International multidisciplinary discussion seminar

Organised by the Czech-Austrian Energy Expert Group (CZ-AT EEG) in cooperation with the Czech Technical University in Prague, the Vienna University of Technology, the Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy (Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem), the Czech Solar Association, the Czech Association for Energy Storage (AKUBAT) and the Czech Biomass Association (CZ BIOM)

Turning Biomass into Watts: The Importance of Biomass in the 2030 Energy Mix of the CEE Region

In 2025, Central Europe is approaching key milestones on the path to the 2030 and 2050 climate targets. Biomass - solid, liquid, and gaseous (biomethane)—plays a crucial role in decarbonising heat, stabilising the power system, providing aggregation and flexibility services, replacing fossil fuels in industry, and decarbonising transport via advanced biofuels. The seminar will focus on how to mobilise sustainable, domestic biomass resources (residues and wastes, agricultural and forestry by-products), the limits to availability, competition for feedstock, sustainability, and how bioenergy complements solar and wind by providing firm and flexible capacity (CHP, biogas/biomethane, power-to-gas-to-power) including aggregated portfolios and virtual power plants for system balancing. Special attention will be paid to modernising district heating, scaling biomethane production, and integrating biomass into the Czech and Austrian energy mix in line with the EU Taxonomy, RED III, and national strategies, with a focus on market aggregation models, balancing services, and demand-response integration.