IEA Bioenergy Task 44: Flexibilization and System Integration (Working Period 2025 - 2027)

What are the benefits of more integrated processes and systems? How can we measure integration and what should we look for when coupling between different sectors? IEA Bioenergy Task 44 provides answers to these and similar questions, especially in relation to a circular bioeconomy and the energy transition.

Short Description

The main objective of the IEA Bioenergy Task 44 is to intelligently link different sectors, anticipate the opportunities for system integration and exploit them for a sustainable energy future. This initiative builds on the four strategic objectives of the IEA Bioenergy Strategic Plan 2025-2030 and pursues four key approaches:

providing science-based information on system integration of flexible bioenergy,
improving understanding of the essential characteristics of bioenergy flexibility and system integration,
exploring the synergies and possible trade-offs in integrating bioenergy with other clean energy technologies as well as bio-based sectors, and
demonstrating the relevance of flexible bioenergy and system integration for climate goals and sustainable development.

During the three-year period 2022-2024, we analyzed IEA Bioenergy's contributions to energy system flexibility. In the next phase, we will focus on expanding systemic approaches beyond the energy sector. Our focus is on improving the understanding of storage and infrastructure requirements as well as assessment techniques that enable multi-sector coupling and system integration. Of particular importance is the development of system architectures for the circular economy and circular bioeconomy that are geared towards the resilience and reliability of sustainable transformation pathways. In the long term (beyond 2045), we want to strengthen the role of sustainable chemical energy carriers such as bioenergy, hydrogen and hybrid energy carriers in an increasingly electrified world.

In the work packages 1 and 2 we address the flexibility of bioenergy supply chains that provide heat, electricity, fuels and chemicals. In work package 3 we address the systemic aspects and develops integration concepts for flexible bioenergy. In work package 4, we collect and consolidate knowledge from the technology and system areas, complemented by expertise from other IEA projects on markets, resources and sustainability, and use this to create recommendations for policy makers and market participants.

Project Partners

Markus Gölles, Klaus Lichtenegger, Carina Deutsch
BEST – Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH
Automation and Control
Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, AUSTRIA
E-Mail: markus.goelles@best-research.eu
Web: www.best-research.eu

Participants

Austria (leader), Finland (co-leader), Germany, Canada (newly recruited), Netherlands, Sweden

In addition, the European Commission also participates as a regular member

Contact Address

Fabian Schipfer, Florian Kraxner, Enrico Confienza
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA),
Schlossplatz 1, Laxenburg, Österreich
E-Mail: schipfer@iiasa.ac.at
Web: www.iiasa.ac.at