IRENA says biomass to bring 60% of renewable energy use by 2030

Sep 25, 2014 - The deployment of biomass can reach 60% of the world’s renewable energy consumption by 2030, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says in a new report.

In its “Global Bioenergy Supply and Demand Projections for the Year 2030” report, released on Thursday, the agency explains that biomass demand is expected to be 108 exajoules in 2030, representing about 20% of the total primary energy supply globally.

According to IRENA’s estimates nearly 40% of the worldwide biomass supply will be sourced from agricultural waste, while some 30% will come from sustainable forestry products. These resources, which are not used for food production, can help lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the 450 parts per million (ppm) needed to limit global warming.

“Sustainable bioenergy has the potential to be a game-changer in the global energy mix,” said IRENA’s director of innovation and technology Dolf Gielen.

In June, IRENA released its REmap 2030 analysis, stating that the 450ppm CO2 level is possible only if renewables account for 36% of the world’s total power mix by 2030.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!