The IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) has announced that the People’s Republic of China has joined the TCP, bringing the number of contracting parties to 26.
China National Renewable Energy Centre (CNREC) plans to join two IEA Bioenergy tasks: “Energy from Biogas” (Task 37) and “Climate and sustainability effects of bioenergy within the broader bioeconomy” (Task 45).
According to IEA data, in 2019 China accounts for comfortably over half of bioenergy additions in the power sector (4.7 GW) and it is the third largest global producer of fuel ethanol. In 2018 heat and electricity derived from solid biomass accounted for approximately 186,000 jobs and approximately 145,000 for biogas.
China possesses significant biomass resources which could be harnessed to produce sustainable bioenergy, providing a solution to deliver cleaner air, enhanced energy security, waste management and meet growing energy demand. Much progress has already been made on this front as China leads deployment of bioenergy in the power sector, is scaling up biomass heating solutions, and growing biofuel production. Membership of the TCP will offer an avenue to advance and accelerate China’s deployment of sustainable bioenergy, and combine their market leading expertise with other bioenergy technology frontrunners worldwide.
“China joining the IEA Bioenergy TCP adds a key strategic member representing the world’s largest population and a country with tremendous growth opportunities in biofuels, biopower, bioproducts and biogas in the context of the larger bioeconomy” said Chair of IEA Bioenergy, Jim Spaeth. “We are delighted to welcome China as a formal member and look forward to their impactful contributions”.
“I believe that China's official membership in IEA Bioenergy TCP is a milestone in the development of bioenergy in China” added Dr. Ren Dongming, Director of China National Renewable Energy. “This means that the development of China's bioenergy industry has found the best connection with the global bioenergy industry. On the Bioenergy TCP platform, while learning from advanced global models and concepts, China can also share its own experience with international partners, so as to achieve mutual benefits and common development among member countries; as well as to promoting the green and low-carbon transformation process of global energy”.
China has actively developed biomass resources and issued a series of important policies on biogas, biofuel, biopower and bio-heating in the past two years, according to Dou Kejun, Senior Bioenergy Advisor at CNREC.
“This is an important historic moment for China's bioenergy” he said. “I think it is the right time to join IEA Bioenergy TCP, which will provide a broad international cooperation and innovation opportunity for China's bioenergy institutions, effectively develop and utilise biomass resources, strengthen the capacity of bioenergy technology research and development and demonstration, comprehensively optimise the bioenergy industrial policy. It will usher in a new era of bioenergy development in China”.
