Biomass, the EU’s largest source of renewable energy, is essential to achieving Europe’s climate targets, according to a new study led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

Despite often being overlooked in favour of solar and wind power, researchers say biomass plays a unique and irreplaceable role in cutting emissions and enabling carbon dioxide removal.

The study, published in Nature Energy, shows that eliminating biomass from the energy system would raise costs by €169bn a year, the same as removing wind power, showing its significance.

Biomass can replace fossil fuels in industries such as steel and cement, as well as in power generation, transport and chemical production.

Carbon capture

Biomass is also the only widely available renewable resource that can be used with carbon capture and storage (CCS) to achieve "negative emissions", removing CO2 from the atmosphere rather than simply avoiding it, the report outlines.

“What surprised us was how quickly costs rise when biomass availability is reduced,” said Markus Millinger, lead author and researcher at Rise Research Institutes of Sweden. “It’s not just about money. Scaling up alternative technologies fast enough is a serious challenge.”

Policy

The study also emphasises the importance of policy. While the EU has encouraged the use of bioenergy, concerns about land use, biodiversity, and food prices have led to limits on its expansion. Experts argue that well-designed regulations and incentives could ensure sustainable use of biomass while supporting climate goals.

“Biomass offers more than energy - it provides a path to negative emissions,” said co-author Göran Berndes, professor at Chalmers. “But realising this potential requires coordinated policy support and sustainable land management.”

The researchers hope their findings will inform future EU climate policy, especially as competition for renewable resources intensifies.