Biomass originates from organic material from forestry and agriculture (such as trees and plants), from waste and residues of biological origin as well as the biodegradable fraction of waste. It can be used for heating, electricity generation, and the production of transport fuels. Increasing the use of biomass in the EU can help diversify Europe's energy supply, create growth and jobs and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Biomass for energy (bioenergy) continues to be the main source of renewable energy in the EU and accounted for about 59% of the renewable energy consumption in 2021, according to the 2023 Union bioenergy sustainability report.
Key facts on biomass
Union bioenergy report
As part of the State of the Energy Union report, which the Commission should submit every year before 31 October, it must also publish a report outlining the state of play of bioenergy in the EU every 2 years. These reports will help the EU regularly take stock of its progress towards achieving the objectives of the clean energy transition. The 2023 Union bioenergy sustainability report (COM/2023/650), published in October 2023, was the first such report.
In 2024, the Commission also published a study to support reporting in the context of the Union bioenergy report. It presents the data which underpins the 2023 report and analyses the information reported by EU countries in their National Energy and Climate Progress Reports.
Biomass in the Renewable Energy Directive
Sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions savings criteria for agricultural biomass production in the EU were first introduced in 2009 under the Renewable Energy Directive. In 2018, the recast Renewable Energy Directive introduced criteria also for forest biomass.
To ensure that the harvesting and use of forest biomass is compatible with the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the climate neutrality goals towards 2050, the revised Renewable Energy Directive (EU/2023/2413), in force since 20 November 2023, includes a targeted strengthening of the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria for biomass. It builds on the findings of a report on the use of woody biomass for energy production by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre.
No-go areas for biomass
The revised directive extends the ‘no-go areas’ for agricultural biomass to also cover forest biomass. It also added some new ‘no-go areas’ categories. The ‘no-go areas’ now include primary and old growth forests, highly biodiverse forests and grassland, heathland, certain land with high carbon stock, and peatland. This means that only biomass that does not originate from these areas can be counted towards the renewables targets and receive subsidies.
Harvesting forest biomass
Specific harvesting requirements for forest biomass used for energy production were also introduced by the revised directive, including specific requirements for clear-cuts and deadwood extraction.
Greenhouse gas emissions savings
The greenhouse gas emissions savings criteria, introduced for new biomass installations in 2018, were extended to also include existing installations. Sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions savings criteria must now apply to all heat and power installations equal to or larger than 7.5 MW for solid biomass fuels.
Support schemes and subsidies
The strengthened rules introduce an obligation for EU countries to design their national support schemes in accordance with the biomass cascading principle, whereby woody biomass is used according to its highest economic and environmental added value.
New subsidies or the renewal of subsidies for plants producing electricity from forest biomass in electricity-only installations (where the electricity production is not combined with heat production) are banned.
Land use, land use change and forestry
The updated rules require EU countries to ensure the consistency of their use of forest biomass for energy production with their strengthened Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation (EU/2018/841) obligations and to include policies and measures to support this in their updated national energy and climate plans (NECPs).
Implementing the sustainability criteria for forest biomass
In December 2022, the Commission adopted an Implementing Regulation (EU2022/2448) that provides uniform rules for the implementation of the sustainability criteria for forest biomass under the Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001.
Certification of forest biomass
Voluntary schemes are used to ensure compliance with the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions savings criteria. An Implementing Regulation on certification was adopted in accordance with Article 30 (8) of the Renewable Energy Directive and laid down specific rules describing the certification process.
Related links
- Renewable Energy Directive
- Implementing regulation on sustainability criteria for forest biomass (EU/2022/2448)
- Study: Union bioenergy sustainability report (2024)
- News: Bioenergy report outlines progress being made across the EU (27/10/2023) and the Union Bioenergy Sustainability Report (COM/2023/650)
- Report: Clean Energy Technology Observatory, Bioenergy in the EU (2023)
- Report: The use of woody biomass for energy production in the EU (2021)