Research and analysis

UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model 2024

The UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model estimates the potential sustainable bioenergy resource that may be available to the UK to 2050.

Documents

UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model 2024

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UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model 2024: methodology

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UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model 2024: background worksheets (part 1)

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UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model 2024: background worksheets (part 2)

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UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model 2024: background worksheets (part 3)

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Details

The UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model (2024), the background worksheets, user guide and accompanying brief report, allow the user to estimate the potential bioenergy resource that the UK could access from both domestic and international sources in the period up to 2050 that meets user set criteria for the feedstocks upstream GHG requirements. 

In 2011 in preparation for the 2012 Bioenergy Strategy a study by AEA Technology plc for DECC was published; the DECC: UK and Global Bioenergy Resource and Prices. This study used a model to estimate the potential bioenergy resource available to the UK from domestically sourced and imported feedstocks from 2010 to 2030. 

In 2017 BEIS (now DESNZ) commissioned Ricardo Energy & Environment to update, expand and improve the UK and Global Bioenergy Resource Model. The model was restructured to improve user clarity for publication.  A brief accompanying report documented changes which were made to the model during this update compared to the 2011 version and explored the differences in results.   

In 2022 DESNZ commissioned a further revision from Ricardo Energy & Environment, to include: updated input data, new feedstocks, regional spatial availability within the UK and estimates of carbon available for capture from combustion of the feedstocks.  

A methodology report to the model is provided which gives a description of the updated model, and how it functions to enable users to understand factors that affect the estimated quantity of bioenergy feedstocks available to the UK within the model. There is also a user guide more focussed on the operation of the model. Supporting information on the underlying assumptions in the model is given in the set of workbooks provided as a spreadsheets in a zip file. A draft version of the model was subject to external peer review by 3 independent academics. Those recommendations that were within scope are included in the published version. The report from the peer review process is included for context.

Updates to this page

Published 2 August 2024

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