Biomass Burning Wood Emits 300 Million Tons of Carbon by 2050

Biomass is projected to increase every year until 2041, emitting over 300 million tons of carbon dioxide, according to an analysis. Although the government reduced benefits amid controversies over forest destruction, the policy is considered too gradual to have any significant effect. The use of wood fuel, which has been a major source of forest destruction controversy, is also expected to increase for the time being.

Biomass refers to energy derived from biological resources such as wood, agricultural by-products, and food waste. Even when burned together with coal in coal-fired power plants to generate electricity, it has been regarded as renewable energy. In Korea, wood is commonly processed and used as fuel.

On the 19th, Climate Solutions analyzed data submitted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to Representative Park Ji-hye’s office, revealing that biomass input last year was 7.52 million tons in 2023 but is expected to rise to 8.43 million tons by 2031, reaching its peak. As biomass increases, annual carbon dioxide emissions are projected to reach an average of 13 million tons. Cumulative carbon emissions are estimated to reach 213.11 million tons by 2040 and 334.13 million tons by 2050. According to the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the total carbon amount Korea can emit after 2030 is about 400 million tons. More than half of this will be consumed by biomass.

Projected Changes in Biomass Power Generation Fuel Demand. Photo by Climate Solution

The cause is the continuous use of wood fuel. Due to its characteristics, carbon is emitted even during the logging process of wood fuel. The more trees are cut down, the more forests decrease, resulting in the loss of carbon sinks. In response, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy decided on the 10th of last month to reduce benefits for wood fuel. However, instead of reducing benefits all at once, power generation public enterprises are to reduce them over the next three years, and private power producers over 10 to 15 years. As a result, Climate Solutions explains that the use of wood by power plants will not decrease for the time being.

In the mid to long term, the use of ‘unused forest biomass’ is expected to increase. Unused forest biomass refers to by-products generated during forest activities, such as trees that do not meet standards or are difficult to use. Thanks to aggressive government expansion, the target production of 1.5 million tons for 2030 was surpassed in 2023. The Korea Forest Service plans to increase production to 3 million tons by 2050, which would mean that half of the domestic wood will be used as fuel for power plants.

Song Han-sae, a researcher at Climate Solutions, pointed out, “The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy claims to reduce biomass support due to forest destruction and carbon emissions, but it maintained the weighting of supply certificates (RECs) for domestic forest biomass,” adding, “This is accelerating the use of our forests as firewood.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.