Biomass and waste-to-energy capacity to reach 83 GW by 2017: report

Plasma gasification is one method of converting waste to energy: this plant is in Asia.

Global Industry Analysts (GIA) has released a report on the global biomass and waste-to-energy markets. The installed capacity of the biomass and waste-to-energy market worldwide is forecast to reach 83.1 GW by 2017, driven primarily by the growing significance of renewable energy in the mainstream energy sector.

Biomass and hydropower are the major renewable energy sources and account for about one-fifth of the energy market. The global economic downturn resulted in a slight decline in investment in some sectors of the renewable energy market, such as solar energy and biomass. However, the growing need for energy security, rising fuel prices, increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the eco-friendly profile of biomass are driving governments to focus efforts on these energy sources.

Escalating demand and shrinking global reserves of fossil fuel are expected to enhance the importance of renewable energy resources. The development of biomass energy depends on government incentives in the form of capital grants, tax breaks and soft loans.

The global waste-to-energy market is forecast to grow rapidly propelled by the increased uptake of waste-to-energy technologies along with policy changes and population growth. Rapid growth of Asian markets and maturation of waste management regulations and climate mitigation strategies in Europe are expected to boost the global market for waste-to-energy technologies, driven by the developments in the alternative fuels and power industry, as well as the waste management industry.

The waste-to-energy industry is also expected to benefit from the emerging opportunities in regions such as India, China, Europe and the US. Asia-Pacific region is expected to surpass Western Europe and emerge as the largest market in terms of waste-to-energy investments. Countries from the region, in particular China, are the fast-emerging markets for waste-to-energy systems. Majority of the Asian nations make use of thermal waste-to-energy (WTE) technology that utilizes heat to transform waste into heat energy or electricity.

The US remains the single largest regional market. Excessive dependence on imported fuels, rising energy costs, volatile fuel prices, depleting reserves of fossil fuels, and growing environmental concerns have enhanced the significance of renewable energy sources in the US.

The Asia-Pacific area represents the fastest growing regional market displaying a compound annual growth rate of about 10.3 per cent over the analysis period, in terms of installed capacity.

For more details, please visit: 
http://www.strategyr.com/Biomass_and_Waste_to_Energy_Market_Report.asp