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How green is biomass co-firing as an emissions abatement strategy?

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Is biomass co-firing an effective mitigation strategy?

New research takes a critical look into the viability and emissions reduction potential of biomass waste co-firing at coal plants in Indonesia.

Meet the CGS experts!

Claire SquirePost-Masters Research Associate

Jiehong LouAssistant Research Professor

Thomas HildeSenior Fellow

Press release: More from the experts!

Squire, C.,J., Lou, T., Hilde (2024). “How Green Is Biomass Co-Firing As An Emissions Abatement Strategy? ”Center for Global Sustainability. 7 pp

  • When accounting for current alternate utilizations, less than a third of all biomass residues generated remain available for use in co-firing.
  • Even at modest co-firing ratios, available biomass supply struggles to meet demand in eastern Indonesia, where captive coal capacity is projected to rise over the coming decade.
  • Across the country, waste supply cannot meet ambitious co-firing ratios. Limited biomass supply, technical constraints, and the possibility of increased land emissions from bioenergy production reduce the efficacy of co-firing as a mitigation strategy.

Despite Indonesia’s ambitious plans to increase biomass co-firing, uncertainties exist regarding whether this is a plausible and effective abatement strategy due to the limited availability of biomass waste and difficulty tracking land use change emissions. New research by the Center for Global Sustainability takes a critical look into the viability and emissions reduction potential of biomass waste co-firing at coal plants in Indonesia. The analysis provides key policy recommendations to maximize emission reductions through a robust national strategy, advancing sustainable energy initiatives.


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