## 2.3 Biomass availability

The use of biomass for biofuels has evoked a worldwide debate. Can we convert maize (corn) into biofuels while at the same time people are suffering from hunger? This food fuel debate is more extensively elaborated in chapter 1.4. In relation to the availability the question is: can the world produce sufficient biomass as food & feed and as feedstock for a biobased economy? Is this technically feasible? Not without restrictions because the conversion of a fossil fuel-based economy into a biobased economy will probably be restricted in the European Union (EU) by the limited supply of ecologically sustainable biomass. Imagine that 25% of the current oil use will be replaced by biomass; what percentage of agricultural land shall be needed to achieve this? The numbers in the table below give an indication.

Replacing 25% of the current oil use for biomass
Crop | Production GJ/ha | % Agricultural area needed for 25% replacement
wheat | 45 | 40
maize (corn) | 54 | 33
sugar beet | 90 | 20
sugar cane | 104 | 17
soy | 9 | 200
sunflower | 16 | 111

Source: Cahier Biogrondstoffen, 2011

The enormous surfaces required lead to a clear conclusion: no, it is not realistic to replace 25% of our current oil use by biomass. It appears realistic that, for the EU, the sustainable biomass supply will be enough to meet about 10% of the final energy and feedstock consumption in 2030 (Ros et al, 2012). Of this 10% only a limited amount of biomass will be used for energy, the remainder can be used as feedstock for chemicals, fibres, medicines etc. In fact, the limited availability emphasizes principle 3 Use the most valuable parts of the biomass for the most added value products (see chapter 1).

For biomass availability for heat and electricity the following equation can be used:

A = E – T1 – T2 – T3 – T4

A = availability (potential)

E = Existing amount

T1 = Too expensive to use because of lack of technologies, logistics or other limiting factors

T2 = Conventional competing applications (e.g. food, feed)

T3 = New competing application (2nd generation, etc)

T4 = Must be left behind for soil quality / ecology

More detailed information about biomass availability and sustainability in The Netherlands can be obtained from a PBL study:

Biomassa: wensen en grenzen