Biomass is expected to play a key role in the decarbonisation of the energy system, both in terms of final energy uses but also for supply technologies [1]. Different long-term energy supply climate scenarios highlight that reaching net-zero would be significantly costly and would involve further or even not feasible emission caps for certain sectors, if biomass energy plants equipped with carbon capture units, were not deployed [2]. These plants allow energy production with ‘negative CO₂’ emissions [3]. Biomass comprises a set of several types of fuels – liquid biofuels, woody energy carriers, agriculture and food industry waste. These vectors can be processed using different types of technologies and with the purpose of generating heat, power, hydrogen, and biomethane [4].

Woody biomass and waste can be combusted or gasified and aimed at producing electricity and/or thermal energy [5]. The combustion pathway is the preferred option in the case of heat production, given its higher efficiency [6]. However, biomass combustion may lead to a rise in certain air pollutant emissions, thus attention must be focussed on this when implementing these technologies and stricter limits are currently being incorporated in legislation [7] Gasification plants exhibit higher electrical efficiency and also enable hydrogen gas synthesis, however they tend to require higher capital investment costs [8].

Agriculture and food industry waste conversion to power, heat and biomethane – via anaerobic digestion - are also technically and economically viable processes [9, 10], with a significant potential in the UK but also in developing countries, relying on primary activities. In addition to contributing to the decarbonisation of the energy systems, these technologies also enable reducing greenhouse gas emissions from waste processing, which play a significant role in low to middle income nations [11].

[1] EU 2018a. Communication from the commission to the European parliament, the European council, the council, the European economic and social committee, the committee of the regions and the European investment bank. A Clean Planet for all. A European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy.

[2] IPCC. Fifth Assessment Report. IPCC. 2014Cambridge University Press, Geneva, Switzerland.

[3] Oreggioni G D, Singh B, Cherubini F, Guest G, Lausselet C, Luberti M, Ahn H, Stromann A. Environmental assessment of biomass gasification combined heat and power plants with absorptive and adsorptive carbon capture units in Norway. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 2017; 57: 162-172.

[4] IEA Bioenergy. Bioenergy for Sustainable Development.

[5] Camia, A., Giuntoli, J., Jonsson, K., Robert, N., Cazzaniga, N., Jasinevičius, G., Avitabile, V., Grassi, G., Barredo Cano, J.I. and Mubareka, S., The use of woody biomass for energy production in the EU, EUR 30548 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92-76-27866-5, doi:10.2760/428400, JRC122719.

[7] DEFRA. The Potential Air Quality Impacts from Biomass Combustion. 2017.

[8] Obernberger I, Thek G. Cost assessment of selected decentralised CHP applications based on biomass combustion and biomass gasification. Proceedings of the 16th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition. June 208, Valencia.

[9] Oreggioni G D, Gowreesunke B L, Tassou S A, Bianchi G, Reilly M, Kirby M E, Toop T A, Theodorou M K. Potential for Energy Production from Farm Wastes Using Anaerobic Digestion in the UK: An Economic Comparison of Different Size Plants. Energies. 2017.

[10] Oreggioni G D, Luberti M, Reilly M, Kirby M E, Toop T, Theodorou M, Tassou S A. Techno-economic analysis of bio-methane production from agriculture and food industry waste. Energy Procedia. 2017; 123:171-181.

[11] Oreggioni G D,  Monforti Ferraio F, Crippa M, Muntean M, Schaaf E, Guizzardi D, Solazzo E, Duerr M, Perry M, Vignati E. Climate change in a changing world: Socio-economic and technological transitions, regulatory frameworks and trends on global greenhouse gas emissions from EDGAR v.5.0. Global Environmental Change. 2021.