The IRENA Global Atlas is an online stimulator developed with the objective of identifying and figuring out how to utilise the unused arable land available worldwide as a source for bioenergy production. The users can estimate the potential yields of bioenergy produced anywhere in the world based on the data made available from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank.
The stimulator consists in four stages. In an early stage, the user must choose the area, as well as the energy sources between: crops, agricultural residues, livestock waste, and forest plantations. Once the source has been selected, the user should select the production process between the 24 available. Finally, the user can select the bioenergy end-use between transport, heating, and electricity consumption. The simulator informs how bioenergy can be used in the area with a list of potential applications and informs about potential issues. The system includes a validation system where the users can validate the result or give inputs to improve the data.
On 2030 half of the renewable energies will be bioenergy.