Bioenergy, the carbon cycle and the future contribution of UK agriculture: a personal perspective

Transcription

1 Dr. Jonathan Scurlock Chief Adviser, Renewable Energy and Climate Change National Farmers Union of England and Wales Bioenergy, the carbon cycle and the future contribution of UK agriculture: a personal perspective Porter Institute Seminar Imperial College London: 26 November The NFU champions British farming, and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

2 Energy resources and the environment Once upon a time, science and technology was trusted to deliver progress, e.g. predict and provide Green Movement rooted in 1950s counterculture, 1930s Distributism, Malthusian ideas of 30s and 70s Turning points: CND Aldermaston March (1958), Silent Spring (1962), UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm (1972). 2

3 a sort of life my own career path Inspired by science fiction like The Death of Grass and Survivors, I was fascinated by the 1970s oil price shocks and the technical possibilities of transport biofuels. Plant biology appeared to offer a solution to peak oil. Unemployment in 1981 nothing to lose from an academic career? David Hall - an inspirational advocate of bioenergy whom many of us owe a great deal. Photosynthesis encompassed practical technologies, global carbon cycle and growing international concern on climate change and resource depletion. 3

4 25 years in bioenergy International photosynthesis field work in 1980s and 90s then integration of data into ecosystem models, then data sets archived at Oak Ridge, TN Work with Jeremy Woods and others, exploration of world biomass assessment, food vs. fuel, sustainability less fashionable in those days! Biomass 14% Nuclear 5% Oil 32% Hydro 6% 4 Scurlock and Hall (1991) The contribution of biomass to global energy use Gas 17% Coal 26%

5 Where now for biomass energy? Many now see bioenergy as coming of age Rapid growth in transport biofuels a challenge for resource management AND public relations Spreading modernisation of biomass for heat and electricity more easily perceived as a Good Thing Continuation of biomass as world s 4 th largest energy source the fuel of development, like it or not Bioenergy is in the vanguard of new standards for sustainability and GHG footprinting of ALL commodities Biomass + CCS = world-saving killer combination? 5

6 NFU foresees a paradigm shift From a culture of embedded carbon in goods, materials and energy use, towards a bio-based economy UK (and now USA) CC and RE policies present a challenge to use land of all types in all locations in a new and different way Real business opportunities for agriculture, forestry and land management - in the light of tertiary sector failure Urgent need for low-carbon renewable energy and materials growing and processing of primary products sustainable resource-based economy NFU a large trade association, represent broad range of all farming and land use interests 6

7 BIOMASS - renewable organic material used for energy wood/ forestry/ arb residues crops/ straw/ other residues perennial energy crops organic fraction of wastes combustion gasification bio-processing Heat Electricity Hydrogen Other gases Methanol Ethanol Chemicals 7

8 Biomass vs. fossil fuels differences Greenhouse Effect / Carbon Cycle wood and other biomass fuels are ± carbon neutral, unlike fossil fuels which liberate ancient carbon to the atmosphere Other pollutants biomass feedstocks contains no sulphur ash and residues incorporated / broken down quickly in the environment Availability biomass fuels are renewable and can increase strategic security and diversity of energy supply, unlike imported fossil fuels 8

9 Bioenergy one part of the solution With 75% of UK area, agriculture can provide abundant land-based renewable resources replacement of farm energy inputs export of electricity to the rest of the economy provision of renewable heat and wood fuels agricultural commodities for electricity or fuel production off-site For the first time in 50 years, farming today offers a solution, no longer a financial burden Back to the future? horse fodder used to occupy large areas of land (biofuels are just the modern equivalent) Bioenergy strategically important schedulable power at range of scales, transport fuels, domestic heating 9

10 Biofuel production large scale Most commercial opportunities to UK growers are at large scale through conventional grain trading, maybe on different terms Ethanol plant, Nebraska Greenergy construction work 10

