Brussels, 30/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is finalising its draft directive that is to impose biomass sustainability criteria used in the energy sector, other than bio-fuels.
The European Commission is currently putting the finishing touches to the draft text that will impose sustainability criteria for biomass, as for bio-fuels, when used for the production of thermal or electric energy. The text is subject to inter-service consultation before it is presented this autumn.
Under the terms of the directive, wood, organic waste and crops intended for the production of heat or electricity should ensure greenhouse gas reductions of at least 60% compared to fossil fuels in order to be taken into account as renewable. Another criterion imposed by the Commission is that raw material should not come from forest zones with high biodiversity or from land rich in carbon, such as peat bogs. On the other hand, unlike its proposal relating to the sustainability criteria for bio-fuels (still being examined by Council and Parliament - see EUROPE 10862, 10872 and 10886), the indirect land use changes (ILUC) that could be entailed from growing crops for this purpose (such as maize for the production of biogas) will not be taken into account.
Biomass sustainability criteria should only apply to biogas installations set in place after the date of entry into force of the text in order to guarantee pay-back from existing investment. Only the large energy production installations based on biomass (those producing over one megawatt of electricity or more than 2.5 megawatts of heat) will have to comply.
Energy produced from solid or gaseous biomass should cover at least half of the 20% objective of renewable energy in the EU's energy consumption by 2020. (EH/transl.jl)