TITLE:
The Role of Bioenergy in Achieving the Carbon Neutrality Target in Finland by 2035—A Case Study of Student Surveyed at University in Finland
AUTHORS:
Tapio Ranta, Mika Laihanen, Antti Karhunen
KEYWORDS:
Bioenergy, Renewable Energies, CO2 Reduction, Strategies, Policies, Education
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems,
Vol.11 No.2,
June
18,
2021
ABSTRACT: The
largest share of renewable energy in Finland comes from bioenergy. In 2019,
bioenergy accounted for 82% (416 PJ, 116 TWh) of renewable energy in Finland.
This study assesses the potential for increasing bioenergy in energy production
by 2035 and what role it will play in achieving the carbon neutrality target in
Finland. The role of different energy sources in the energy system was examined
using existing scenarios developed for The National Long-Term Strategy. Two
alternative low-emission scenarios have been developed to last until 2050 to
meet the 2035 carbon neutrality target. In 2035, the amount of bioenergy has risen to 520 - 550 PJ (144 - 153 TWh),
which is about 70% of renewable energy consumption. This means, that the
bioenergy resource has been fully deployed and the relative share of bioenergy
in renewables has decreased slightly. The study also included a survey to
university students to map out how likely a carbon neutrality target is to be
considered by 2035. University students were unsure of achieving the carbon
neutrality target by 2035. The schedule was considered challenging especially
in the transport sector. Bioenergy was also seen as still playing an important
role, especially in heat production. Achieving significant emission reductions
will require significant electrification in all energy use sectors, as fossil
fuels cannot be sustainably replaced by bioenergy on a sufficiently large
scale.