Existing modeling platforms for biomass supply in Europe

Biomass availability is related to the prevailing land use patterns in a region as these deliver different types and quantities of feedstocks. Robust modeling frameworks are required to predict future land use changes and biomass availability for given demands in terms of the production of crops, livestock, timber, bioenergy, biochemical, and biomaterials. This chapter presents two important modeling frameworks, CAPRI, and GLOBIOM and explains how they are used respectively to assess cost supply of domestic biomass potential from agriculture and forestry in Europe and cost-supply potential for biomass imports from the rest of the world. Recent work demonstrates that both model structure and consistency in input data are imperative to ensure the validity of biomass assessments but there are also limitations deriving from the inconsistency of statistical databases, the increasingly complex assumptions, variable feedstock types, and geographical levels. Regular updates and model improvements will be necessary to internalize further the evolving key issues determining biomass supply for biobased economy in Europe