Biomass – sustainable solution or eco-disaster? This session will give a brief introduction to biomass and outline the harmful impacts of large scale biomass production on natural habitats, communities and the climate. The session will include an introduction to...
Report, briefings and presentations
French company’s greenwashing unveiled: converted energy plants depend on imported forest wood, not sugarcane
A joint article by Environmental Paper Network, Biofuelwatch and Dogwood Alliance exposes Albioma's greenwashing of their coal-to-biomass conversions in the French Overseas Territories Martinique, Gudeloupe and Réunion The French energy company Albioma is in the...
BEIS Biomass Policy Statement – November 2021 – Reference Document
In November 2021 the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) released a biomass policy statement, which laid out how the government views various forms of biomass energy ahead of the biomass strategy being released in 2022. What does the...
Biofuelwatch briefing about Albioma’s conversion of coal power plants to biomass (Reunion)
This briefing looks at Albioma's conversion of coal power plants in French Overseas Territories to burning wood pellets, with a special focus on Albioma's two coal power stations on Réunion, December 2021 English version French version
SABIC’s plans to burn wood pellets in Bergen op Zoom
Impacts on climate, forests and public health UPDATE: On 15th February 2023, a court ruling was issued prohibiting the installation of wood pellet boilers at the SABIC plant. This means that the development will not go ahead. Click here to download the briefing in...
Ausstellung Klimakiller Holzverbrennung in Großkraftwerken
Holzverbrennug in Großkraftwerken wird als klimaneutral beworben. Warum ist das eine völlige Fehlinformation? Wo wird das schon praktiziert und was sind die Auswirkungen? Woher kommt das Holz, das verfeuert wird? Brauchen wir Kraftwerke, die Holz verfeuern und wie...
Big Biomass in Portugal
Report by ZERO - Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável and Biofuelwatch Click here to download. Conclusion: Although in theory Portugal’s biomass power and pellet sectors only use residues and industrial waste, in reality what we are seeing is the unsustainable...
The Multiple Failures of Black Pellet Technologies
A recent history of of false promises, company bankruptcies and mothballed plants Biofuelwatch investigation into attempts fo produce black pellets (thorugh torrefaction, steam explosion, or hydrothermal carbonisation) on a commercial scale, 27th September 2021 - ...
Pläne zur Umrüstung von Kohlekraftwerke auf Holz in Deutschland: Auswirkungen auf Wald und Klima
Von Almuth Ernsting, Biofuelwatch, August 2021 Klicken Sie hier, um das vollständige Briefing herunterzuladen Petition gegen das Verbrennen von Holz aus Bäumen und Büschen in Großkraftwerken in Deutschland Zusammenfassung: Im Rahmen des – viel zu langsamen-...
The Big Con: how big polluters are advancing a “net zero” climate agenda to delay, deceive, and deny
We a pleased to be among contributors to a new report lead by Corporate Accountability, Global Forest Coalition and Friends of the Earth International called "The Big Con: How Big Polluters are advancing a "net zero" climate agenda to delay, deceive, and deny". The...
Briefing about EnBW’s plans to replace coal with wood pellets in their Rostock and Altbach-Deizisau coal plants
EnBW’s plans to replace coal with wood pellets in their Rostock and Altbach-Deizisau coal plants: Impacts on forests and climate Update: EnBW has since abandoned plans to convert coal plants to biomass. Neu: EnBW hat seitdem Pläne, Kohlekraftwerke auf Holz umzurüsten...
UNSUSTAINABLE AND INEFFECTIVE: WHY EU FOREST BIOMASS STANDARDS WON’T STOP DESTRUCTION
Biofuelwatch is proud to be a co-author of this new report: "Unsustainable and Ineffective: Why EU Forest Biomass Standards Won't Stop Destruction" . The publication reveals that the European Union (EU) Renewable Energy Directive (RED) sustainability criteria fails to...
Switzerland: Intensive logging and forest degradation in supposedly protected nature sites
Switzerland has ratified the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. As a contracting party and to help meet its commitments, it has designated Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs). Together , those areas form the...
Drax’s Portuguese pellets: What wood is really being used?
In 2020, Drax burned almost 150,000 tonnes of pellets produced in Portugal, making Portugal it’s fourth largest supplier. According to its annual report, 88% of the wood used consisted of “low-grade roundwood” and “thinnings”. The Pinewells pellet mill in Central...
Papua solidarity campaign -Supporting activists as they fight to protect their land and their rights
Biofuelwatch is working with allies around the globe to provide support and solidarity with activists in Papua - and Indonesia at large - as they fight to protect their land and their rights. The island of New Guinea is divided into Papua New Guinea (PNG)...
Report about Germany’s Bush Control and Biomass Utilisation Project in Namibia
German development and climate finance project used to create biomass supply chain for German energy providers Click here to download the report And click here to read an open letter by 40 civil society organisations opposed to this project. An related article on a...
Critique of UNIQUE GmbH’s report “Greenhouse Gas Assessment of Bush Control and Biomass Utilization in Namibia”:
Background: Since 2013, the German government has been financing a development and climate finance project in Namibia called “Bush Control and Biomass Utilisation (BCBU)”. It is managed by the German Development Corporation, GIZ. Since 2019, the project’s focus has...
Negative Emissions Technologies: can they deliver?
A negative emission technology (NET) is a technological approach to removing greenhouse gases that have already been emitted into the atmosphere. That differs from “mitigation” which focuses on preventing emissions in the first place. Aside from concerns about how...