Forming stakeholder alliances to unlock alternative and unused biomass potentials in bioenergy regions

In recent discussions on renewable energy, bioenergy is strongly linked to the extended cultivation of maize as energy crop and often coincides with negative public perception. However, the 2014 amendment to the 2012 version of the EEG puts an increased focus on the use of alternative substrates and residual biomass for bioenergy production, which could result in improved sustainability impacts. In this paper, we focus on the potentials of so-called alternative biomass and explore how these types of biomass can be embedded into a sustainable management of both the landscape and the energy system. In particular, we address the question of how alternative and unused biomass potentials can be made available for regionally embedded, sustainable bioenergy solutions. Based on GIS analyses of regional biomass potentials we discuss this approach in a transdisciplinary study focussing on the Northwestern part of Germany located close to the North Sea border. Two case studies comprising a total of three biogas plants are examined, of which one is located directly at the North Sea coast (maritime case study) and the other facing an inland (terrestrial) situation. The GIS analyses of these two studied areas reveal substantial potentials of alternative biomass, which are not exploited thus far. Results of the assessment and possible participatory actions of various stakeholders and their benefits are discussed, focussing on higher shares of regional biomass for bioenergy production. This study stresses the importance of achieving integration and participation of a variety of actors along the entire bioenergy supply network and highlights the need for cross-sectoral collaboration in order to exploit the identified alternative biomass potentials and thus improve the sustainability impact of bioenergy production.