The prospects for large-scale import of biomass and biofuels into Sweden - a review of critical issues

• Sweden presently imports biofuels to meet part of the domestic demand for bioenergy. This paperevaluates the prospects for large-scale import of biofuels into Sweden. The parameters included areprospective Swedish and global biofuel supply and demand, the cost of long-distance biofuel transport,the capacity of global freight and of Swedish ports to handle increased biofuel flows andenvironmental aspects. It is found that the Swedish bioenergy potential is large enough to accommodatea substantial increase in the domestic use of both solid and liquid biofuels. However, anextensive import of biofuel feedstock would be needed for a prospective Swedish biofuel industryto be able to export substantial volumes of, for instance, liquid biofuels to Europe. South Americaand the former USSR are examples of regions where the assessed potential supply of low-costbiomass is higher than the estimated future regional biofuel demand. The costs, including transport,of imported biofuels from these regions are estimated to be equivalent to or lower than currentcosts of domestic biofuels, but the price is dependent on future competition for biofuels as well asfreight and port capacity. A substantial increase in international biofuel trade may influence globalbulk freight patterns and lead to increased competition for freight capacity, especially as regardssolid biofuels. This might lead to an increase in freight price. Current specialization at Swedishports may in the short term (perhaps 5-15 years) be an obstacle to a rapid increase in biofuelimport. The energy input in long-distance biofuel transport, as well as its environmental impact, isestimated to be low. However, to make large-scale biofuel trade flows acceptable special attentionneeds to be paid to, among other things, the impact on biodiversity and socioeconomic conditionsin the exporting countries.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Övrig annan samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Naturresursteknik -- Energisystem (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Environmental Engineering -- Energy Systems (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Sweden

Bioenergy

Biofuels

International bioenergy trade

Biomass potential

Publikations- och innehållstyp

art (ämneskategori)

ref (ämneskategori)