Assessing biomass potential in the Balkans
A plentiful, inexpensive, secure supply of energy is a prerequisite for developing a country's economy. This is particularly true for the Western Balkan Countries (WBCs) as they struggle to emerge from decades of geopolitical strife. Biomass not only satisfies the aforementioned criteria, it is also an environmentally friendly option in a world increasingly attuned to climate change. EU funding was used to investigate the potential of biomass in the context of the 'Acceleration of the cost-competitive biomass use for energy purposes in the Western Balkan countries' (Accent) project. Accent focused on the needs of and solutions for the residential sector and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Data was collected to determine the capacity of the WBCs to produce energy-dense types of biomass such as biopellets and biobriquettes. In addition, research into technologies available to burn biomass to produce electricity and heat was also performed. While biomass represents a technically and economically feasible solution, its use is currently limited. The Accent team believes that the key to increasing adoption of this technology is the development of a legislative framework that provides incentives while protecting the natural resources upon which it relies, namely forests. Recommendations have also been made with respect to future research objectives as well as ways to finance this research in countries with limited research and development (R&D) funding like the WBCs. These findings have been shared with all the relevant stakeholders in the WBCs through meetings, reports and the Accent website in an effort to build momentum toward greater biomass use.
