Finland faces having to import biomass because, despite being Europe’s most densely forested country, it will be unable to meet an expected 70% rise in demand for the fuel after it phases out coal.
Finland approved in February banning the use of coal in energy production by May 2029, which means utilities will have to find alternatives to keep Finns warm as coal currently accounts for around 20% of the energy used for household heating.
As there are limited plans to use more gas to produce heat in Finland, and other sources such as solar and geothermal energy are not yet commercially viable, using more biomass is seen as the most economical way of meeting the country’s future energy needs.
Biomass includes forest wood, timber logging residues, and industry by-products such as wood chips, black liquor, and other bio-waste.
Estimates shown to Reuters by Poyry consultancy – which advises the government on energy, industry and infrastructure needs – calculate that Finland will need 64 terawatt hours (TWh) worth of biomass in 2030 just for energy production, up from 38 TWh currently.
Domestic supply of biomass, on the other hand, is forecast to grow by only 8 TWh between now and 2030, according to Poyry.
As a result, Poyry says the country will have to import biomass as well as improve forest management and ensure greater utilization of harvest residues.
Finland’s largest energy lobby group Energia also projects large increases in the use of biomass in the coming years.
“It’s slightly awkward that Finland would run an energy policy that we will make us a net importer of biomass. We are a forest country,” said its head Jukka Leskela.
CHEAPER TO IMPORT
Forests cover three-quarters of Finland’s land, but the country’s limited tree harvest quota is mostly reserved for the pulp industry and the government would be unable to add much more supply for energy use.
“The pressure is to limit the use of (domestic) wood… Ιt is normally used in the regions where there is a lot of wood and fewer people but now we are talking about towns with very little forest and many people. It is evident that we need imports,” said Riku Huttunen, head of Finland’s energy department, which is part of the ministry of economic affairs and employment.
The logistics of moving biomass from northern Finland was also a limitation, he said, as shipping from neighboring countries was cheaper for utilities.
Such imports could come from other countries around the Baltic coast, including Russia, from where Finland is already sourcing some of its biomass, said Leskela of Energia.
That is despite pressure from the European Union on its member states to reduce their energy reliance on Russia.
Energia’s estimates show biomass will account for nearly 60 percent of the fuel mix in Finland’s combined heat and power (CHP) plants in 2030, up from less than 30 percent currently.
Read rest at Reuters
By the way, wouldn’t Finland benefit from a little “Global Warming” ???
Of course the geniuses didn’t bother to look at the other countries around the world that have relied upon wood for energy. They no longer have forests. DUH!!! .. Stupidity knows no bounds .. The Finn’s will get what they deserve.
AND… Solar panels wont help with the low angle of the sun, blocked by mountains, and snow on the roof panels.
What a bunch of morons running socialist governments these days.
This is what Finland deserves for being so stupid to commit to stop using coal. Finland is a very cold country so it definitely needs a lot of energy for heat. The extra cold climate has an impact on using trees as an alternative to fossil fuels. Trees in such climates grow very slowly. Thus trees used for fuel from Finland or its neighbors with similar climate will take a very long time to be replaced and adsorb the carbon dioxide released for heating.
Why should I continue to plant trees to help solve a problem while others cut healthy trees down to pretend to solve the problem?
So what country do the f*ing Finns expect to denude of their forests in order to burn a low-density energy source (compared to coal or natural gas)? And when will a country as far north as Finland ever find solar to be a viable energy source? Unlike the southern US where energy consumption goes up in the summer heat to power air conditioning, that is not important to the Finns when the sun is up most of every 24 hours. It’s the winter when the sun barely (if ever) goes above the horizon that they need energy to keep from freezing to death.
AND… Solar panels wont help with the low angle of the sun, blocked by mountains, and snow on the roof panels.
What a bunch of morons running socialist governments these days.
Biomass won’t get it done.
I grew up in a house with a wood stove. Fire wood is okay for rural folk with lots and lots of trees.
Biomass is pretty much solar energy. Low density energy. Forget it.
As winters become colder in the next few years, this BS will go out the window, along with the politicians that promoted it.