Bioenergy: update - March 2021

8. Glossary of Terms

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) - A collection of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste and/or to produce fuels.

Bioeconomy - The bioeconomy means using renewable biological resources from land and sea, like crops, forests, fish, animals and micro-organisms to produce food, materials and energy.

Bioenergy - Refers to heat or electricity produced using biomass or gaseous and liquid fuels with a biological origin such as biomethane produced from biomass.

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) - The process of extracting bioenergy from biomass and capturing and storing the carbon, thereby removing it from the atmosphere.

Biomass - Refers to any material of biological origin used as a feedstock or products (e.g. wood in construction to make chemicals and materials, like bio-based plastics), or as a fuel for bioenergy (heat, electricity and gaseous fuels such as biomethane and hydrogen) or biofuels (transport fuels).

Biomethane - A form of gas that is produced by processing biomass It can be used for the same purposes as natural gas, like producing electricity or heat, and can use the same infrastructure for transmission and end-user equipment.

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) - Cogeneration of both heat and electricity

Digestate - The material remaining after the anaerobic digestion of a biodegradable feedstock.

Gasification - A process that converts organic- or fossil fuel-based carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Just Transition - How to move to a carbon-neutral economy in a way that is fair to all, and does not leave anyone behind.

Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) - How we use our land to deliver nature based solutions to climate change, including through increased tree cover and restoration of degraded peatland.

Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) - A financial incentive to promote the use of renewable heat.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) - This supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles by encouraging the production of biofuels.