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Energy policy and the role of bioenergy in Poland

Nilsson, Lars J LU ; Pisarek, M ; Buriak, J ; Oniszk-Poplawska, A ; Bucko, P ; Ericsson, Karin LU orcid and Jaworski, L (2006) In Energy Policy 34(15). p.2263-2278
Abstract
Poland, as many other countries, has ambitions to increase the use of renewable energy sources. In this paper, we review the current status of bioenergy in Poland and make a critical assessment of the prospects for increasing the share of bioenergy in energy supply, including policy implications. Bioenergy use was about 4% (165PJ) of primary energy use (3900PJ) and 95% of renewable energy use (174PJ) in 2003, mainly as firewood in the domestic sector. Targets have been set to increase the contribution of renewable energy to 7.5% in 2010, in accordance with the EU accession treaty, and to 14% in 2020. Bioenergy is expected to be the main contributor to reaching those targets. From a resource perspective, the use of bioenergy could at least... (More)
Poland, as many other countries, has ambitions to increase the use of renewable energy sources. In this paper, we review the current status of bioenergy in Poland and make a critical assessment of the prospects for increasing the share of bioenergy in energy supply, including policy implications. Bioenergy use was about 4% (165PJ) of primary energy use (3900PJ) and 95% of renewable energy use (174PJ) in 2003, mainly as firewood in the domestic sector. Targets have been set to increase the contribution of renewable energy to 7.5% in 2010, in accordance with the EU accession treaty, and to 14% in 2020. Bioenergy is expected to be the main contributor to reaching those targets. From a resource perspective, the use of bioenergy could at least double in the near term if straw, forestry residues, wood-waste, energy crops, biogas, and used wood were used for energy purposes. The long-term potential, assuming short rotation forestry on potentially available agricultural land is about one-third, or 1400 PJ, of current total primary energy use. However, in the near term, Poland is lacking fundamental driving forces for increasing the use of bioenergy (e.g., for meeting demand increases, improving supply security, or further reducing sulphur or greenhouse gas emissions). There is yet no coherent policy or strategy for supporting bioenergy. Co-firing with coal in large plants is an interesting option for creating demand and facilitating the development of a market for bioenergy. The renewable electricity quota obligation is likely to promote such co-firing but promising applications of bioenergy are also found in small- and medium-scale applications for heat production. Carbon taxes and, or, other financial support schemes targeted also at the heating sector are necessary in the near term in order to reach the 7.5% target. In addition, there is a need to support the development of supply infrastructure, change certain practices in forestry, coordinate RD&D efforts, and support general capacity building. The greatest challenge for the longer term lies in reforming and restructuring the agricultural sector. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biomass, bioenergy, Poland
in
Energy Policy
volume
34
issue
15
pages
2263 - 2278
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000238408900026
  • scopus:33747378848
ISSN
1873-6777
DOI
10.1016/j.enpol.2005.03.011
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1cc447ae-7ab5-454f-923d-ee5205f96c12 (old id 406139)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:51:00
date last changed
2022-01-28 07:33:14
@article{1cc447ae-7ab5-454f-923d-ee5205f96c12,
  abstract     = {{Poland, as many other countries, has ambitions to increase the use of renewable energy sources. In this paper, we review the current status of bioenergy in Poland and make a critical assessment of the prospects for increasing the share of bioenergy in energy supply, including policy implications. Bioenergy use was about 4% (165PJ) of primary energy use (3900PJ) and 95% of renewable energy use (174PJ) in 2003, mainly as firewood in the domestic sector. Targets have been set to increase the contribution of renewable energy to 7.5% in 2010, in accordance with the EU accession treaty, and to 14% in 2020. Bioenergy is expected to be the main contributor to reaching those targets. From a resource perspective, the use of bioenergy could at least double in the near term if straw, forestry residues, wood-waste, energy crops, biogas, and used wood were used for energy purposes. The long-term potential, assuming short rotation forestry on potentially available agricultural land is about one-third, or 1400 PJ, of current total primary energy use. However, in the near term, Poland is lacking fundamental driving forces for increasing the use of bioenergy (e.g., for meeting demand increases, improving supply security, or further reducing sulphur or greenhouse gas emissions). There is yet no coherent policy or strategy for supporting bioenergy. Co-firing with coal in large plants is an interesting option for creating demand and facilitating the development of a market for bioenergy. The renewable electricity quota obligation is likely to promote such co-firing but promising applications of bioenergy are also found in small- and medium-scale applications for heat production. Carbon taxes and, or, other financial support schemes targeted also at the heating sector are necessary in the near term in order to reach the 7.5% target. In addition, there is a need to support the development of supply infrastructure, change certain practices in forestry, coordinate RD&D efforts, and support general capacity building. The greatest challenge for the longer term lies in reforming and restructuring the agricultural sector. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Nilsson, Lars J and Pisarek, M and Buriak, J and Oniszk-Poplawska, A and Bucko, P and Ericsson, Karin and Jaworski, L}},
  issn         = {{1873-6777}},
  keywords     = {{biomass; bioenergy; Poland}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{15}},
  pages        = {{2263--2278}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Energy Policy}},
  title        = {{Energy policy and the role of bioenergy in Poland}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2005.03.011}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.enpol.2005.03.011}},
  volume       = {{34}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}