Gitnux/Report 2026

Bioenergy Industry Statistics

The bioenergy sector reached 154,399 MW of power capacity in 2025, explore how growth in gases, liquid fuels and feedstock constraints reshapes companies and operations.
208Statistics
72Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
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Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The bioenergy industry at a glance

Bioenergy is expanding across power, heat, biogas and transport fuels: global biogas production reached 1,785 PJ in 2025, while bioenergy power capacity reached 154 GW.

1,785 PJ[62]
Global biogas production, 2025
154 GW[44]
Global bioenergy capacity, 2025
44%[62]
Europe biogas share, 2025
3.7 million[17]
Bioenergy jobs, 2024
Market size
Global bioenergy power capacity reached 154,399 MW in 2025, according to IRENA. The broader industry also produced 1,785 PJ of biogases and approximately 198 billion litres of liquid biofuels for transport in 2025.[44][62]
Forecast & CAGR
The IEA forecasts global biogas and biomethane production to increase 18% between 2026 and 2031 in its main case. Liquid biofuel demand is projected to rise from 198 billion litres in 2025 to 251 billion litres in 2031, equivalent to roughly 4.0% annual growth.[62]
Market share & regions
Europe accounted for 44% of global biogas production in 2025, making it the largest regional market. In bioenergy power capacity, Europe had 44,001 MW in 2025, compared with 48,422 MW in Asia and 36,335 MW in the Americas.[62][44]
Segmentation
Biogases production was divided between conventional biogas and biomethane, with biogas representing 78% of the 1,785 PJ global total in 2025. Bioenergy power capacity also spans solid biomass, biogas, liquid biofuels and renewable municipal waste.[62][44]
Key players & concentration
China generated 30% of global bioenergy electricity output in 2025, according to the World Bioenergy Association. The sector remains fragmented across utilities, fuel producers, agricultural operators, waste-management companies and specialist biomethane developers; a comparable global company-concentration ratio was not identified.[17]
Pricing
The global weighted-average levelised cost of electricity for bioenergy increased to USD 0.087 per kWh in 2024, up from USD 0.086 per kWh in 2010. IRENA attributes the upward pressure mainly to volatile feedstock and logistics costs.[44]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is being driven by renewable-fuel mandates, biomethane compatibility with existing gas infrastructure and demand for waste-based energy. The IEA estimates sustainable waste and residue resources could produce more than 810 billion cubic metres of gas equivalent annually, but feedstock supply chains remain a major constraint; it also revised its biogas outlook downward by 12% in 2026.[62]
Consumer behavior & competition
Competition is increasingly focused on low-carbon transport fuels and renewable gas rather than only biomass power. The IEA projects liquid biofuel demand to rise from 198 billion litres in 2025 to 251 billion litres in 2031, while biomethane is expected to nearly double over the same period as producers compete for sustainable feedstocks and policy-supported markets.[62]
M&A
M&A activity continued in biomethane infrastructure during 2026. Elevion Group agreed to acquire 100% of BTS Holdings Italy and subsidiaries, including nine Northern Italian plants expected to provide approximately 30 million standard cubic metres of annual biomethane capacity once fully operational.[63]
Regulation
EU renewable-energy policy requires the bloc to reach at least a 42.5% renewable-energy share by 2030, with bioenergy included in the policy framework. The EU’s Renewable Energy Directive also governs sustainability criteria and greenhouse-gas accounting for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels.[64]
Latest news
The latest sector developments include the World Bioenergy Association’s 2026 statistics report, which recorded 200 billion litres of liquid biofuel production in 2025, and the IEA’s 2026 forecast that global biogas and biomethane production will grow 18% by 2031.[17][62]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Bioenergy Industry

The leading companies in the bioenergy industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

POET stands out for corn ethanol and bioproduct output because it operates 35 bioprocessing facilities with 3.1 billion gallons of annual bioethanol capacity, while Verbio focuses on biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethane since it produces them in biorefineries across multiple regions.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in corn ethanol & bioproducts

    POET

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.3 · Corn ethanol & bioproducts

    Why we picked it: It operates corn-ethanol and bioproduct sites at large integrated scale, with 3.1 billion gallons of annual capacity.

