Post by account_disabled on Mar 13, 2024 8:53:36 GMT
We still do not have all the electrified solutions we need and, therefore, thermal renewables are going to have to be part of the solution. And among thermal renewables, bioenergy stands out, without a doubt. By PEDRO FRESCO 6831 readings AUTHOR PEDRO FRESCO 01-25-2024 TAGS BIOENERGY “Electrify everything!” It is shouted many times from the forums and sectors defending the energy transition. Electrifying is synonymous with efficiency in a large part of current energy uses and, in addition, it would allow us to directly use the electricity generated by the most dynamic renewable sources, which are wind and solar photovoltaic. If we electrified everything we could do the same thing as now while consuming only half the primary energy. That is why electrification is a fundamental leg, and perhaps the main one, of the energy transition in which we are immersed. I have also always defended this position and that led me in the past to not value other renewable energy alternatives very positively, which in some ways I saw as an inadequate solution. But my experience in public administration and an analysis adapted to the new demands and speed of the energy transition in Europe made me change my mind.
I consider electrification as relevant as before, but we still do not have all the electrified solutions we need and, therefore, thermal renewables are going to have to be part of the solution. And among thermal renewables, bioenergy stands out, without a doubt. Bioenergy is also capable of generating virtuous cycles that imply more efficient waste management and result in rural development. The CZ Leads fact that waste is a potential resource helps its good management, its separation and collection, avoiding its impact on the environment in some cases and helping forest management in others. In the case of biogas, this issue is particularly relevant because, in addition to the use of waste with high environmental impacts (case of slurry, for example), there are times when the use of the waste itself and the extraction and use of biogas can lead to compute as negative emissions, since by consuming methane and transforming it into CO2 we are transforming a high greenhouse effect gas into one with a lower radiative effect. With any energy, as with any activity in general, the way things are done is fundamental, but in the case of bioenergy, how the logistics and the project are done is everything. The same virtuous circles or potential negative emissions could become very inconvenient and environmentally damaging uses if we do things inappropriately.
For example, the felling of forests in Brazil and its export to the United Kingdom to burn the wood in thermal power plants and produce electricity is a climate harmful practice no matter how renewable the wood is. Certain first-generation energy crops, where enormous areas of land are used to produce a small amount of biodiesel or bioethanol, and where there are also reasonable doubts that the energy obtained is greater than that used for the entire cultivation and production process, It also represents practices that we must eradicate. Bioenergy makes sense if the way it is made makes sense, and I think it is appropriate for bioenergy to also know how to find its place in the energy transition. Does it make sense to manufacture biofuels when the transportation of the future is going to be electrified? Outside of some niche, it is obvious that it has little scope. Does biomass make sense to generate heat, when we have electrified alternatives? Here we must assess proximity logistics and also those niches where electrification has more difficulties. Does biogas make sense? Absolutely and emphatically Yes, because we know that we do not have electrified solutions for certain sectors such as maritime transport or industrial very high temperature heat production. And, even so, it will not make sense to either use biogas in sectors that have a solvent electrical alternative or extract it from any potential source. One of the principles that must govern the energy transition is to use the most appropriate form of energy in the most efficient way.