AUDIO: Sweden’s biomass energy system could be applied in Australia
AUDIO The Swedish renewable energy model, ABC Radio National Ockham’s Razor 3 November 2014 Andrew Lang While discussion of renewable energy in Australia has largely focused on wind, solar and hydro for electricity generation, Sweden has opted for an economy-wide biomass-based system. Farmer Andrew Lang takes a look at the Swedish model and how it could be applied here. ……..
It is this combination of forestry management, an extensive and modern multi-track rail system, and investment in high-efficiency biomass-fuelled plants, that has made Sweden’s development of renewable energy based on biomass all possible. It also required bipartisan political support and a well-educated population.
Australia, on the other hand, has failed for several decades to pay proper attention to the same factors, and instead has cut funding from research and let rail lines go out of service. The failure of our carbon tax has not added to our international reputation as deep thinkers.
However, it is easy to see how we could catch up within only a few years. The basic work has been done, the technologies are mature and the equipment available off-the-shelf. The most important thing is to get far better informed about what is working well in Sweden and elsewhere, including in China and Brazil.
Underpinning the development of renewables in Sweden has been the carbon tax legislation of 1991, as well as laws that require all wet organic wastes and non-recyclable flammable municipal wastes to be used for energy generation rather than landfill. The carbon tax put pressure on industry and households to change their ways and also created the necessary revenue stream to pay for changes to the energy system…….
Bioenergy is the main renewable in Sweden and many other advanced countries, and it is the largest source of renewable energy worldwide. We are almost alone in the world in not having energy from biomass included into long-term federal renewable energy policy.
In Australia tens of millions of tonnes of economically available biomass (quite apart from native forest harvest residues) go to waste annually. That amount could provide 10 per cent of our baseload electricity, along with heating and transport fuels. Development of these options would stimulate regional economies, reduce imports, boost manufacturing and farm incomes, and create permanent rural jobs. Sweden provides one example of how it can be done, and there are many others. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/the-swedish-renewable-energy-model/5862724
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