Variation in the Environmental Sustainability Performance of Bioenergy

This study aims to analyse the environmental sustainability performance, focuses on carbon emission footprint, of bioenergy (power) under different background/reference system. The considered variation includes the biogenic factor (effected by rotation year of biomass and time horizons of global warming potential), utilisation of biochar (energy or carbon sequestration) and soil carbon dynamics. The identified carbon emission footprint is compared against the existing electricity mix in EU-27. The carbon emission footprint of bioenergy is higher than the electricity mixes in Slovakia, Finland, Latvia, Austria, France, Lithuania and Sweden, at biogenic factor = 0.05 (rotation year = 1). It suggests the importance of a throughout assessment towards a sustainable bioenergy transition, as there is hardly one-size-fits-all solution and bioenergy is not necessary a solution with lower carbon emission footprint.