Overview

The Global Bioenergy Power Tracker (GBPT) covers growth in the combustion sector, including co-firing with fossil fuels. 

The Global Bioenergy Power Tracker shows that global bioenergy power plants are growing but are a false solution in the global transition to renewable energy and threaten climate goals and human health. 

As of 2025, the GBPT identifies more than 4,500 operating and prospective power units worldwide. If all prospective projects came to fruition, there would be 135 gigawatts (GW) of bioenergy coming from the combustion of various fuel types, including woody biomass, refuse, and agricultural waste. While China dominates the operating and prospective bioenergy power capacity — holding just over 30% of each — notable buildouts are occurring in Brazil, Japan, the UK, Vietnam, India, Sweden, Thailand, South Korea, and Australia. GEM’s bioenergy power plant data paint a picture of a sector growing steadily across the globe, despite numerous health, environmental, and financial viability concerns.

New bioenergy combustion units are frequently presented as a “green” alternative, and many countries offer renewable energy credits. However, the greenwashing of utility-scale bioenergy combustion is a distraction from ongoing and necessary investment into wind and solar. The biggest offender is woody biomass combustion, which may be co-fired with coal to extend the life of a coal unit, has low energy efficiency, presents a hazard to human health, and frequently sources wood from delicate forest ecosystems. The geospatial data in the GBPT highlight the human health concerns of emissions from bioenergy combusting plants, especially for refuse combustion near highly-populated areas.

Methodology

Frequently Asked Questions