    See in ranking ↓Visit poet.com ↗

  2. Leader in multi-product biorefineries

    Verbio

    DE

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Multi-product biorefineries

    Why we picked it: Its integrated product set spans biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethane, with 1,190 GWh biomethane produced in 2024/2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit verbio.de ↗

  3. Leader in renewable natural gas

    OPAL Fuels

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Renewable natural gas

    Why we picked it: Its renewable-natural-gas footprint is built around facility-scale RNG production, including 9.1 million MMBtu design capacity.

    See in ranking ↓Visit opalfuels.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the bioenergy industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

POET

Corn ethanol & bioproducts · US

9.3
2

Verbio

Multi-product biorefineries · DE

9.1
3

OPAL Fuels

Renewable natural gas · US

8.9
4

World Energy

Sustainable aviation fuel · US

8.9
5

EcoCeres

Waste-based renewable fuels · HK

8.8
6

Valero

Ethanol, renewable diesel and SAF · US

8.7
7

Drax Group

Biomass power and wood pellets · GB

8.5
8

EnviTec Biogas

Biogas plants and biomethane production · DE

8.4
9

Gasum

Biogas and biomethane production · FI

8.3
10

ADM

Ethanol, biodiesel and renewable feedstocks · US

8.0

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the bioenergy industry. In Bioenergy Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bioenergy-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Global installed bioenergy power capacity

Global installed bioenergy power capacity grew from 130K MW in 2020 to 154K MW in 2025.

129.8K MW
Start
+3.54%
CAGR · 5y
154.4K MW
Projected
20202025
source-verifiedirena.org2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Bioenergy digitalisation studies show limited SCADA use at 5.2% and higher model predictive control at 10.8%, while energy and utilities report wide adoption of AI, analytics and IoT.

Automation in the bioenergy industry

  • 5.2% of identified digitalisation studies in bioenergy processes used supervisory control and data acquisition systems, according to a 2026 review.[1]
  • 10.8% of identified digitalisation studies in bioenergy processes used model predictive control, an automation technology, according to a 2026 review.[1]

Digital Transformation in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • 84% of energy and utilities organizations were investing in digital modernization in 2026, while 20% had begun reorganizing engineering operations.[2]
  • 73% of power and utilities companies said their organizational culture impeded digital-technology adoption in a global survey conducted in late 2024.[3]
  • 100% of utilities globally had initiated digital transformation, while 20% had completed it, according to a global survey conducted in 2024.[4]
  • 92% of energy companies planned digital technology investments, while 27% were retraining and reskilling existing employees, according to a 2024 survey.[3]

Technology Adoption in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • 73% of power and utilities organizations were using artificial intelligence, generative AI or machine learning in 2024, based on a global industry survey.[3]
  • 79% of power and utilities organizations were using cyber-threat monitoring and intelligence platforms covering IT and operational technology in 2024.[3]
  • 62% of power and utilities organizations were using robotic process automation in 2024, according to a global survey of industry executives and employees.[3]
  • 78% of power and utilities organizations were using advanced analytics in 2024, according to EY’s global Future of Energy Survey.[3]

Cloud Computing in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • 41% of energy companies allowed any department head or IT manager to deploy new cloud infrastructure, software or applications in an Infosys study.[5]
  • 45% of energy companies used only the cloud capacity and functions they had committed to, according to an Infosys industry study published in 2024.[5]
  • 63% of power and utilities organizations were using cloud computing while developing improvements or new applications in 2024.[3]
  • 32% of power and utilities organizations using cloud computing planned improvements or new uses during the following five years in 2024.[3]
  • 79% of power and utilities organizations were using cloud computing in 2024, according to a global EY survey.[3]

Big Data in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • 25% of utilities reported extensive use of analytics for business intelligence and billing or revenue analysis in a survey of 190 organizations.[6]
  • 78% of power and utilities organizations were using advanced analytics in 2024, a sector-specific proxy for big-data adoption in EY’s global survey.[3]
  • 20% of electric utilities had already implemented big-data analytics, while 32% were implementing it, in a survey covering 10 countries.[7]
  • 86% of utilities used advanced-metering-infrastructure data enterprise-wide or in specific workflows in 2026, according to a global utility executive survey.[8]
  • 41% of utilities said advanced-metering-infrastructure data was fully embedded and scalable across daily workflows in 2026.[8]

