IRENA – Agricultural residue bioenergy, 2023

IRENA's report on agricultural residue bioenergy in 2023 highlights the significant role that biomass-derived energy is expected to play in the ongoing energy transition. According to IRENA's projections, bioenergy is set to make up 22% of the global primary energy supply by 2050. To meet this target, there will be a need for a substantial increase in primary biomass resources, specifically up to 135 exajoules compared to the 56 exajoules in 2020. In order to achieve this, agricultural residues are identified as a major resource. The report focuses on three regions: Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America. It estimates the potential of agricultural residues in these regions and identifies the barriers and best practices for mobilizing these resources effectively. Case studies are then conducted on subregional clusters of countries within each region, with specific strategies formulated to address unique challenges. Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals a theoretical availability of 28 exajoules of agricultural residues in the three regions under consideration. This aligns closely with the primary energy consumption levels of each region. In terms of both theoretical and technical potential, South America has the highest potential at 30.4 exajoules per year, followed by Southeast Asia at 28.5 exajoules per year, and sub-Saharan Africa at 22.0 exajoules per year. However, when considering the technical potential, Southeast Asia surpasses South America with 13.3 exajoules per year, while sub-Saharan Africa and South America have comparable technical potentials of 7.4 exajoules and 7.2 exajoules per year, respectively.