The role of biomass in increasing the fuel and energy potential of regions

The article notes that biofuel as a possible alternative to oil fuel is already widely used in heat power engineering in many regions of the world. Forest biomass is increasingly being used as an energy source in Europe to increase the targeted share of renewable energy by 2020 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are several options to use biomass resources in power energy. Biofuel obtained by using various technologies is recognized as an important source of energy, positively influencing the socio-economic development of individual territories and regions. Bioenergy programs and projects are effectively implemented in the European Union, Canada and the United States. The accumulated experience of application can be useful for the development of bioenergy in the Republic of Karelia. The main sources of biofuel production are considered, their characteristics are analyzed and attention is paid to ecological properties. It is concluded that biofuel of the first and second generations has prospects for replacement of oil fuel and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions using relatively cheap biomass resources with the use of new advanced technologies.