the fuel was produced.

Some newspaper articles suggest that forestry waste should be left on the ground to decompose slowly, which is absurd, since the CO2 will still end up in the atmosphere and without replacing the harmful emissions generated by fossil fuels.

The importance of biomass in the energy transition in
the Eur .

It is indispensable in the transition away from fossil fuels in the electricity and heating sectors: in 2018, bioenergy in the EU28 recorded 310 MtCO2 eq in emissions savings, equivalent to around 7% of GHG emissions in that anus.

Oversimplification of scientific knowledge and disinformation campaigns such as “Cash to Burn” regarding such a complex value chain will not only have a detrimental effect on the sector, but on the EU's ongoing effort to phase out fossil fuels.