Forestry & Bioenergy

There are large opportunities for plantation forestry in Africa, based on attractive growing conditions, land availability and fast-growing markets.  However, establishing new forests has proven difficult and it has taken longer than expected to monetise the growing forest.   Bioenergy plays a key role when establishing downstream processing industries for forestry (and agriculture!) and reaching out to the highest-paying markets for wood.  NAB are well positioned to assist the forest owners in this process and develop, finance, build, co-own and operate bioenergy plants that are co-located with agricultural and wood processing plants.  

The New Africa Bioenergy partners have large experience in commercial forestry in Africa, including developing and implementing projects across the entire value chain.  We believe that many important lessons from the past will create the basis for attractive investments in the future. 

Forestry has a very large potential to mitigate climate change, second only to closing coal power production.  Reforestation is also one of the lowest-cost methods for mitigating climate change and has large additional positive environmental, social and economic benefits. Furthermore, large new forests are required for feedstock for biofuel, building materials, etc.  While the fight against deforestation (incl. REDD+) is important and has generated good results, reforestation is more important for mitigating climate change and larger positive developmental, environmental and social impacts.  Bioenergy and BECCs (including biochar) are integral parts of this process.