EU sustainability criteria for biofuels potentially restrict ley crop production on marginal land for use as biogas substrate
Författare
Redaktör
- Áslaug Helgadóttir
- Alan Hopkins
Summary, in English
Ley crops can be grown to provide a substrate for biogas vehicle-fuel production on a range of soils including marginal land. According to EU regulations, such biofuel currently has to achieve an emission reduction of 35%, but tightened goals of 50 and 60% will come into effect as early as 2017. In two field trials (one on marginal soil, one on productive soil) ley crop mixtures were tested and the biomass DM yield was determined. In a life-cycle assessment approach, the emissions of the production chain for biogas-vehicle-fuel were
estimated for a range of biomass DM yields. The results show that the emission intensity per energy unit of fuel produced is an asymptotic function of the DM yield. Currently, marginal lands not competing with food production can provide biofuels fulfilling the emission
reduction requirements. However, a tightening of the goals to 50 or 60% is likely to cause a shift in biomass production towards better soils, potentially causing competition with food and feed production. Alternatively, the CO2 emissions from biomass production of marginal
soils need to be further reduced, e.g. by increased nitrogen fixation or reduced machinery use.
estimated for a range of biomass DM yields. The results show that the emission intensity per energy unit of fuel produced is an asymptotic function of the DM yield. Currently, marginal lands not competing with food production can provide biofuels fulfilling the emission
reduction requirements. However, a tightening of the goals to 50 or 60% is likely to cause a shift in biomass production towards better soils, potentially causing competition with food and feed production. Alternatively, the CO2 emissions from biomass production of marginal
soils need to be further reduced, e.g. by increased nitrogen fixation or reduced machinery use.
Avdelning/ar
Publiceringsår
2013
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
528-530
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Grassland Science in Europe
Volym
18
Länkar
Dokumenttyp
Konferensbidrag
Förlag
European Grassland Federation EGF
Ämne
- Energy Systems
Nyckelord
- greenhouse gas emissions
- energy balance
- systems analysis
- substrate
- biogas
Conference name
The Role of Grasslands in a Green Future: Threats and Perspectives in Less Favoured Areas
Conference date
2013-06-23 - 2013-06-26
Conference place
Akureyri, Iceland
Status
Published