Title:
Agroenergy Resource Optimization According to the Law of Diminishing Returns
Author(s):
Monteleone, M., Garofalo, P., Cammerino, A.R.B., Kami Delivand, M.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
If biomass energy is to be used as a substitute of fossil fuels, the energy provided should be clearly much larger than the fossil energy needed to produce it. Low input agriculture, therefore, should be explicitly targeted in the management of biomass energy crops. Determine the overall energy balance means taking into account both the energy required to produce the biomass (agricultural phase) and the energy demanded to convert the biomass feedstock into energy (industrial phase). An easy, simple but unifying model was obtained to quantify the optimal amount of energy to supply, as cultivation inputs, to energy crops in order to maximize the technical (energy gain) or economic (profit) goals in the overall management of a biomass-to-energy value chain. Three set of parameters have been identified: a) physiological and genetic features of the energy crops; b) technological efficiencies of both crop cultivation and industrial conversion; c) economic and market conditions. The sensitivity of each parameter and their influence on the whole chain performance have been detected and discussed; optimal conditions with respect to energy and economic returns are also outlined.
Keywords:
cultivation, energy crops, genetic improvement, supply chain, agricultural intensification
Topic:
Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability
Subtopic:
Environmental impacts of bioenergy
Event:
22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4BV.1.3
Pages:
1570 - 1575
ISBN:
978-88-89407-52-3
Paper DOI:
10.5071/22ndEUBCE2014-4BV.1.3
Price:
FREE
