Jussi Heinimö

Views on the international market for energy biomass in 2020: results from a scenario study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the alternative future scenarios for the international biomass market until the year 2020 and identify underlying steps needed toward a vital working and sustainable biomass market for energy purposes.Design/methodology/approach – Two scenario processes were conducted for the study. A heuristic, semi‐structured approach, including the use of preliminary questionnaires as well as manual and computerised group support systems (GSS), was applied in the scenario processes.Findings – The scenarios estimated that the biomass market will develop and grow rapidly as well as diversify in the future. The scenario analysis shows the key issues in the field: global economic growth including the growing need for energy, environmental forces in the global evolution, the potential of technological development in solving the global problems, capabilities of the international community to find solutions for the global issues, and the complex interdependencies of all these ...

Evaluation of sustainability schemes for international bioenergy flows.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline a comprehensive picture of the coverage of various certification schemes and sustainability principles relating to the entire value‐added chain of biomass and bioenergy and comparing them accordingly.Design/methodology/approach – A tri‐dimensional approach (sustainability issues; technical biomass conversion routes; physical trade flows) was developed for testing the coverage of various sustainability dimensions in different phases of the value‐added chain with the chosen certification schemes and sustainability principles.Findings – Using the tri‐dimensional approach, a comparison of the chosen schemes and principles demonstrated that the application of existing schemes and the development of new ones have placed a major emphasis on the primary production of biomass. Economic and social dimensions related to biofuels and bioenergy processing and trade were either emphasised less or they were covered inadequately. In view of this, the schemes sometimes see...

Development of Bioenergy Trade in Four Different Settings – The Role of Potential and Policies

The provision, use and trade of bioenergy differ significantly between countries. This chapter provides an overview of bioenergy trade worldwide and presents case studies of four national biomass markets – Brazil, Canada, Finland and Germany – showing diverging degrees of biomass use for energy provision and biomass potentials. Since energy policy is considered to be a main driver for the use of biomass for energy generation, an overview of bioenergy policy making in different countries and the resulting impact on trade is given.

Sustainability criteria for biomass – views of Finnish stakeholders

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find out the views, concerns and opinions of stakeholders in Finland about the on‐going EU‐wide development of sustainability criteria for biomass production and utilization.Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted among Finnish stakeholders in the biomass sector which include representatives from government ministries, associations of industries and agricultural producers, research institutions and non‐governmental organizations.Findings – The majority of Finnish stakeholders are in agreement that sustainability criteria for biomass are needed because of the expanding and globalizing nature of the use and trade of biomass. Finnish stakeholders generally agreed that they should actively participate in the development of sustainability criteria both at international and local levels. Administrative/technical, environmental, social and economic aspects were elicited as critical factors for the development of sustainability criteria.Practical implicati...

Global Woody Biomass Trade for Energy

This chapter presents global woody biomass production and trade developments and extracts energy-related trade volumes. It shows that direct, policy-influenced trade for energy has reached over 300 PJ by 2010. The majority of this volume comprises of wood pellets and wood chips aimed for consumption in the European Union (EU). Wood pellets are the largest single commodity stream and have seen a rapid production growth and trade internationalization. This is primarily due to past and expected future EU demand developments in the industrial segment, i.e. large-scale use of wood pellets in co- and mono-firing installations. Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Denmark in particular are bound to increase consumption, and will remain net pellet importers. Wood pellet production has become a key diversification strategy of many forest companies and other traditional forest sectors, e.g. pulp and paper. Even energy utilities themselves are investing upstream. Wood chip trade for energy is largely limited to wood waste and small volumes of virgin wood chip (including roundwood) trade for energy in the Baltic Sea region and towards Italy. Policy-influenced fuelwood trade is also largest in Europe where it is mainly used in residential heating. Trade is predominantly regional or cross-border, and has been driven by local market price differences, winter conditions, and regional supply shortages. Market factors and policies have both defined woody biomass trade volumes while policy changes did not have as dramatic effects on trade developments as in the liquid biofuel sector. Economic viability is the key limiting trade factor for woody biomass ‘commodities’. Most exporting countries have low feedstock costs and already existing wood processing industries.