Bioenergy: An Engine For Economic Growth in the Global South?

The SUPERGEN Bioenergy hub in collaboration with the LCEDN and UK Collaborative on Development Sciences is organising a workshop on bioenergy in low income countries to be held at the Wellcome Trust in London on the 28th January 2015.

The aim of the workshop is to connect different policy, private sector and academic communities with interests in bioenergy in the context of international development issues and, in particular, to link technical with social and international development expertise. The event will also provide an opportunity to discuss a DFID bioenergy research programme which is currently under development.

The event will address a wide range of issues surrounding biomass use and bioenergy implementation in the Global South, including: the role of bioenergy in addressing key energy dilemmas (e.g. access, security, emissions), the sustainability of global biomass trade, and the place of Southern countries within global bioenergy supply chains.

The structure of the day will be highly interactive involving both plenary sessions and lots of opportunity for discussion. Confirmed speakers and panelists include: Ben Campbell (Durham University), Simon Batchelor (Gamos), Alison Mohr (University of Nottingham), Richard Blanchard (Loughborough University), John Loughhead (UK Energy Research Centre and Chief Scientific Adviser to DECC), Alessandro Moscuzza (Climate Change & Environment Adviser, Climate Energy & Water Team, DFID), Patricia Thornley (Director of the SUPERGEN Bioenergy Hub, Aston University) and Ed Brown (Loughborough University).

If you would like to register for this event please click here.

A draft agenda for this event can be found below:

9.30	Registration with tea/coffee
Session 1: Development, Bioenergy and Climate Change
10.00	Welcome & Introduction Ed Brown (Loughborough University/LCEDN Co-Coordinator) & Patricia Thornley (University of Manchester and SUPERGEN Bioenergy hub director)
10.20	Bioenergy in current energy and development debates An overview of possibilities and challenges for bioenergy to deliver energy access, looking at medium-longer term sustainability issues, community management contexts, and livelihood enhancement. Ben Campbell (Durham University/LCEDN Co-Coordinator)
10.40	Technological developments and global bioenergy implementation This presentation will provide an overview of technology deployment, including the rate of implementation, sustainability and scales. TBC
11.00	Short briefing for session 2
11.05	Tea/coffee break
Session 2: Strategic Debates: Supply Chains, Economic Growth, Livelihoods and Emissions
11.20	Three separate parallel conversations each led by experts who will make short initial presentations and then open up discussion for participants to share their own work and interests in this area and identify key outstanding issues for the research community to report back to the plenary session.
	Land use and food-fuel interfaces What are the land-use issues associated with different bioenergy systems and how can bioenergy best be integrated to provide food and energy security? Annie Chimpinango (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa) and another speaker to be confirmed.		Climate Change Interfaces How do different bioenergy systems contribute to low carbon energy provision and to climate change adaptation? Mirjam Roeder (University of Manchester) & Richard Murphy (University of Surrey)	Development Interfaces Can bioenergy systems contribute to livelihoods enhancement in rural and urban settings? Simon Batchelor (GAMOS) & Alison Mohr (University of Nottingham)
12.30	Plenary feedback on strategic debates Chair: Jem Woods (Imperial College)
12.50	Networking lunch with posters
Session 3: Global drivers; local impacts: Bioenergy in practice
13.50	Global Drivers; Local Impacts A presentation distilling key research challenges from across the Global South and a brief report back from a British Council workshop in South Africa. Speakers TBC
14.20	Three separate parallel conversations each led by experts who will make initial presentations and then open up discussion for participants to share their own work and interests in this area and identify key outstanding issues for the research community to report back to the plenary.
	Bioenergy from Waste and residues The challenges associated with sustainable use of waste resources e.g. rice straw in rural areas, MSW in urban). Craig Jamieson (International Rice Research Institute, Philippines) and Frank Rosillo-Calle (Imperial College, tbc).	Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas: Social and ecological factors Nutrient balances, soil health, energy demand and distribution. David Howard/Niall McNamara (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster) & Richard Blanchard (Loughborough)		Health and Social implications of bioenergy development Scales and siting of combustion units, impacts of clean cookstoves etc. Dr Rocio Diaz-Chavez (Imperial College)
15.30	Plenary feedback on bioenergy in practice
15.50	Tea/coffee break
16.05	Panel Discussion – Key Themes for Research and the Research/Policy Interface Chair – Jem Woods (Imperial) Panel members: Alex Moscuzza (DFID), John Loughead (DECC), Dan van der Horst (University of Edinburgh), Colin Pritchard (University of Edinburgh). Others TBC
16.50	Ways Forward and CLOSE.