Status of and expectations for flexible bioenergy to support resource efficiency and to accelerate the energy transition

F. Schipfer; E. Mäki; U. Schmieder; N. Lange; T. Schildhauer; C. Hennig; D. Thrän

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2022.112094

Status of and expectations for flexible bioenergy to support resource efficiency and to accelerate the energy transition

F. Schipfer^*
, E. Mäki
, U. Schmieder
, N. Lange
, T. Schildhauer
, C. Hennig
, D. Thrän

^*Corresponding author for this work

Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien)
Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
German Biomass Research Center gGmbH (DBFZ)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › peer-review

53 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We can expect a remarkable expansion and cross-sectoral deployment of PV and wind power in the current decade. The intermittent nature of these renewables, however, will evoke challenges regarding matching energy supply and demand. Studies and strategies that aim to solve this challenge tend to neglect the flexibility potential of modern and sustainable bioenergy, despite this being the leading renewable energy resource today. We explore the current status of, and stakeholder expectations for, bioenergy flexibility, drawing on recent questionnaire data gathered in the IEA Bioenergy TCP, including some of the authors of this study, to provide a technological and deployment status review for eleven countries. We present a wide range of commercially available bioenergy technologies that can offer flexibility services. We find that sustainable biomass can be deployed for multiple services and benefits to the energy system under varying operating conditions and loads, contributing to energy security beyond the power grid. Yet, practical deployment continues to be seen as little more than a niche innovation mainly due to limited ‘landscape pressure’ and considerable challenges in translating systemic, macro-economic and societal gains into an economic profit on a business level. Considering the large variety of flexibility services, we highlight that markets and frameworks have to be designed to sufficiently reflect the qualities and limitations of the different commodities or services. Therefore, we advocate for a heterodox energy economic debate to help settle fundamental questions about the effectiveness of different market designs based on empirical approaches, quantitative modelling, and basic analytical research.

Original language	English
Article number	112094
Number of pages	14
Journal	Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Volume	158
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112094
Publication status	Published - Apr 2022
MoE publication type	A2 Review article in a scientific journal

Funding

We thank the three independent reviewers for their valuable comments as well as the editor for his efforts. The research behind this paper was financed by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMK) under the grant [eCall number 20807196 ]. The authors acknowledge the TU Wien Library for financial support through its Open Access Funding Program. We also thank the IEA Bioenergy TCP Task44 and its members for the financial contribution and the country and technology experts' extensive feedback on the questionnaires. We want to cordially thank Hanna Breunig, Ilkka Hannula and Lukas Kranzl for the internal review, valuable comments and suggestions that improved this manuscript considerably. English grammar, syntax and scientific writing style was furthermore manifold upgraded by Paul Talbot - https://www.paultalbot.at/ . [75] models scenarios for the German heat and power markets with up to 80% renewable energy penetration. He finds that an optimal expansion and use of bioenergy plants as complementary flexibility and CHP-option reduces total system costs by approximately ?300 m per year, contributing to the decarbonization and energy security in both electricity and heat markets. In addition, the results from Ref. [76] show positive effects on a business level when adopting a flexible operation of the existing German biogas plants. The Era-Net funded Bioenergy VaBiSys project (Value-optimized use of biomass in flexible energy infrastructure) outlined and quantified the PV and wind expansion facilitator role of bioenergy regarding overall system costs [77], and identified challenges in translating the systemic benefits into monetary terms on either the city and energy company level [78].We thank the three independent reviewers for their valuable comments as well as the editor for his efforts. The research behind this paper was financed by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMK) under the grant [eCall number 20807196]. The authors acknowledge the TU Wien Library for financial support through its Open Access Funding Program. We also thank the IEA Bioenergy TCP Task44 and its members for the financial contribution and the country and technology experts' extensive feedback on the questionnaires. We want to cordially thank Hanna Breunig, Ilkka Hannula and Lukas Kranzl for the internal review, valuable comments and suggestions that improved this manuscript considerably. English grammar, syntax and scientific writing style was furthermore manifold upgraded by Paul Talbot - https://www.paultalbot.at/.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Keywords

Bioenergy
Energy system
Flexibility
Intermittent renewables
Renewable energy
Resource efficiency

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10.1016/j.rser.2022.112094Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Status of and expectations for flexible bioenergy to support resource efficiency and to accelerate the energy transition",

abstract = "We can expect a remarkable expansion and cross-sectoral deployment of PV and wind power in the current decade. The intermittent nature of these renewables, however, will evoke challenges regarding matching energy supply and demand. Studies and strategies that aim to solve this challenge tend to neglect the flexibility potential of modern and sustainable bioenergy, despite this being the leading renewable energy resource today. We explore the current status of, and stakeholder expectations for, bioenergy flexibility, drawing on recent questionnaire data gathered in the IEA Bioenergy TCP, including some of the authors of this study, to provide a technological and deployment status review for eleven countries. We present a wide range of commercially available bioenergy technologies that can offer flexibility services. We find that sustainable biomass can be deployed for multiple services and benefits to the energy system under varying operating conditions and loads, contributing to energy security beyond the power grid. Yet, practical deployment continues to be seen as little more than a niche innovation mainly due to limited {\textquoteleft}landscape pressure{\textquoteright} and considerable challenges in translating systemic, macro-economic and societal gains into an economic profit on a business level. Considering the large variety of flexibility services, we highlight that markets and frameworks have to be designed to sufficiently reflect the qualities and limitations of the different commodities or services. Therefore, we advocate for a heterodox energy economic debate to help settle fundamental questions about the effectiveness of different market designs based on empirical approaches, quantitative modelling, and basic analytical research.",

