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Tiedotteita - Research Notes 2426 ; The report presents an outlook for alternative motor fuels and new vehicles. The time period covered extends up to 2030. The International Energy Agency and the U.S. Energy Information Administration predict that the world energy demand will increase by over 50% from now to 2030, if policies remain unchanged. Most of the growth in demand for energy in general, as well as for transport fuels, will take place in non-OECD countries. Gasoline and diesel are projected to remain the dominant automotive fuels until 2030. Vehicle technology and high quality fuels will eventually solve the problem of harmful exhaust emissions. However, the problem with CO2 still remains, and much attention will be given to increase efficiency. Hybrid technology is one option to reduce fuel consumption. Diesel engines are fuel efficient, but have high emissions compared with advanced gasoline engines. New combustion systems combining the best qualities of gasoline and diesel engines promise low emissions as well as high efficiency. The scenarios for alternative fuels vary a lot. By 2030, alternative fuels could represent a 10-30% share of transport fuels, depending on policies. Ambitious goals for biofuels in transport have been set. As advanced biofuels are still in their infancy, it seems probable that traditional biofuels will also be used in 2030. Ethanol is the fastest growing biofuel. Currently the sustainability of biofuels is discussed extensively. Synthetic fuels promise excellent end-use properties, reduced emissions, and if produced from biomass, also reduced CO2 emissions. The report presents an analysis of technology options to meet the requirements for energy security, reduced CO2 emissions, reduced local emissions as well as sustainability in general in the long run. In the short term, energy savings will be the main measure for CO2 reductions in transport, fuel switches will have a secondary role.

VTT Tiedotteita - Research Notes 2352 ; The aim of this publication is to give a comprehensive overview of the opportunities for and barriers to bioenergy development in Europe. The study carried out within the Bioenergy Network of Excellence "Overcoming Barriers to Bioenergy" (Bioenergy NoE) covers EU policy issues and their implementation in Europe, biomass availability and technology development aspects, and RTD goals to overcome the barriers to bioenergy development. Important European targets have been set for 2010, such as the White Paper targets of doubling the share of renewables to 12%, and tripling the use of biomass to 135 Mtoe (5.7 EJ) compared to 1997, the RES-E Directive target of a 21% share of green electricity, and the Biofuels Directive target of 5.75% of transport fuels to be supplied with biofuels. Recently, a Biomass Action Plan was launched. Further, a biofuels target of 20% substitution by 2020 has been proposed, and the maximum of 35% for the share of MSW to be landfilled has been set for the year 2016. EU policies and regulations are important drivers for bioenergy development in the EU countries. In Europe, the use of biomass and wastes is presently about 2.9 EJ/a (69 Mtoe). By 2050, it is estimated that biomass and waste utilisation could rise to anywhere from 9.0 to 13.5 EJ/a (215-320 Mtoe). According to the Biomass Action Plan the measures could lead to the use of about 150 Mtoe (6.3 EJ) in 2010 or soon after. There are sufficient domestic resources to meet the EU targets set for the year 2010 but if more stringent goals are set for bioenergy in the future, it will be challenging to find sufficient resources in Europe and biomass imports from outside the EU will be necessary. The barrier analysis carried out within the Bioenergy NoE resulted in a wide variety of non-technical and technical barriers. Overall, non-technical barriers dominate, with economic barriers being the most prominent. However, there is no single barrier that appears as the most important; it is the interaction of many barriers that impedes the rapid expansion of bioenergy use. Even omitting the economic barriers and biomass availability constraints technical barriers are critical in introducing novel production and utilization technology. Barriers defined for feedstock production, heat and power technologies, liquid biofuels technology, and waste to energy areas are presented. R&D work is suggested to overcome a wide variety of technical barriers related to individual process steps within production and utilization schemes. The potential for significant biomass utilisation in Europe is influenced by EU and national policies and regulations, emissions trading, availability of biomass and the logistics of feedstock supply, the development of technologies, and economic and social issues. The CAP reform in 2003 substantially influences bioenergy development. A prerequisite for rapid implementation of new bioenergy solutions in the European market is the application of existing infrastructures in the conventional biomass production and energy sectors. Within the Bioenergy NoE, there is agreement that a considerable increase in the use of bioenergy cannot take place without industry support. Therefore the intended increase in the use of biomass can only be realised through new business opportunities. Integration of capacities in bioenergy R&D is needed to reach the EU White Paper goals. New technologies and business concepts are needed, and Bioenergy NoE has to respond to the demands of the European Commission and industry. Integrating bioenergy production with forest industry, electricity and heat, waste recycling, liquid biofuel production and/or chemical industry improves competitiveness. Biorefineries and polygeneration of multiple products are widely seen as an important approach to efficiently utilise limited raw material resources.

