Mobilising Cereal Straw in the EU to Feed Advanced Biofuel Production

There are many types of agricultural residues that have the potential to be used as bioenergy feedstocks, including, for example, animal slurries and manure as well as crop residues such as cereal straw, maize stover and sugar beet residues3. Of these, cereal straw is a particularly important source for advanced ethanol production. This report, therefore, focusses on the potential for cereal straw in bioenergy production. It considers:

• the competing uses of straw and associated environmental effects of mobilising straw for biofuel production;
• the opportunities and barriers for increasing the use of straw for bioenergy production; and
• the role and need for public support through EU funding instruments, such as the CAP and Cohesion Policy.

The findings of the report are based on a review of the existing literature, supplemented by interviews with agricultural sector and industry representatives.