Excluding biomass from Europe’s energy mix would significantly hinder the EU’s climate ambitions, according to new research led by Chalmers University of Technology.
The study found that removing biomass would increase annual system costs by €169 billion — a financial impact comparable to excluding wind power.
Biomass, sourced from energy crops, agricultural waste and forestry residues, is Europe’s largest renewable energy source.
It not only replaces fossil fuels in hard-to-abate sectors like steel and cement but also offers a route to carbon dioxide removal via carbon capture and storage (CCS).
“One thing that surprised us was how quickly it becomes very expensive if we reduce the availability of biomass in the energy system, due to the high costs of alternatives,” said Markus Millinger, lead author and researcher at Rise. “If biomass is completely excluded, the costs of the energy system with negative emissions would increase by €169 billion annually.”
The study, published in Nature Energy, stresses that the true value of biomass lies in its carbon content, which can be captured and either stored or reused to produce sustainable fuels and chemicals. It highlights biomass’s role in enabling negative emissions — an essential part of reaching net zero.
“As long as the carbon atoms are utilised, it is not crucial in which sector biomass is used,” added Millinger.
Researchers call for stable policies to support investment in bioenergy and carbon reuse, alongside robust sustainability criteria to safeguard biodiversity and land use.