IoT in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • 33% of utilities respondents had deployed IoT projects for vehicle tracking in 2024, according to Viasat’s industry survey.[9]
  • 55% of utilities respondents had a formal IoT strategy in 2024, up from 48% in 2021, according to Viasat’s global sector survey.[9]
  • 34% of utilities respondents had deployed IoT projects for energy generation in 2024, the highest deployment category in Viasat’s survey.[9]
  • 75% of power and utilities organizations were using Internet of Things technologies in 2024, according to a global EY survey.[3]
  • 80% of power and utilities organizations surveyed were IoT adopters, and 75% had at least one project reaching the use stage.[10]

Innovation in the bioenergy industry

  • 74,801 biofuel research publications were produced worldwide during 2000–2021, including 18,386 originating from the United States.[11]
  • 22,325 biofuel patents were granted worldwide during 2000–2021, including 6,988 to United States beneficiaries and 3,798 to Chinese beneficiaries.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data governance appears uneven: 65% of energy and utilities organizations reported their data is governed in 2026, alongside only 15% fully traceable data from source to decisions in 2020.

Data analytics in the bioenergy industry

  • 15.2% of the reviewed bioenergy digitalisation studies used digital twins.[1]
  • 27.7% of the reviewed bioenergy digitalisation studies used geographic information systems.[1]
  • 10.8% of the reviewed bioenergy digitalisation studies used model-predictive control.[1]
  • 31.2% of the digitalisation studies reviewed for bioenergy used artificial intelligence or machine learning.[1]

Data Quality in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across electric utilities surveyed, 69% reported user confidence in data accuracy, compared with 77% for completeness.[12]
  • Across water utilities, 8% of respondents rated asset O&M cost information as very good in 2026.[13]
  • Across water utilities, 19% of respondents rated asset characteristics information as very good in 2026.[13]
  • Across water utilities, 7% of respondents rated asset information in EAM or CMMS as very good in 2026.[13]
  • Across water utilities, 10% of respondents rated asset condition and performance information as very good in 2026.[13]
  • Across electric utilities surveyed, 77% reported no erosion in data quality over time.[12]

Data Governance in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across energy and utilities organizations, 65% reported that all or nearly all of their data was governed in 2026.[14]
  • Across utilities surveyed, 9% had fully implemented an enterprise-wide data-governance program in 2020.[15]
  • Across utilities surveyed, 56% had some form of inventory covering data sources and data-quality, integration, and analytics tools in 2020.[15]
  • Across utilities surveyed, 50% estimated they were still three to five years away from enterprise-level data governance in 2020.[15]
  • Across power and utility executives surveyed, 57% assessed data-governance maturity as developing or initial in 2021; none reported advanced practices.[3]
  • Across utilities surveyed, 6% reported fully traceable data from original source to decision-making or business processes in 2020.[15]

KPIs in the bioenergy industry

  • 40 EJ was global final bioenergy consumption in 2023, compared with 24 EJ in 1990.[16]
  • 711 TWh was global bioelectricity generation in 2025, with annual growth of 1%.[17]
  • 150.8 GW was total global biopower capacity in 2024, a core deployment KPI for the bioenergy industry.[18]
  • 50 EJ was global bioenergy production in 2023, compared with approximately 28 EJ in 1990.[16]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

The market shift is visible in consumption mix and liquid-biofuel scaling: liquid biofuel demand rises from 198 billion litres in 2025 to 251 billion litres in 2031.

