The modelling of cost-effective bioenergy trade options in the EU

The EU aims at an enhanced use of bioenergy. An increased intra-European bioenergy trade provides an opportunity to realize the unevenly distributed bioenergy potential within the enlarged EU. The purpose of this study is to analyse which bioenergy trading option (biomass/biofuels, CO2 credits or electricity) that is most preferable from the perspective of a cost-minimizing energy systems model (PEEP 1.1), considering CO2 and/or biofuel for transport targets. The PEEP 1.1 model covers EU27 (besides Bulgaria, Malta and Cyprus) which in the analyses are divided into two regions, EU15 and the Central and Eastern European member states. Given mandatory CO2 targets, trade with both biomass/biofuels and CO2 credits appears as cost-effective bioenergy options in the model, while trade with biomass based electricity is not. This result holds also for the case where mandatory biofuel for transport targets are introduced as well