An Assessment of the Sustainable Energy Potential from Planted Forestry Biomass for Fossil and Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage: A Case Study in Southern Brazil

This study aims at assessing the use of sustainability indicators for forestry biomass resources. It evaluates the energy potential of forestry areas in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, for application in co-firing of coal and biomass for power generation as a mitigation strategy for a just transition in a coal-dependent region. Based on a geospatial analysis, eucalyptus plantation areas not overlapping with socio-environmental, hydrological, or biodiversity-sensitive zones were identified, defining a restrictive potential from which energy estimates were derived. Results indicate that, within a 100 km radius of the Pampa Sul Thermoelectric Power Plant, the existing forestry biomass covers 180,450.46 hectares. This corresponds to an estimated power potential of 600 MWe, which exceeds the plant’s installed capacity (345 MWe). However, hydrological constraints emerged as the main limiting factor, reducing by approximately 60% the initially estimated technical potential, followed by biodiversity and socio-environmental constraints respectively. Overall, our findings suggest that the sustainable use of planted biomass can support power sector defossilization while aligning environmental and socioeconomic objectives. Further studies are recommended to assess current biomass uses and the feasibility of utilizing forestry residues to ensure territorial and energy sustainability.