VTT Technology 237 ; Increased demand for wood in the bioeconomy and bioenergy production means increased pressure on forest resources. Policies emphasising the targets for bioenergy, such as the European Union 2020 targets for renewable energy, have evoked concern on the sufficiency of biomass resources. As forests have multiple roles in supplying raw materials for industry and energy production, climate change mitigation, and in provision of ecosystem and recreational services, comprehensive assessments are needed to reach balanced and sustainable use of forests. Careful management and sustainable use of forest resources can lead to greater climate benefits in the long run by preserving forests as a continuous storage of carbon, and a source of renewable materials and energy. This report summarises the research-based results of the use of forest biomass for energy in Northern European conditions. It discusses the trade-offs and winwin situations of growing forests, sequestration of carbon and using the wood also for energy - in an economically viable and ecologically sustainable manner. The topic is approached from several viewpoints: First, development of forest resources in the EU and in Finland is presented, and a background for the discussion on how much and what kind of wood is used for energy production is provided (Section 2). Second, ecological and climate impacts of the use of forest energy are discussed (Sections 3 and 4). Third, the role of forests in international climate policy and future EU regulations (Section 5), and the specific features of cascading use of wood in fibre producing countries (Section 6) are discussed. In addition, remarks on the economics and the future role of forest energy in lowcarbon scenarios are presented (Section 7). Finally, the conclusions and recommendations concerning forest energy use are provided (Section 8).

VTT Tiedotteita - Research Notes 2441 ; The study carried out within the Bioenergy Network of Excellence analyses the implementation of important EU directives and policies relating to bioenergy in Europe to identify major RD&D needs in the field. Major EU directives, commonly known as the Promotion of Renewable Electricity, Biofuels and Landfill Directives, along with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and parts of the Common Agricultural Policy, are some of the most important drivers behind the growth of bioenergy in the EU27 today. The report compares how Germany, Finland and the Netherlands have implemented the directives, examining the policy frameworks in each country and the plans and mechanisms in place to reach national targets. A wider European perspective for each directive is then drawn out, and recommendations for RD&D actions to meet the EU directive targets or obligations in each area are outlined. The report also takes a broader look at the effects the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the Common Agricultural Policy are having on the use of biomass in the EU with RD&D recommendations for each area. Bioenergy NoE advocates stronger communication and co-operation among various EU-wide projects and initiatives focusing on bioenergy development. Industry commitment to RD&D projects is, however, the only direct path for bringing state-of-the-art technology and products to market. Building sustainable production pathways and addressing competition with food products is crucial to developing environmentally-sound biofuels. Research in renewable electricity from biomass should prioritize development of higher efficiency power production and power-to-heat ratios in combined heat and power plants over new technology development. In the biofuels field, RD&D should prioritize the development of more sustainable, second generation biofuels. To meet landfill diversion targets, thermal conversion and energy recovery of municipal solid waste in some EU countries will have to increase. Meeting the European targets set for 2020 requires significant technology development in order to introduce a new generation of biofuels and feedstocks: this is the focus for Bioenergy NoE RD&D.