Development of a tool to model European biomass trade : Report for IEA Bioenergy Task 40

This report investigated the potential of future intra- and inter-European trade of solid biomass for bioenergy purposes taking country to country specific intermodal transport routes into account and matching supply and demand for energy crops, forestry products and residues and agricultural residues. For this purpose, a geospatial, intermodal biomass transport model was developed in the ArcGIS 10.0 Network Analyst extension. This model has been complemented with data on the cost of shipment using road (truck), water (ocean ships and inland navigation ships) and rail and the cost of transshipment between these modalities. The results of the ArcGIS model were integrated in the transport extended renewable energy model GREEN-X and combined with two scenarios on import potential scenarios of biomass from non-EU countries, a Low Import and High Import scenario. The approach applied provides useful insights in potential trade routes, key supply regions and key demand regions in Europe and potential cost implications for bioenergy production taking logistic implications of biomass from farm gate to supply destinations into account. Because biomass is becoming a major tradable energy commodity, representing bioenergy trade is of key importance to energy models that include renewable energy as no (European) country is limited to national resources.