Abstract
Biofuels are an important energy source, currently providing about 10% of the world energy demand, including 2% of global electricity generation and the same share of total liquid fuel consumption. Wood fuel in Russia is one of the most affordable and most important type of renewable energy resources. In this paper we study the possible changes in energy potential of Russia's forest resources as a result of changes in the atmosphere and climate. The estimates of the global dioxide concentrations dynamics and mean annual air temperature change over the Russian territory for the period up to 2050 are developed using the MPEI models of the carbon cycle and regional climate. The calculations show that the change of net primary productivity of forests of Russia as a result of the CO2 abundance increase in the atmosphere, as well as of the increase of the air temperature and rainfall will enhance available energy resources of wood fuel by mid-century by more than 9 million tons of coal equivalent (Mtce).
Highlights
Biofuels are an important source of energy, currently providing about 10% of the world's total energy demand, and it is almost the same share that of hydro and nuclear power combined
Biofuels in Russia currently are the basis of renewable energy sources: in 2015, 90% of renewable centralized heat and electricity was produced from fuel wood, agricultural residues and biogas with the contribution of the latter two fairly negligible (Table 1)
The share of biofuel-based thermal power plants in Russia is slightly higher than the world average, and amounts to 23% of the total national electricity generation
Summary
Biofuels are an important source of energy, currently providing about 10% of the world's total energy demand, and it is almost the same share that of hydro and nuclear power combined. It is a type of so-called noncommercial resources - firewood and agricultural wastes used as fuel in rural households. Recalculation of heat and electricity into the primary energy was made using the average specific fuel consumption in Russia for thermal power plants (0.326 tce/MWh) and boilers (0.166 tce/Gcal) respectively. The share of biofuel-based thermal power plants in Russia is slightly higher than the world average, and amounts to 23% of the total national electricity generation. It is necessary to say that the energy potential of Russian forests is immense – each year they produce at least 4 billion tons of organic carbon, or 5 Gtce in terms of conventional fuel, i.e. five times more than the annual energy consumption of the country
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