According to new research published in Nature Energy, including biomass in Europe’s energy mix could save an additional €169 billion in annual expenses. Comparable to the European defense budget, this amount is nearly equivalent to the cost of omitting wind power and double that of eliminating solar power.

Researchers examined all sectors, including industry, transportation, heating, and electricity, to predict the cost-optimal energy scenario for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050, as outlined in the Paris Agreement. They calculated that the yearly cost of the energy system would be €822 billion. The cost increases by around 5% if Europe continues using biomass in its current, restricted manner. A complete ban on biomass, excluding the requirement to burn municipal solid waste, would result in a 20% cost increase, or approximately €169 billion per year.

According to Markus Millinger, a senior researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, the high cost of substitutes is the primary reason for the rapid increase in costs when biomass availability is reduced. He added that the bigger problem could be the challenge of rapidly expanding alternative, fossil fuel-free energy sources to compensate for.

Role of Biomass in Net-Zero Scenario

Wind power is expected to provide 54% of energy, solar 40%, and hydropower 5%, or 9,250 terawatt-hours, under the net-negative emissions scenario, in which more CO₂ is extracted than emitted. This is almost three times the power the EU used in 2021. However, it is anticipated that only a small percentage of biomass would be used to generate power.

Instead, the research views biomass as a vital source of chemicals and fuels for industries such as shipping, aviation, and manufacturing, which are challenging to decarbonize. With the capacity to absorb and store carbon from biomass processes underground, it also highlights how biomass can mitigate harmful emissions or replace fossil raw materials.

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Current EU Policy and Sustainability Criteria

As of 2021, around 59% of the renewable energy consumed in the EU comes from biomass, which is derived from agriculture, forestry, and biological waste. According to the 2023 European Union Bioenergy Sustainability Report, Germany is the leading producer of solid biomass.

However, the consumption of biomass from specific vulnerable ecosystems, including peatlands, old-growth forests, and highly biodiverse regions, is restricted by EU regulation. Renewable energy objectives and subsidies do not apply to these sources. Chalmers University co-author Göran Berndes emphasized the importance of clear legislative frameworks that ensure including biomass in Europe’s energy mix supports both climate goals and the sustainable management of agricultural and forest resources.

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