Growth in the bioenergy industry

  • 155 gigawatts was global installed bioenergy capacity in 2025, after 2% growth during the year.[17]
  • 8% was the average annual growth rate of global gaseous-biofuel final consumption between 1990 and 2023.[16]
  • 2,186 trillion British thermal units was U.S. bioenergy consumption in 2024, up from 1,651 trillion British thermal units in 2015.[19]
  • 9% was the average annual growth rate of global liquid-biofuel final consumption between 1990 and 2023.[16]
  • 200 billion liters was global liquid-biofuel production in 2025, a record after 4% year-on-year growth.[17]

Differentiation in the bioenergy industry

  • 89% of global bioenergy final consumption was solid biofuels in 2023, compared with 11% liquid and 0.3% gaseous biofuels.[16]
  • 2.3 exajoules of biogasoline, 22 exajoules of fuelwood and 7 exajoules of vegetal materials and residues represented nearly 80% of global bioenergy final consumption in 2023.[16]
  • 55% of U.S. bioenergy production was ethanol in 2024, versus 22% renewable diesel, 11% biodiesel and 7% biopower.[19]

Mergers and acquisitions in the bioenergy industry

  • 570 million gallons per year of ethanol capacity changed hands in 2024 biofuel transactions.[20]
  • 7 biofuel transactions representing 590 million gallons per year of capacity were recorded in 2024.[20]
  • 50% of the transaction volume in 2023–2024 biofuels M&A was attributed to private-equity acquisitions totaling about $8 billion.[21]
  • $2.5 billion was the proposed investment by KKR in Eni’s sustainable-fuels unit during the 2023–2024 biofuels M&A period.[21]

Strategic partnerships in the bioenergy industry

  • 10 renewable-natural-gas facilities were included in the planned joint venture announced by Vanguard Renewables and TotalEnergies.[22]
  • 3 organizations—Veolia, Waga Energy and ENGIE—announced cooperation to develop France’s renewable-natural-gas industry.[22]
  • 11 mills were included in the BP Bunge Bioenergia joint venture formed by bp and Bunge in Brazil in 2019.[23]
  • 50% was Bunge’s ownership share in BP Bunge Bioenergia before its agreement to sell the stake to bp in 2024.[23]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce pressure remains high, with 94% of U.S. bioenergy electric-power-generation employers reporting hiring difficulty in 2024 and nearly all utilities and wholesale-trade firms reporting some difficulty in 2023.

Hiring in the bioenergy industry

  • 94% of U.S. bioenergy electric-power-generation employers in wholesale trade and professional services reported at least some hiring difficulty in 2024.[24]
  • 3.7 million people were employed globally in the bioenergy sector in 2024, according to the World Bioenergy Association.[17]
  • 6.2% was the anticipated 2024–2025 employment growth rate for U.S. bioenergy electric-power-generation professional and business services employers.[24]
  • 97% of U.S. bioenergy electric-power-generation utilities and wholesale-trade employers reported at least some difficulty hiring qualified workers in 2023.[24]
  • 8.7% was the anticipated 2024–2025 employment growth rate for U.S. bioenergy electric-power-generation wholesale trade employers.[24]

Employee retention in the bioenergy industry

  • 1.5% was FortisBC’s estimated true attrition rate for its residential renewable-natural-gas offering in 2012.[25]
  • 1.0% was FortisBC’s estimated true attrition rate for its residential renewable-natural-gas offering in 2011.[25]

Remote Work in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. utility employers recruiting new graduates, 9.3% of positions were fully remote in 2024.[26]
  • Across U.S. utilities, 18.2% of employees worked fully remotely in November 2024.[27]
  • U.S. utilities employees worked 22.32% of paid days from home in 2026.[28]
  • U.S. utilities employees worked 31.42% of paid days from home in 2024.[28]

Hybrid Work in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. utility employers recruiting new graduates, 43.4% of positions were fully hybrid in 2024.[26]
  • Across U.S. utilities, 51% of full-time employees worked either hybrid or fully from home during September–December 2024.[29]
  • Across U.S. utilities, 32.5% of employees worked in hybrid arrangements in November 2024.[27]
  • U.S. utilities had 28% of full-time employees in hybrid arrangements during September–December 2024.[29]

Employee Engagement in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. energy and utility organizations, 54% reported that frontline disengagement affected productivity in 2023.[30]
  • Among frontline energy and utilities workers, 57% said workplace communication tools were designed for desk workers rather than them in 2025.[31]
  • At Southern California Edison, 82% of employees gave a favorable overall engagement response in 2022.[32]
  • Across U.S. utilities, 70% of employees were engaged in the July 2025–June 2026 benchmark period.[33]

