External Environmental Costs of Solid Biomass Production against the Legal and Political Background in Europe

Abstract

Over the years, the generation of energy from renewable sources (RES) has gained importance because of a number of reasons. One of the most powerful arguments in favor of the development of RES is the deteriorating natural environment, and consequently worse human health, due to energy generation from fossil fuels. The extent of this impact can be determined by identifying external costs. In a circular economy, the estimation of external costs attracts much attention in both the literature and practice. The aim of this article was to review and analyze the latest literature (2018–2022) covering the external environmental costs of solid biomass production for energy purposes in the context of the political, legal and methodological debate concerning the production of energy from biomass, and to make an effort to estimate the external costs of producing energy from solid biomass grown for energy purposes. The methods used in the article were as follows: a comparative analysis of the collected references; a dogmatic analysis of the contents; a meta-analysis of results published in the literature; and an analysis of frequency occurrence and co-occurrence of the key words. The average external environmental costs of the production of biomass for energy purposes were calculated at 20.35 EUR Mg−1 d.m. with a 95% confidence range of 13.86–26.85 EUR Mg −1 d.m. (adjusted to EUR 2021). These values were estimated from the meta-analysis, which was statistically significant despite a rather small sample of studies submitted to the analysis. The European Union (EU) policy and the law passed under this policy over the past 15 years have supported and stimulated the development of renewable energy resources. The political and legal situation arising after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis has forced decision-makers to revise the previously developed assumptions, although reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and achieving climate neutrality remain important targets. It is also crucial to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels, for example by accelerating activities aiming to raise the production of renewable energy. In this context, the production of solid biomass for energy purposes gains importance, especially since it can be produced locally and become an important contributor to national energy security. Hence, the external costs of the production of biomass and energy from sources other than fossil fuels should be analyzed. Such analyses are significant because they show the actual costs of renewable energy production, including its profitability and competitiveness in relation to fossil fuels.