11 Small-scale biofuel production HM Revenue and Customs simplification of regulations from Summer 2007, allow 2500 litres/year without registration or payment of fuel excise duty home-made biodiesel processor commercial processor small oil press Environment Agency guidelines allow 5000 litres/year without PPC registration 2500 litres/year is the fuel consumption of one small commercial vehicle doing 11,000 miles at 20 mpg - or one or more diesel cars totalling 25,000 miles at 45 mpg 11

12 Perennial energy crops a new sub-sector SRC willow (harvested every three years) and miscanthus (harvested annually) Solid biomass fuel for power stations, local heat, future transport fuels NFU discussion group lobbying Defra/DECC since 2007 Explicit ES needs to be rewarded (biodiversity, permeability, low inputs, low run-off, nutrient and flood management) However poor market devt., loss of flexibility in marketing, cannot be diverted back to food/feed uses like grain-based feedstocks Short rotation coppice willow Miscanthus 12

13 NFU vision for AD/biogas More than just diverting waste from landfill; also a rural economic/diversification opportunity don t label all farm-based digesters as waste management NFU vision for 1000 farm-based anaerobic digestion plants and at least 100 waste-linked digesters by 2020, delivering 4-5% of UK renewable energy target Maximum benefit in terms of water quality benefits and reducing GHG from livestock farming, from broad geographical spread of farm digesters 13

14 HMG - still not taking bioenergy seriously? NFU unconvinced that DECC/Defra realise pivotal role of biomass in Renewable Energy Strategy Huge quantities (millions of tonnes) of all kinds of feedstocks required in near future Kilpatrick, J. (ADAS) report to NNFCC 4.2 Mt w/straw, 4.2 Mt woodland, 7.0 Mt SRC/miscanthus, 7.5 Mt SRF? Need UK Biomass Roadmap and high-level champion (Minister for Biomass?) Some local/regional administrations already ahead of central government in establishing clusters of biomass heating 14

15 Sustainable bioenergy certification Long-term government signals essential for reassurance on bioenergy sustainability standards From transport biofuels, to all biomass fuels for heat and power, to much of international trade in ALL agricultural commodities All food and non-food products sourced in future without damaging ecosystems with high biodiversity or large carbon stocks Aim of biomass certification schemes: to avoid unsustainable biomass production and use that erodes unique climate-related environmental advantages of bioenergy 15

16 Searchinger and beyond Searchinger, T.D. et al. (2008) Science Use of US croplands for biofuels increases GHG.but is indirect land use change a flawed concept? ILUC has reverberated around the policy-making world yet historic supply response to increasing demand for food/feed has been met largely by gains in agricultural yield and not by expansion of land area. In last 50 yrs, total global area of cereals increased 12% to current 725 Mha world population grew 117% in same period average yields/ha increased 121% to current 3.1t [source: Prof Ian Crute, Director of Rothamsted Research] The ratio here about 90/10 similar figures used by Paul Hodson of European Commission DG-TREN in arguments against the Searchinger paradigm Poor definition of idle/marginal/degraded/abandoned land dialogue with RFA 2 billion hectares (UNEP 1986) of which 1.6 bn recoverable, 400 Mha in Africa alone Could we engage in massive afforestation/bioenergy programme in response to abrupt climate change? (Peter Read, Massey Univ, NZ) 16

17 Take-home messages Inevitable competition for land use between food and non-food crops, and between bioenergy resources for heat, electric power and transport NFU (and we believe IFAP) welcomes this competition - it will encourage the full utilisation of our land resources while necessarily meeting high standards of sustainability Added market tension from bioenergy is desirable - maintain producer prices at profitable levels, bring diversification to the rural sector, sustain farming jobs through the emerging bio-based economy Dr Jonathan Scurlock Chief Policy Adviser, Renewable Energy and Climate Change National Farmers Union Stoneleigh Park Warwicks CV8 2TZ jonathan.scurlock@nfu.org.uk 17