Smart bioenergy

Upper Austria holds a leading position in the smart use of bioenergy. 15 % of primary energy comes from sustainable biomass, 35 % of all dwellings are heated with clean biomass and there are over 6,000 jobs in the biomass heating industry.

Biomass from sustainable forestry is a CO₂-neutral fuel that can play an important role in the decarbonisation of heating Upper Austria is a pioneer in the use of biomass. Biomass heating systems have become a standard solution. In addition to 60,000 automatic biomass systems (pellet and wood chip), there are also 350 biomass district heating networks in operation.

Upper Austria is home to leading biomass boiler companies. They have developed modern, fully-automated, highly-efficient systems with clean combustion – making biomass a smart fuel of the future. More than 25 % of all modern small-scale biomass boilers installed in the EU are manufactured by Upper Austrian companies.

Regional policy has been a crucial driver in developing the modern biomass heating industry by providing stable support to the market in the past decade. The policy package includes financial incentives for biomass in the residential, commercial and public sectors, R&D support and comprehensive advice, information and training activities by the Regional Energy Agency (OÖ Energiesparverband).