DEI in the bioenergy industry

  • Nearly two-thirds of respondents in the World Biogas Association’s 2026 survey reported that their organisations had equality-and-diversity or equality-and-inclusion policies.[34]
  • 25% of senior leadership positions in the global biogas sector were held by women in the World Biogas Association’s 2026 survey.[34]
  • 30% of the U.S. bioenergy electric-power-generation workforce was female in 2025, according to the USEER survey.[24]
  • 28% of the global biogas workforce was female in the World Biogas Association’s 2026 survey.[34]
  • 35% of respondents in the World Biogas Association’s 2026 survey reported that their organisations had a dedicated equality-and-diversity group or committee.[34]

Change Management in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • Only 15% of utility companies said they were leaders in actively listening to employees in 2020.[35]
  • Among utility organizations surveyed by Eaton, 51% were executing a digital-transformation strategy in 2023.[36]
  • Among utilities surveyed globally, 100% had initiated digital transformation and 20% had completed it in 2024.[37]
  • Across utilities with active listening programs, 91% of employees said they could adapt to change, compared with 41% without such programs.[35]
  • Among utilities surveyed globally, change management was cited as a digital-transformation barrier by 30% of respondents in 2024.[37]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer experience in the bioenergy industry

  • 65% of U.S. residents living within two miles of biogas facilities said political leaders provide too little support to farming and agriculture.[38]
  • 86 was Sistema.bio India’s Net Promoter Score after its customer-experience improvements, placing it in the top 20% of the 60 Decibels Energy Benchmark.[39]
  • 4.5 out of 5 was the average satisfaction rating for the incentive amount among California biogas participants in the Self-Generation Incentive Program assessment.[40]

Customer retention in the bioenergy industry

  • 1.5% was the estimated true customer attrition rate for FortisBC’s residential renewable-natural-gas offering in 2012.[25]
  • 3,033 customers were enrolled in Enbridge Gas Utah, Idaho and Wyoming’s GreenTherm renewable-natural-gas program at year-end 2023.[41]
  • 3,141 customers were enrolled in Enbridge Gas Utah, Idaho and Wyoming’s GreenTherm renewable-natural-gas program at year-end 2024.[41]

Customer acquisition in the bioenergy industry

  • 2,990 customers were enrolled in Enbridge Gas Utah, Idaho and Wyoming’s GreenTherm renewable-natural-gas program at year-end 2022.[41]
  • 3,764 additional residential customers enrolled in FortisBC’s biomethane offering by December 1, 2012, alongside 72 commercial customers and 3 on-system sales customers.[25]
  • 1,158 residential customers enrolled in FortisBC’s biomethane offering during its first six months of operation in 2011.[25]

Customer loyalty in the bioenergy industry

  • 86 was Sistema.bio India’s Net Promoter Score after its customer-experience improvements, indicating strong customer loyalty among surveyed biogas customers.[39]
  • 1.5% was FortisBC’s estimated true attrition rate for its residential renewable-natural-gas offering in 2012, a customer-loyalty indicator.[25]
  • 60 was Sistema.bio India’s earlier Net Promoter Score before its customer-experience improvements.[39]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Influencer Marketing in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across B2B companies, 28% of marketers ranked thought leaders or industry analysts as the most effective influencer type in 2025.[42]
  • Across B2B companies, authenticity and credibility were the top influencer-selection criteria for 58% of marketers in 2025.[42]
  • Across B2B companies, 76% of marketing leaders believed creator collaborations build brand authenticity in 2025.[42]
  • Across B2B companies, 55% were using influencers in 2025, while another 29% planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year.[42]
  • Across B2B companies, influencer marketing was associated with a 39-percentage-point advantage in brand-awareness goal attainment in 2025.[42]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational performance depends on biomass quality in models, where supply-chain costs are reported 6%–31% lower when quality is included, and biogas-to-gas output is reflected in biomethane production.

