Build a biomass energy market

Abstract

Governments must offer incentives to drive a switch to biofuels and other renewables, argues Heinz Kopetz. B iofuels — which include wood, straw, charcoal, ethanol derived from corn (maize) and methane- rich biogas — currently generate about 10% of the world’s energy, or 53 exajoules1 . The majority goes towards heat, with the rest used for electricity and transportation (see ‘Biomass boost’). But biofuels hold the potential to deliver at least one-quarter of the world’s projected energy needs of 623 exajoules by 2035 (ref. 2). This would help to limit global warming, create jobs in rural areas and improve energy secu- rity. To achieve it, countries will need to dramatically accelerate their development of biofuel technologies. Some countries have made huge strides in this respect, notably Sweden, Austria, Brazil and China. Many others are not making the most of their resources: in Australia, for example, millions of tonnes of straw are still burned in fields after 7