EBRD study: Biomass could aid energy challenges in Turkey, Egypt

A new study by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization shows, the combined biomass of Turkey and Egypt could generate enough electricity to supply 700,000 homes and renewable fuels to replace more than 2 million metric tons of oil each year. These findings are good news for two countries that are facing similar, and significant, energy challenges.

Turkey’s renewable energy plan

Economic growth and urbanisation in Turkey has resulted in a steady increase in electricity consumption, which is almost entirely met by imported fossil fuels. To reduce this dependency and decrease the budget deficit, the country has adopted ambitious targets including raising the share of renewable energy from a level of 13.5 percent in 2013 to 20.5 percent in 2023.

In this context, the study shows that more than 25 million tonnes of crop residues–mainly from sunflower, maize and cotton–and an indicative 150 million metric of livestock residues from cattle buffalo and layer chickens could generate more than 1 GW of electricity, or 100 percent of the national target for renewable energy from biomass.

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Potential of biomass in Egypt

Egypt ranks amongst the 11 fastest growing greenhouse gas emitters in the world. In recent years, energy subsidies have led to a high budget deficit which the government is addressing through a reform that aims to decrease subsidies to 0.5 percent of GDP by 2019. Meanwhile, an ambitious renewable energy target has been set: increasing renewable energy installed capacity from 3,385 MW in 2012 to 11,320 MW by 2020, or 20 percent of the country’s energy mix.

Read the full article via Biomass Magazine.

[Photo by isabelle dee | Flickr]