Policy Issues
- Increased security in energy supply in a very long term : ~ 600 MTOE/y for the EU and ~ 5.6 billion TOE/y (world-wide);
- Agro-forestry activities (diversified production) and promotion of a new process of rural development (supplementary income for a large number of farmers and for the huge market of biomass resources);
- Socio-economy and employment (new, diversified, numerous jobs, especially in rural areas for the younger generation (≤ 500 d. t biomass per year/one job);
- General environment (CO2 - SO2) mitigation, and decreased amount of pollution in congested urban areas through the use of biofuels;
- Possibilities to process all type of biomasses and mixtures (without the need of binding compounds) thus offering the way also to change the micro-element composition of Agro-pellets to reduce (in combustion) corrosion particular emissions and the cost for their control (i.e. S, Cl, N, K, Na, ashes);
- The penetration of all sectorial energy markets (heat, power, transport); Carbon credits will accelerate their deployments
- Enlarged/increased industrial competitiveness (especially of SME, major actors of decentralised energy production);
- International cooperation (transfer of technology, joint-venture, international trade infrastructure, international standards for Agro-pellets and for different markets, focalised common R&D and demonstration projects, education and training programmes, carbontrading, clean development mechanical, etc.);
- Many related policies issues (environmental premium, energy supply planning, impact on agriculture, socio-economic, finances, international trading, education, etc.);
- Support measures (carbon-credits, social-credits, green-certificates, support of investment, etc.)