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Two interactive maps one on pellet facilities and the other on bioenergy plants have been produced from openly available sources and information provided members of the EPN Forests, Climate and Biomass working group worldwide. This is a constant work in progress and the maps will be updated regularly as new information becomes available. You are welcome to contribute to our data gathering or provide any new or updated data.
There is a new and growing threat to the world’s forests, people and climate – the biomass energy industry. Wood pellets are the major commodity feeding this industry.
This report outlines the evolution of this threat and maps its frightening expansion in scale and global extent now and over the next ten years.
Biomass is often described as a clean, renewable fuel and a greener alternative to coal and other fossil fuels for producing electricity. But recent science shows that many forms of biomass especially from forests produce higher carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels. In particular, a growing body of peer-reviewed, scientific studies shows that burning wood from whole trees in power plants to produce electricity can increase carbon emissions relative to fossil fuels for many decades anywhere from 35 to 100 years.1 This time period is significant: climate policy imperatives require dramatic short-term reductions in greenhouse gases, and these emissions will persist in the atmosphere well past the time when significant reductions are needed.
A report that reveals the potential scale of the threat to southeastern bottomland hardwood forests from wood pellet mills in the region. Millions of acres of vulnerable bottomland hardwood forests which provide critical habitat to a host of rare species and deliver important ecosystem services to local communities are in the bull’s eye of existing and proposed wood pellet mills’ potential sourcing areas.
A study commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council and conducted by Vivid Economics indicates that by 2025, electricity from coal-to-biomass conversions will not be one of the three lowest-cost forms of electricity in the United Kingdom, and will not be needed to ensure reliability of electricity supply as the country phases out coal. According to the findings, any new biomass capacity constructed will be outcompeted by lower cost generation and will thus be an obsolete asset within the decade. Continuing to support biomass conversion through a Contract-for-Difference could result in the country paying an excess implicit subsidy of over £360 million compared to wind energy.
A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Dogwood Alliance spotlights critical flaws in the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) standard and raises serious questions about the standard’s ability to provide credible assurances of biomass sustainability and carbon emissions intensity.
A new report from climate change think tank Ember reveals the cost of burning wood for power, with energy billpayers committed to subsidies of more than £13 billion, including £10bn at Drax power station alone. In addition to the direct subsidy, we estimate biomass generators are receiving carbon tax breaks of £333 million a year.
Slide show illustrating the impact of land grabs on people, economies and the environment.
Video explaining why biomass energy isn't carbon neutral.
A report of two research papers, which demonstrate the climate implications of biomass carbon debt and the accounting gap of reporting carbon from biomass harvesting under LULUCF.
Briefing on potential health impacts of burning wood in power stations which suggests that burning wood produces a wide range of air pollutants, not dissimilar to burning coal.
Analysis of the potential energy production from growing biomass on "spare" land in the European Union, which shows that the data on land is sparse, the area of land available is limited and the overall energy potential from growing dedicated energy crops on such land is very low.
Film examining the environmental and social impacts of the coal-to-biomass conversion of the power station at Gardanne, Provence.
Case study report highlighting the destructive impact of the biomass industry.
Video explaining the health and environment impacts of wood pellet plants on a rural community.
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