Something nasty in the woodshed

This report by Ember examines the use of biomass co-firing in several European countries, detailing the subsidies that support the practice and its impact on the transition away from fossil fuels.

• In 2015, Finland generated 5.5TWh from co-fired biomass, primarily using peat, which is described as a dirtier fuel than lignite or hard coal due to its low heating value and high moisture and nitrogen content. Finnish co-firing plants received approximately €140 million in subsidies between 2011 and 2015. Currently, 70% of Finland's coal or peat generation occurs in plants co-fired with at least 10% biomass.
• Denmark generated 2.5TWh from co-fired biomass in 2015, mostly at the Fyn, Avedøre, and Amager power stations, which emitted a combined 2.5MT of CO2 that year. These stations are classified as co-firing because of likely cross-subsidies between their 100% coal and 100% biomass units. Support includes a price supplement of DKK 150/MWh (about €20/MWh) and a tax-free status for biomass use.
• The Czech Republic and Hungary also utilize biomass co-firing; the Czech Republic generated 1.3TWh in 2015 (a 55% increase from 2008), with the Hodonín power station being the largest facility. Hungary generated 0.8TWh in 2015, primarily at the RWE Mátrai Erőmű lignite plant, which emitted 6.4MT of CO2 in 2015.
• While co-firing has declined in parts of the EU—including Belgium, Sweden, and the UK—there is a potential revival in the Netherlands. RWE plans to retrofit the Eemshaven and Amer 9 plants to co-fire 15% and 80% biomass respectively, supported by Dutch state subsidies of up to €2.6 billion over 8 years. Additionally, Engie and Uniper secured subsidies for co-firing at Rotterdam plants. However, a new Dutch coalition agreement plans to end biomass co-firing subsidies by 2024.

APA

Ember (2017). Something nasty in the woodshed. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/something-nasty-in-the-woodshed

Chicago

Ember. Something nasty in the woodshed. 2017. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/something-nasty-in-the-woodshed.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Something nasty in the woodshed |date=6 October 2017 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/something-nasty-in-the-woodshed |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2017something, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Something nasty in the woodshed}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/something-nasty-in-the-woodshed}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }