Some technological breakthroughs might give new market
possibilities for agricultural biomass energy. New developments
in the Stirling engine technology is one example,
improvement of the pyrolysis technology is another, and
there are undoubtedly other new technologies being developed
by research and development work going on around the
world.
make dedicated biomass crops competitive. Solid fuels are
more competitive than systems producing gas or liquid fuels.
Biomass programs in operation today rely on government
subsidies and the magnitude of the subsidies needed to make
biomass energy competetive cannot be justified (see also
Vollebergh, this volume). One factor working in favor of
bioenergy is its positive impact on the greenhouse gas balance.
However, there is considerable uncertainty in the proper
valuation of this factor. As this is a global environmental
problem, global action is needed. Greenhouse gas emissions
is not an economically relevant argument for local subsidies
to bioenergy.