7.2.2 Factors Affecting The Utilization Of Bioenergy

7.2.2.1 Geographical factors

The geographical features of a country determine the environmental potential for biomass production (e.g. see table 7.1). But the exploitation of this available biomass depends on the entire history of that country, leading to its current economic and political situation.

7.2.2.2 Socio-political factors

There are three traditional basic demands for biomass: food for the population, agricultural forage and industrial raw material.

The supply of these demands naturally requires a rational compromise between them. Hence biomass is only likely to be produced for energy in those countries or regions where there is already sufficient agricultural produce to nourish the population at an acceptable level, and where concrete demand exists for the locally produced bioenergy.

 

7.2.2.3 Energy and food autonomies

The relative energy need of a society depends mainly on its stage of economic development, whereas its internal food supply depends on its agricultural strength. The extent to which a given country can supply its own energy and food requirements may be expressed numerically in terms of its Energy autonomy and Food autonomy. A relative plot of these two parameters (fig 7.4) gives a useful country specific indicator of the opportunity for using bioenergy. It can be seen that this indicator spreads the world's countries over a wide area.

 

Figure 7.4 Food and energy autonomy as opportunity indicators for biomass projects