Agricultural biomass

Dedicated crops, crop residues, livestock manure and intermediate crops: biomass produced by agriculture.

What this family covers

  • Dedicated perennial crops: miscanthus, willow or poplar short rotation coppice, cup plant, switchgrass.
  • Crop residues: straw, chaff, maize stalks.
  • Livestock manure: solid and liquid manure.
  • Intermediate crops: cover crops sown between two main crops and harvested for anaerobic digestion.

Uses

Boiler combustion, anaerobic digestion, bedding and mulch, bio-based materials (insulation, panels, plant-based concrete) and advanced biofuels. Part of the residues must stay in the field to maintain soil organic matter: the mobilisable resource is always smaller than the resource produced.

Reference bodies

France

Belgium

Germany

Spain

  • IDAEPublic agencySpanish Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving.
  • MITECOGovernmentSpanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
  • AVEBIOMTrade organisationSpanish Biomass Energy Association.
  • CIEMATResearch and expertiseSpanish public research centre for energy, environment and technology.
  • APPA RenovablesTrade organisationSpanish association of renewable energy companies.

Italy

United Kingdom

Europe

Latest news

BelgiumSource published on

Flanders: number of biomethane sites doubles to 12, says Biogas-E

According to the annual report of the Flemish platform Biogas-E, 133 biogas plants produced 691 GWh of electricity and 811 GWh of heat in 2025, and biomethane output reached 186 GWh.

Agricultural biomassWaste and by-productsStatistics and resourcesSource : Biogas-E
United KingdomSource published on

UK: REA calls for more biomass, both home-grown and imported

The renewable energy trade association expects bioenergy demand of 190-216 TWh by 2050 and urges the government to take quick decisions on support and sustainability.

Agricultural biomassForest biomassMarkets and pricesSource : REA — Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology
EuropeSource published on

Bioeconomy: 272 projects compete for €170.7m in the 2026 CBE JU call

The 2026 call of the Circular Bio-based Europe partnership received 272 proposals requesting €1.65bn against €170.7m available; results are expected in January 2027.

Agricultural biomassWaste and by-productsForest biomassFunding and callsSource : CBE JU — Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking

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