Process optimization in the bioenergy industry

  • 6%–31% lower supply-chain costs were reported when biomass quality was included in optimization models, based on a review of 71 bioenergy studies published through 2026.[43]
  • 10.4% of reviewed bioenergy optimization studies modeled ash content, while 4.3% modeled dry-matter loss and 0.9% modeled chemical composition.[43]

Operational efficiency in the bioenergy industry

  • 86% was the highest global weighted-average capacity factor recorded for bioenergy projects during 2010–2024, reached in 2017.[44]
  • 1,190 GWh of biomethane was produced by Verbio in financial year 2024/2025, up from 1,100 GWh in 2023/2024.[45]
  • 711 TWh of bioelectricity was generated globally in 2025, representing 1% year-on-year growth.[17]
  • 73% was the global weighted-average capacity factor for bioenergy power projects in 2024.[44]

Quality management in the bioenergy industry

  • 0.9% of reviewed bioenergy supply-chain optimization studies included chemical composition as a biomass-quality variable.[43]
  • 10.4% of reviewed bioenergy supply-chain optimization studies included ash content as a biomass-quality variable.[43]
  • 4.3% of reviewed bioenergy supply-chain optimization studies included dry-matter loss as a biomass-quality variable.[43]

Supply chain in the bioenergy industry

  • €2 million was the modeled annual feedstock cost for a biomethane plant using its own agricultural waste, versus €1.0 million–€1.2 million with optimized logistics and biomass selection.[46]
  • 41,000 tonnes per year of incoming residues were assumed for a representative biogas-based biorefinery model developed by IEA Bioenergy Task 42.[47]
  • €1.0 million–€1.2 million was the modeled annual feedstock cost for a biomethane plant using logistics and biomass cost-yield optimization, compared with €1.5 million–€1.8 million for ad hoc straw procurement.[46]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the utilities and renewable energy sector (sector benchmark)

  • 40% of U.S. power and utilities executives surveyed said they would outsource some business functions to external contractors, according to a 2025 survey.[3]
  • 55% of surveyed solar OEMs, technicians and installers across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain outsourced most solar maintenance in 2025.[48]
  • 88% of power and utilities executives surveyed planned to rely more on vendors and contractors than previously, in a 2025 global energy survey.[3]
  • 68.4% of U.S. utilities surveyed outsourced bill printing in 2026, based on responses from 95 utilities across 18 states.[49]
  • 54% of U.S. solar companies surveyed outsourced most solar maintenance in 2025, compared with 60% in Germany and 48% in the United Kingdom.[48]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Power costs and project economics stay exposed to volatility, with the global weighted-average levelised cost of electricity rising to USD 0.087 per kWh in 2024.

Pricing strategy in the bioenergy industry

  • €20 per tonne was the modeled selling price for biofertilizer in an IEA Bioenergy biogas-based biorefinery case.[47]
  • €10 per tonne was the modeled gate fee for incoming residues in an IEA Bioenergy biogas-based biorefinery case.[47]
  • 20 pence per RTFC was the volume-weighted price for 72 million renewable transport fuel certificates sold by Refuels in the second quarter of 2025.[50]
  • €70/MWh was the representative 2025 biomethane selling price used in an IEA Bioenergy biorefinery economics model.[47]

Cost reduction in the bioenergy industry

  • 16% higher total installed cost was recorded for newly commissioned global bioenergy power projects in 2024 compared with 2023, rising to USD 3,242 per kW.[44]
  • €4.66 million was the modeled annual operating expenditure for an IEA Bioenergy biogas-based biorefinery.[47]
  • 6%–31% supply-chain cost reductions were reported in studies using biomass-quality-aware models rather than models that ignored quality.[43]
  • €1.0 million–€1.2 million was the modeled annual feedstock cost under logistics and biomass cost-yield optimization for a biomethane plant.[46]

Profitability in the bioenergy industry

  • 18.9% was Refuels’ gross profit margin in the second quarter of 2025, compared with 2.7% in the second quarter of 2024.[50]
  • 15.7% was the modeled EBIT margin for an IEA Bioenergy biogas-based biorefinery including interest costs.[47]
  • 24.7% was the modeled EBIT margin for the same IEA Bioenergy biorefinery excluding interest costs.[47]
  • €52.3 million was Verbio’s Bioethanol/Biomethane segment gross margin in financial year 2024/2025, down from €122.0 million in 2023/2024.[45]

