World Energy Resources | 2016

WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL | WORLD ENERGY RESO URCES 2016
supply is shared between energy crops and forestry products and residues. According to
WBA, the estimated potential of using agricultural residues for energy ranges from 17 EJ to
128 EJ. This high range of values is due to the dependence on various factors including
moisture content, energy content of the residues etc. The highest potential for using
agricultural residues is in Asia and Americas due to the high production of rice and maize
respectively.
BIOENERGY CONSUMPTION
Bioenergy is a versatile energy source. In contrast to other energy sources, biomass can be
converted into solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. Moreover, bioenergy can be used for heating
homes, electrifying communities and fuelling the transport sector. Globally, bioenergy
(including waste) accounted for 14% of the world’s energy consumption in 2012 2 with
roughly 2.6 billion people dependent on traditional biomass for energy needs 3 . The
consumption pattern of bioenergy varies geographically.
USA and Brazil lead the world in production and consumption of liquid biofuels for transport
(accounting for almost 80% of production). In the transport sector, the production of corn
ethanol in USA and sugarcane ethanol in Brazil has increased significantly. The production
of all biofuels in the Americas increased from about 16 billion litres in 2000 to 79 billion
litres in 2012 4 . A significant sector for future use of biofuels is the aviation sector. Liquid
biofuels are the only sustainable and viable option for replacing aviation fuel and efforts are
underway where airlines, airports, finance institutions, and universities are coming together
to explore sustainable aviation pathways. Commercial airlines using biofuels have already
flown transatlantic routes. Other important sectors include heavy road and maritime where
biofuels can play a big role.
The use of biomass for electricity is prominent in Europe and North America –
predominantly produced from forestry products and residues. Cogeneration plants enable
the use of biomass with increased efficiency, so much so that the combined efficiency of
producing heat and electricity crosses 80%. The Europe and Americas continent contribute
more than 70% of all consumption of biomass for electricity. In 2013, 462 TWh of electricity
was produced globally from biomass 5 . In the past few years, biomass is seeing increasing
uptake in developing countries in Asia and Africa where significant population lacks access
to electricity. Biogas and decentralized bioenergy systems are becoming more cost
competitive. Already cogeneration plants using agricultural residues like Bagasse in India,
Mauritius, Kenya and Ethiopia are successful.
2
WBA (2014) Global Bioenergy Statistics
3
IEA Database worldenergyoutlook.org/resources/energydeelopment/energyaccessdatabase/
4
WBA (2014) Global Bioenergy Statistics
5
Ibid 4
7