VOA慢速英语2019 芬兰需进口生物质来供暖（在线收听）

Finland Will Need to Import Biomass to Keep Warm

Finland is the most heavily forested country in Europe. That makes Finland rich in biomass.

芬兰是欧洲森林覆盖率最高的国家。这使得该国拥有丰富的生物质燃料。

Biomass is fuel developed from organic materials. It includes forest, parts of trees as well as plant and animal waste. Yet the northern European nation may soon be unable to meet an expected 70% rise in demand for biomass fuel once it stops using coal.

生物质是从有机物质中开发出来的燃料。它包括森林，部分树木以及植物和动物排泄物。然而，一旦停止使用煤炭燃料，这个北欧国家可能很快将无法满足预期的70％的生物质燃料需求增长。

Earlier this year, Finland approved a measure to ban the use of coal in energy production by May 2029. Power companies will now have to find other ways to keep Finns warm. Coal currently makes up about 20% of the energy used for heating homes.

今年早些时候，芬兰通过了一项措施，在2029年5月之前禁止在能源生产中使用煤炭。电力公司现在将不得不寻找其他途径为芬兰民众供暖。目前，煤炭在家庭取暖能源中约占20%。

There are limited plans to use more natural gas to produce heat. Other heating sources, such as geothermal energy and the sun’s energy, are not yet commercially viable in Finland. In other words, power companies lack the technology to effectively use such sources and earn a profit.

利用更多天然气生产热量的计划有限。其他的热源，如地热能和太阳能，在芬兰还没有投入商业化。换句话说，电力公司缺乏有效利用这些资源并从中获利的技术。

Many experts believe that using more biomass is the most economical way of meeting the country’s future energy needs.

许多专家认为，使用更多的生物质是满足该国未来能源需求最经济的方式。

The management consulting service Poyry advises the government on Finland’s energy, industry and public service needs. It estimates that the country will need 64 terawatt hours' worth of biomass in 2030 for energy production alone. The current usage is 38 terawatt hours.

Poyry管理咨询服务公司就芬兰能源、工业和公共服务需求为政府提供咨询。据估计，到2030年，仅能源生产就需要64太瓦时的生物质。目前的消耗量为38太瓦时。

However, Finland’s supply of biomass is expected to grow by only eight terawatt hours between now and 2030.

然而，从现在到2030年，芬兰的生物质供应预计只会增长8太瓦时。

As a result, Poyry says the country will have to import biomass as well as improve its management of forests. It also says Finland will need to depend more on harvested plant wastes for energy.

因此，Poyry指出，该国将不得不进口生物质，并加强森林管理。该公司还指出，芬兰将需要更多地依靠收割的作物废料用作能源。

Finland’s largest special interest group on energy issues also predicts large increases in the use of biomass in coming years.

芬兰最大的能源问题特别利益集团还预测，未来几年生物质的使用量将大幅增加。

Jukka Leskela is the head of the group, called Energia. He said, “It’s slightly awkward that Finland would run an energy policy that will make us a net importer of biomass. We are a forest country.” He spoke to the Reuters news agency.

Jukka Leskela是Energia组织的负责人。他说：“芬兰的能源政策将使我们成为生物质的净进口国，这有点尴尬。毕竟我们是一个森林国家。”他告诉路透社说。

Less costly to import

进口的成本更低

Forests cover 75% of Finland’s land. But the number of trees harvested is limited by law, with most of the wood saved for the pulp industry. The government would be unable to add much more supply for energy use.

芬兰的森林覆盖率高达75%。但是，由于砍伐树木数量受到法律限制，大部分树木被保存下来用于制浆工业。政府将无法增加更多的能源供应。

Riku Huttunen is head of Finland’s energy office. He said, “The pressure is to limit the use of (domestic) wood... it is normally used in the regions where there is a lot of wood and fewer people but now we are talking about towns with very little forest and many people. It is evident that we need imports.”

利库·胡敦宁（Riku Huttunen）是芬兰能源办公室的负责人。他说：“压力在于对（国内）木材使用的限制……它通常适用于木材多、人口少的地区，而现在我们谈论的城镇森林少且人口多。很明显，我们需要进口。”

Huttunen added that moving biomass from northern Finland was also a limitation. Shipping biomass from neighboring countries was less costly.

胡敦宁补充说，从芬兰北部运送生物量也受到了限制。从邻国运输生物质的成本较低。

Such imports could come from other countries around the Baltic Sea, including Sweden, Estonia and Russia.

这类进口货物可能来自波罗的海周边的其他国家，包括瑞典、爱沙尼亚和俄罗斯。

Energia estimates show biomass will make up nearly 60 percent of the fuel mix in Finland’s combined heat and power factories in 2030. That is up from the current usage of less than 30 percent.

Energia组织估计，到2030年，生物质在占芬兰热电厂各种燃料的占比约60%。这一比例高于目前不到30%的使用率。

Finland has seven combined heat and power plants that use coal either as the main or backup fuel for homes and businesses.

芬兰有7座热电联产电厂，使用煤炭作为家庭和企业的主要或备用燃料。

Industry officials say the country will also make greater use of heat pumps and surplus heat from data centers, as well as heat storage solutions.

行业官员说，芬兰还将更多地使用热泵和数据中心的余热，以及蓄热解决方案。

Words in This Story

source – n. a person, place or things from which something comes

geothermal – adj. related to heat produced from inside the Earth

management – n. the process of controlling or dealing with people or things

pulp – n. a soft, wet and shapeless material