LUT-Bioenergy model: A spreadsheet tool designed to estimate the global sustainable bioenergy potential up to 2050 at a global-national resolution

The LUT-Bioenergy model is an open-access tool developed for the purpose of modeling global and national bioenergy potential in the context of energy system transitions. It enables the estimation of sustainable bioenergy across all countries worldwide and can be applied at global, regional, national, and sub-national levels, depending on the resolution of the available input data. The model evaluates waste and residue production from the agricultural, forestry, and domestic sectors for energy applications. It identifies five primary sources of sustainable biomass: crop residue, forest residue, livestock manure, humanure, and municipal solid waste from agriculture, forestry, and households. The current iteration of the model does not encompass sustainable biomass from algae, industry, and aquatic sources, although future updates may extend its scope to include a broader range. The LUT-Bioenergy model does not incorporate energy crops due to concerns about sustainability. Shifting farmland, water, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, seeds, and fuels from food production to energy crop cultivation could exacerbate food insecurity. Additionally, the intensive irrigation needed for energy crops could significantly strain water resources. Considering these factors, the LUT-Bioenergy model exclude energy crops from its analysis, adhering to essential sustainability principles. These principles encompass ecological aspects like climate protection, biodiversity preservation, soil conservation, and water resource management, as well as socioeconomic aspects, particularly ensuring adequate food access. The LUT-Bioenergy model functions as a data platform, providing global-national bioenergy potential data for energy modelers and policymakers. It is available in Microsoft EXCEL, a commonly used program, which makes it accessible to most users without requiring additional programming knowledge or specialized software. We kindly request that you cite the journal article when using the model: Mensah T N O, Oyewo A S, Breyer C, The global sustainable bioenergy potential until 2050 in global-national resolution, Applied Energy 2025;400:126464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126464.