EU Adds Feedstocks for the Production of Biofuels and Biogas

Background

The energy sector is responsible for over 75% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. In order to achieve the objective of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and attaining climate neutrality by 2050, it is imperative to increase the share of renewable energy throughout the economy.

In this context, Directive (EU) 2018/20012 requires the EU to reach a minimum of 42.5% renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by 2030 and sets specific targets for advanced biofuels, biogas, and renewable fuels of non-biological origin, such as hydrogen, in the transport sector, aiming for 1% by 2025 and 5.5% by 2030.

On May 17, 2024, the EU issued a directive amending Annex IX of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 by adding the feedstock for the production of biofuels and biogas. As disclosed by this directive issued on May 17, “sustainable biofuels and biogases play an important role in increasing the share of renewable energy in sectors that are expected to rely on liquid fuels in the long term”.

All the newly added feedstocks*, together with the previously listed ones, can be found in the table below. For these newly added feedstocks, Member States must transpose the new rules into national law by September 14, 2025 [Newly added feedstocks are marked in red]

Feedstock for the production of biofuels and biogas provided in Annex IX of Directive (EU) 2018/2001

In general, advanced bioenergy is produced from cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials, such as agricultural and forestry residues, wastes, energy crops, or aquatic biomass. The aim is to develop energy crops that result in the production of more fuel per unit of land used and require less chemical and energy input for production and harvesting. This results in a higher yield in terms of net GJ energy produced per hectare land used. Preferably, energy crops are grown on marginal land that does not compete directly with (or displace) land used for food crops.

EHC market (intermediate bioenergy carriers)

In advanced bioenergy for the EHC market, the feedstocks used in conventional bioenergy are applied in pretreated form. This minimizes changes needed in installed infrastructure. The Project “BioBoost“ lists the following feedstocks used to produce intermediate bioenergy carriers for electricity, heating and cooling:

• Agricultural (straw, orchard´s pruning, hay) and animal residues (manure)
• Forestry residues
• Natural conservation matter (urban maintenance of green areas, hay and shrubs)
• Roadside vegetation
• Waste (urban, industrial, biodegradable municipal waste, selected waste from the food and wood industry)
• Damaged crops that are not fit for use in the food or feed chain, excluding substances that have been intentionally modified or contaminated in order to meet this definition
• Municipal wastewater and derivatives other than sewage sludge
• Crops grown on severely degraded land excluding food and feed crops and feedstocks listed in Part A of this Annex, where not used for the production of biofuel for the aviation sector
• Intermediate crops, such as catch crops and cover crops, and excluding feedstocks listed in Part A of this Annex, that are grown in areas where due to a short vegetation period the production of food and feed crops is limited to one harvest and provided their use does not trigger demand for additional land and provided the soil organic matter content is maintained, where not used for the production of biofuel for the aviation sector.

Transport market (advanced biofuels)

In EU legislation, advanced biofuels are defined by the feedstock used. In its relevant section (Part A of Annex IX) the Renewable Energy Directive (RED-II) lists the following feedstocks:

• Algae if cultivated on land in ponds or photobioreactors;
• Biomass fraction of mixed municipal waste, but not separated household waste subject to recycling targets under point (a) of Article 11(2) of Directive 2008/98/EC;
• Biowaste as defined in point (4) of Article 3 of Directive 2008/98/EC from private households subject to separate collection as defined in point (11) of Article 3 of that Directive;
• Biomass fraction of industrial waste not fit for use in the food or feed chain, including material from retail and wholesale and the agro-food and fish and aquaculture industry, and excluding feedstocks listed in part B of this Annex;
• Straw;
• Animal manure and sewage sludge;
• Palm oil mill effluent and empty palm fruit bunches;
• Tall oil pitch;
• Crude glycerine;
• Bagasse;
• Grape marcs and wine lees;
• Nut shells;
• Husks;
• Cobs cleaned of kernels of corn;
• Biomass fraction of wastes and residues from forestry and forest-based industries, namely, bark, branches, pre- commercial thinnings, leaves, needles, tree tops, saw dust, cutter shavings, black liquor, brown liquor, fibre sludge, lignin and tall oil;
• Other non-food cellulosic material;
• Other ligno-cellulosic material except saw logs and veneer logs.
• Fusel oils from alcoholic distillation;
• Raw methanol from kraft pulping stemming from the production of wood pulp;
• Intermediate crops, such as catch crops and cover crops that are grown in areas where due to a short vegetation period the production of food and feed crops is limited to one harvest and provided their use does not trigger demand for additional land, and provided the soil organic matter content is maintained, where used for the production of biofuel for the aviation sector;
• Crops grown on severely degraded land, except food and feed crops, where used for the production of biofuel for the aviation sector;
• Cyanobacteria.