The global bioenergy industry is advancing rapidly. New technologies and potential feedstocks are being proposed that aim for bioenergy to contribute to a wider range of economic, social, and environmental objectives. However, these advancements all require tradeoffs between potential technical advantages, and socio-economic and environmental consequences. Despite technological advances, a number of project failures have been noted with the development, design and implementation of such renewable energy systems in Africa. Keywords: BIOSSAM, Bioenergy systems, Bioenergy, Sustainability assessment, Energy, Energy research.