Financial planning in the bioenergy industry

  • USD 0.087 per kWh was the global weighted-average levelized cost of electricity for bioenergy power projects in 2024.[44]
  • €9.56 million was the modeled annual revenue for an IEA Bioenergy biogas-based biorefinery, including biomethane, gate fees and biofertilizer.[47]
  • €25.4 million was the modeled capital expenditure for an IEA Bioenergy biogas-based biorefinery.[47]
  • €8.06 million was the modeled annual cost including interest for an IEA Bioenergy biogas-based biorefinery.[47]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Liquid fuel demand is a core planning input, with global liquid biofuel production at 200 billion litres in 2025 and an expected 41 billion litres increase from 2021 to 2026.

Product development in the bioenergy industry

  • 41 billion litres, or 28%, was the expected increase in global biofuel demand from 2021 to 2026, according to the cited IEA outlook.[51]
  • 400,062 biofuel-related publications were produced worldwide between 2000 and 2021, led by China, the United States and India.[51]
  • 3,808 biofuel-related patents were held by Xyleco in 2022, the largest portfolio among the leading patent owners identified in the report.[51]
  • 251,251 biofuel-related patents were registered worldwide between 2000 and 2021, with China accounting for 99,328 and the United States for 38,856.[51]

Product lifecycle in the bioenergy industry

  • 231 operationally focused studies published from 2012 to 2025 were reviewed to assess digitalisation across bioenergy production, conversion and supply-chain processes.[1]
  • 22 UK bioenergy professionals participated in a survey examining digitalisation barriers and opportunities across the industry lifecycle.[1]
  • 80-plus participants attended a Sheffield workshop on digitalising bioenergy processes in November 2024.[1]

Value proposition in the bioenergy industry

  • More than half of global renewable energy came from bioenergy in 2024, according to the World Bioenergy Association.[17]
  • 150.8 GW of global biopower capacity was operating in 2024 after a record annual increase of 4.6 GW.[18]
  • 711 TWh of bioelectricity was generated globally in 2025, demonstrating the sector’s value as a large-scale renewable electricity supplier.[17]
  • 175.2 billion litres of liquid biofuels were produced globally in 2023, up 7% from 2022.[18]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Bioenergy still skews toward solid forms in 2023, where 35 EJ or 89% of final bioenergy consumption came from solid biofuels.

Sustainability in the bioenergy industry

  • 4.4 EJ, or 11% of global final bioenergy consumption, came from liquid biofuels in 2023.[16]
  • 1.8 billion litres of sustainable aviation fuel were produced globally in 2024, up from 600 million litres in 2023.[18]
  • 0.1 EJ, or 0.3% of global final bioenergy consumption, came from gaseous biofuels in 2023.[16]
  • 35 EJ, or 89% of global final bioenergy consumption, came from solid biofuels in 2023.[16]

ESG in the bioenergy industry

  • 2,411,000 people were employed worldwide in the liquid biofuel industry, according to the cited global estimate.[51]
  • 4.7 EJ was China’s final bioenergy consumption in 2023, the second-largest national total reported by FAO.[16]
  • 3.3 EJ was United States final bioenergy consumption in 2023, according to FAO’s global country comparison.[16]
  • 7.6 EJ was India’s final bioenergy consumption in 2023, the largest national total reported by FAO.[16]

CSR in the bioenergy industry

  • 0.1 EJ, nearly 60% of the global total, was Europe’s final gaseous-biofuel consumption in 2023.[16]
  • 2.6 EJ, close to 60% of the global total, was final liquid-biofuel consumption in the Americas in 2023.[16]
  • 17.5 EJ, approximately half of the global total, was Asia’s solid-biofuel final consumption in 2023.[16]
  • 193 countries and 22 territories were covered by FAOSTAT’s 1990–2023 bioenergy production and consumption dataset.[16]

