Skip navigation
Other publication

The Achievable Potential of Wood Fuels for Climate Mitigation at Regional and Global Levels: Reviewing the Scope for Technical, Economic and Financial Implementation

Francis X. Johnson, Takeshi Takama, Patricia Vilchis Tella / Published on 16 December 2010
Citation

Johnson, F.X., R. Diaz-Chavez, A. Israilava, F. Rosillo-Calle , T. Takama and P. Tella (2010). The Achievable Potential of Wood Fuels for Climate Mitigation at Regional and Global Levels: Reviewing the Scope for Technical, Economic and Financial Implementation. Proceedings of the 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, Lyon, France, 3-7 May 2010. http://www.etaflorence.it/proceedings.

Wood log

Wood log

Bioenergy from wood is the oldest energy source but at the same time there are new opportunities for wood energy to make substantial contributions to climate mitigation while also helping to improve the quality of energy services and contribute to development and energy security objectives.

The potential for wood fuels for climate mitigation in the near-term are probably concentrated in the area of biomass co-firing with coal, due to the low cost and the major growth in coal-fired generation in countries such as China. There are also options for climate mitigation in the traditional biomass sector, through improved stoves and through more efficient charcoal production. Other options include substitution for coal in steel-making.

The socio-economic implications are somewhat complex compared to other energy sources, since they relate closely to rural development but also create new allied industries, such as the wood pellets industry. Financial aspects in terms of carbon finance can be distinguished by the relatively straightforward case of larger-scale substitution projects vs. the complex small projects that are more difficult to measure and monitor.

Download the paper (external link, payment required)

SEI authors

Francis X. Johnson
Francis X. Johnson

Senior Research Fellow

SEI Asia

Profile picture of Takeshi Takama
Takeshi Takama

SEI Affiliated Researcher

SEI Asia

Design and development by Soapbox.