Details

Title:

Identifying the Best Use of Biomass Resources

Author(s):

Thornley, P., Gilbert, P., Shackley, S., Hammond, J.

Document(s):

Abstract:

Biomass can deliver significant impacts in greenhouse gas reductions, power generation, heat and transport fuel supply. However, our biomass resource is limited and it is important therefore that it is used to deliver the most strategic and significant impacts. This paper compares the relative greenhouse gas reduction merits of different bioenergy systems (for electricity, heat, chemical and biochar production) on a common, scientific basis. Full life­cycle assessment of realistic bioenergy supply chains developed with industrial partners are compared to investigate the contribution that different bioenergy systems can make to greenhouse gas mitigation targets and how different systems could be deployed to service different policy objectives. The results show that large scale electricity systems deliver the largest absolute reductions in greenhouse gases per unit of energy generated, while small scale domestic boilers incur the largest level of supply chain emissions. However, deployment of medium scale wood chip boilers in the district heating sector actually results in the largest percentage reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which is the key parameter for many policy objectives (even though renewable energy incentives often focus on the heat and electricity delivered, which may doesn’t automatically translated into greenhouse gas reductions. These systems also demonstrate the highest level of greenhouse gas reductions per unit of harvested biomass; a parameter against which both the large electricity and ammonia production facilities also perform well. However, when the costs of production are considered the systems producing higher value, non­energy products e.g. ammonia and biochar are seen to offer the most cost effective carbon reductions; while the lower value energy products (electricity and particularly heat) require much higher carbon valuations to be viable. However, when we take into account the land occupancy of the bioenergy systems the biochar systems, which can potentially deliver very substantial reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from soils perform particularly well. Overall bioenergy clearly delivers substantial and cost­effective greenhouse gas reductions in a variety of contexts and this paper gives clear evidence of the value of different bioenergy systems for subtly different climate policy and sustainability objectives. It is therefore critical that bioenergy deployment is guided by deep understanding of what is really meant by minimising greenhouse gas emissions (which emissions in which territories), how bioenergy interacts with other sectors (energy, food, fuel, biodiversity) and an awareness of the trade­offs that may be necessary between greenhouse gas savings and other impacts or attributes, including energy resource dispatchability and energy security.

Keywords:

biomass, economics, greenhouse gases (GHG), life cycle assessment (LCA), policy, conversion system, policies

Topic:

Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability

Subtopic:

Resource efficient bioeconomy

Event:

21st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Session:

5BO.11.4

Pages:

1774 - 1778

ISBN:

978-88-89407-53-0

Paper DOI:

10.5071/21stEUBCE2013-5BO.11.4

Price:

FREE