A story unfolding, EU energy policy and American forests By Sini Eräjää, Policy Officer EU Bioenergy, Birdlife Europe and the European Environmental Bureau I never would have thought that in the early days of the EU’s efforts to increase renewable energy use that working in this field would take me to forests along
Co-firing with biomass compared to other renewables By guest author Geert Warringa, CE Delft Co-firing is the combustion of two different types of material at the same time for energy production. In the Netherlands, co-firing coal with biomass is one of the options for meeting their 14% renewables target. However,
Dutch struggle over biomass is heating up By guest author Linde Zuidema, Bioenergy Campaigner, Fern Since the middle of last year, the Dutch government has come under increasing fire over its climate and energy policy. The main issue on the table: the need for a total phase out of coal
Massachusetts has some lessons for Europe about bioenergy By guest author Bram Claeys, currently Climate & Energy Adviser at an international environmental NGO, previously Deputy Director Renewable Energy at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Now that the European Commission has an open consultation about the need for sustainability criteria
What does bioenergy have to do with saving the Aquatic Warbler? By Lisa Benedetti, BirdLife Europe Bioenergy has been in the spotlight a lot lately because of its questionable ‘sustainability’. But in Poland, the production of biomass energy has become part of the Polish Society for the Protection of Bird’s
Wood pellet travel from North American forests to Belgian furnaces Check out Greenpeace Belgium’s nifty tool which demonstrates the potential dangers and questionable sustainability of wood pellets that are being used to fuel power plants in Belgium by companies like Electrabel, RWE and E.ON. The tool traces all the different steps, from wood
Ecological and economical nonsense of new large-scale biomass plants in Belgium By guest author Sara Van Dyck, Bond Beter Leefmilieu, Belgium Today, biomass plays an important role in Belgium’s renewable electricity supply. But Belgian governments have just pledged more money towards new large-scale biomass plants even though a recent study clearly
Nothing green about burning wood for electricity Jeremy Wates, the Secretary General of the European Environment Bureau in Brussels, explains in a letter to Britain’s The Independent newspaper how there is ‘Nothing green about burning wood for electricity‘ By burning wood pellets instead of coal Drax power station has turned green, according to
Bioenergy and Europe’s quest for a ‘circular economy’ By Lisa Benedetti, BirdLife Europe Europe is on the move to become a ‘circular economy’ which is more competitive and resource efficient. The goal is a more circular flow of materials and energy so that Europeans use and consume in a way
USA vs. Europe: the troublesome footprint of EU renewable policies Written by guest author Ginny Kreitler, Senior Energy Advisor for Audubon (BirdLife in the US). Wood pellet production for European energy markets, as practiced recently, creates a carbon debt through 2030 and fosters unsustainable timbering practices. Running power plants on imported
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