keywords = "Bioenergy, Energy system, Flexibility, Intermittent renewables, Renewable energy, Resource efficiency",

author = "F. Schipfer and E. M{\"a}ki and U. Schmieder and N. Lange and T. Schildhauer and C. Hennig and D. Thr{\"a}n",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the three independent reviewers for their valuable comments as well as the editor for his efforts. The research behind this paper was financed by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMK) under the grant [eCall number 20807196 ]. The authors acknowledge the TU Wien Library for financial support through its Open Access Funding Program. We also thank the IEA Bioenergy TCP Task44 and its members for the financial contribution and the country and technology experts' extensive feedback on the questionnaires. ",

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doi = "10.1016/j.rser.2022.112094",

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volume = "158",

journal = "Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews",

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AU - Schipfer, F.

AU - Mäki, E.

AU - Schmieder, U.

AU - Lange, N.

AU - Schildhauer, T.

AU - Hennig, C.

AU - Thrän, D.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the three independent reviewers for their valuable comments as well as the editor for his efforts. The research behind this paper was financed by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMK) under the grant [eCall number 20807196 ]. The authors acknowledge the TU Wien Library for financial support through its Open Access Funding Program. We also thank the IEA Bioenergy TCP Task44 and its members for the financial contribution and the country and technology experts' extensive feedback on the questionnaires.

PY - 2022/4

Y1 - 2022/4

N2 - We can expect a remarkable expansion and cross-sectoral deployment of PV and wind power in the current decade. The intermittent nature of these renewables, however, will evoke challenges regarding matching energy supply and demand. Studies and strategies that aim to solve this challenge tend to neglect the flexibility potential of modern and sustainable bioenergy, despite this being the leading renewable energy resource today. We explore the current status of, and stakeholder expectations for, bioenergy flexibility, drawing on recent questionnaire data gathered in the IEA Bioenergy TCP, including some of the authors of this study, to provide a technological and deployment status review for eleven countries. We present a wide range of commercially available bioenergy technologies that can offer flexibility services. We find that sustainable biomass can be deployed for multiple services and benefits to the energy system under varying operating conditions and loads, contributing to energy security beyond the power grid. Yet, practical deployment continues to be seen as little more than a niche innovation mainly due to limited ‘landscape pressure’ and considerable challenges in translating systemic, macro-economic and societal gains into an economic profit on a business level. Considering the large variety of flexibility services, we highlight that markets and frameworks have to be designed to sufficiently reflect the qualities and limitations of the different commodities or services. Therefore, we advocate for a heterodox energy economic debate to help settle fundamental questions about the effectiveness of different market designs based on empirical approaches, quantitative modelling, and basic analytical research.

AB - We can expect a remarkable expansion and cross-sectoral deployment of PV and wind power in the current decade. The intermittent nature of these renewables, however, will evoke challenges regarding matching energy supply and demand. Studies and strategies that aim to solve this challenge tend to neglect the flexibility potential of modern and sustainable bioenergy, despite this being the leading renewable energy resource today. We explore the current status of, and stakeholder expectations for, bioenergy flexibility, drawing on recent questionnaire data gathered in the IEA Bioenergy TCP, including some of the authors of this study, to provide a technological and deployment status review for eleven countries. We present a wide range of commercially available bioenergy technologies that can offer flexibility services. We find that sustainable biomass can be deployed for multiple services and benefits to the energy system under varying operating conditions and loads, contributing to energy security beyond the power grid. Yet, practical deployment continues to be seen as little more than a niche innovation mainly due to limited ‘landscape pressure’ and considerable challenges in translating systemic, macro-economic and societal gains into an economic profit on a business level. Considering the large variety of flexibility services, we highlight that markets and frameworks have to be designed to sufficiently reflect the qualities and limitations of the different commodities or services. Therefore, we advocate for a heterodox energy economic debate to help settle fundamental questions about the effectiveness of different market designs based on empirical approaches, quantitative modelling, and basic analytical research.

KW - Bioenergy

KW - Energy system

KW - Flexibility

KW - Intermittent renewables

KW - Renewable energy

KW - Resource efficiency

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85123827914

U2 - 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112094

DO - 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112094

M3 - Review Article

AN - SCOPUS:85123827914

SN - 1364-0321

VL - 158

JO - Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

JF - Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

M1 - 112094

ER -

Status of and expectations for flexible bioenergy to support resource efficiency and to accelerate the energy transition

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

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