Biofuels in Sweden

Biomass residual from forest has been utilized in a large scale in Sweden after full speed development over the past decade, which contributes about 20% of the total energy consumption. This is a big event for an industrial country to shift fossil fuel-based society to a sustainable society. The well established biofuel market in Sweden is, in principle, attributed to the good synergy of a strong forest industry with the energy sector, to a good district heating system, and to a favorable tax system. In this paper, the authors are trying to present a picture of how biomass residual is shaping the Swedish energy system in the past and for the future. The production of heat, electricity and transportation fuels will be discussed. A number of critic points associated to biofuel potential, economy, environmental impact, end-use, as well as to biomass conversion technologies such as combustion, gasification and biological processes will be discussed. The advances of research and technology development in Sweden will be overviewed. Swedish bioenergy industry shows a good example in the world regarding biomass residual utilization as a renewable energy. The practices and experiences might be useful to other countries.