Circular economy in the bioenergy industry

  • 2.3 EJ of global final bioenergy consumption in 2023 came from biogasoline.[16]
  • Nearly 80% of global final bioenergy consumption in 2023 came from fuelwood, other vegetal materials and residues, and biogasoline combined.[16]
  • 22 EJ of global final bioenergy consumption in 2023 came from fuelwood, making it the largest individual biofuel category.[16]
  • 7 EJ of global final bioenergy consumption in 2023 came from other vegetal materials and residues.[16]

Carbon footprint in the bioenergy industry

  • 10% of global overall energy demand was covered by bioenergy, according to the IEA Bioenergy review.[52]
  • 50% of global renewable-energy consumption was supplied by modern bioenergy, according to the IEA Bioenergy review.[52]
  • 65.3 gCO2-equivalent per MJ was the combined carbon intensity of U.S. corn- and soy-based biofuels in 2017.[1]
  • 28 EJ was global bioenergy production in 1990, compared with 50 EJ in 2023, according to FAO’s long-run production series.[16]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Network scale is visible in plant counts and trade flows, including 1,678 biomethane plants connected to European gas infrastructure in 2025 and 193 countries and 22 territories covered by FAOSTAT’s dataset.

Globalization in the bioenergy industry

  • 50 exajoules was global bioenergy production in 2023, up from about 28 exajoules in 1990 across 193 countries and 22 territories.[16]
  • 2,642 million liters of bioethanol were exported by the United States in 2020, according to global bioenergy trade-flow data.[44]
  • 11,366 thousand tonnes of solid biomass were imported by Europe in 2020.[44]
  • 1,678 biomethane plants were operating in Europe in 2025, up from 483 plants in 2018.[61]
  • 1,013 million liters of biodiesel were exported by China in 2020.[44]

Supplier management in the bioenergy industry

  • Two-fifths of the global bioenergy supply workforce worked in agricultural cultivation, processing and refining in 2024.[53]
  • More than 20 biomass-pellet plants were operating in Africa in 2024, supporting modernization of regional biomass supply chains.[53]

Stakeholder management in the bioenergy industry

  • 107,400 jobs were supported by U.S. biodiesel, renewable-diesel and sustainable-aviation-fuel production in 2024.[19]
  • 55,810 direct jobs and 258,089 indirect or induced jobs were supported by the U.S. ethanol industry in 2024.[19]
  • 304,000 jobs were supported by the European Union bioenergy sector, which generated more than €32 billion in turnover.[54]
  • 55,000 jobs and $7 billion in gross domestic product were attributed to the U.S. renewable-natural-gas industry.[19]

Distribution channels in the bioenergy industry

  • 1,548 biomethane plants were mapped in Europe in 2024, compared with 1,322 in the 2022–2023 edition.[61]
  • 270,000 tonnes was the combined production capacity of three new Western European pellet plants opened in 2024.[53]
  • 1,678 biomethane plants were connected to European gas infrastructure in 2025.[61]

Key questions about the bioenergy industry

What is the scale of the bioenergy market in 2025?
The bioenergy power market reached 154,399 MW in 2025, and global biogas production reached 1,785 PJ in 2025.
How fast is biogas and biomethane growing in the IEA main case?
The IEA forecasts global biogas and biomethane production to increase 18% between 2026 and 2031 in its main case.
Which companies lead the bioenergy industry?
POET stands out for corn ethanol and bioproduct output because it operates 35 bioprocessing facilities with 3.1 billion gallons of annual bioethanol capacity, while Verbio focuses on biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethane since it produces them in biorefineries across multiple regions.
How are automation and control technologies showing up in bioenergy processes?
A 2026 review found 5.2% of identified digitalisation studies used supervisory control and data acquisition systems, and 10.8% used model predictive control.
Is the bioenergy sector concentrated or fragmented by ownership?
The sector remains fragmented across utilities, fuel producers, agricultural operators, waste-management companies and biomethane developers, and no comparable global company-concentration ratio was identified.
What constraint most limits scaling of biogas and biomethane supply chains?
Feedstock supply chains remain a major constraint, and the IEA revised its biogas outlook downward by 12% in 2026.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Bioenergy Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bioenergy-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Bioenergy Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/bioenergy-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Bioenergy Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bioenergy-industry-statistics.

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