Impact of Energy Crops, Logist EC, Brussels, 2 Dec Integration of environmental criteria Annika Henriksson

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1 Impact of Energy Crops, Logist EC, Brussels, 2 Dec 2014 Integration of environmental criteria Annika Henriksson

2 My background: agriculture, salix, harvesting, biomass sales, machinery MSc Agric, SLU, Uppsala Partner in HSAB, family-owned business headquartered in Sweden, one of the Swedish pioneers Partner also in Salixenergi Europa AB, Sweden SIA Latsalix, Latvia In 1991 HSAB introduced the first operational Salix harvester In 1994 HSAB introduced the billet planting method HSAB constructs head for direct chipping with forage harvester, export to England, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine Project leader of the largest salix planting project in Europe sofar, >1000 ha planted for one company Also: crop advisor, environmental consultant 2

3 Participate in EU-project ROKWOOD together with: 20 partners from 7 countries Duration: 36 Months ( )

4 1 ha Salix: Direct use for heat production only: 45 MWh/ha/yr CHP + condensation: 80 MWh/ha/yr 1 ha Best energy efficiency of all agricultural energy crops

5 Energy sources for district heating in Sweden

6 Salix is an agricultural crop.which can be grown on marginal agricultural land

7 Even on marginal land it can produce a good yield compared with annual crops = a large potential for efficient production for biomass for heat, electricity, biofuel

8 In Sweden: used for heat/chp, MW Not for biofuel yet

9 Biofuels sustainability schemes Biofuels have to comply with sustainability criteria: prevent the conversion of areas of high biodiversity and high carbon stock for the production of raw materials for biofuels. The entire biofuels' production and supply chain has to be sustainable. The sustainability of biofuels needs to be checked by Member States or through voluntary schemes which have been approved by the European Commission. To date: 19 recognized schemes: out of which 9 are for a wide range of feed stocks the rest for specific crops, (maize, cane, oil seed rape, soy, wheat etc) To date: salix is not used for biofuels no scheme is applied - to my knowledge We do not use it yet but I checked one scheme: International sustainability and carbon certification- ISCC

10 ISCC 202 Sustainability Requirements for the Production of Biomass Five principles: 1. Biomass shall not be produced on land with high biodiversity value or high carbon stock. HCV areas shall be protected. 2. Biomass shall be produced in an environmentally responsible way. This includes the protection of soil, water and air and the application of Good Agricultural Practices 3. Safe working conditions = normal agriculture 4. Not violate human rights = normal agriculture 5. Compliance with legislation = normal agriculture

11 PRINCIPLE 1: Biomass shall not be produced on land with high biodiversity value or high carbon stock. HCV areas shall be protected. Biomass is not produced on: land with high biodiversity value Natural forest land, land designated for nature protection, areas for protection of endangered species This is not limiting

12 PRINCIPLE 1 cont. highly biodiverse grassland Natural grassland OK, not suitable for SRC anyway Highly biodiverse grassland, as stated in the RED, has not yet been fully defined by the EC. Until definitions, criteria and geographic areas featuring grassland with high biodiversity are determined by the Commission, any conversion of grassland in or after January 2008 is prohibited within the ISCC system. This can be a problem, at least until definitions are ready!

13 Environmental changes when perennial energy crops (salix/ reed canary grass) replace annual food crops, 1 Changed environmental impact Average quantitative impact Max proportion of total arable land (%) Accumulation of soil C in mineral soils 0,5 tonne C/ha/yr 55 Reduced CO 2 emission from organic soils 7 tonne C/ha/yr 5,0 Reduced N 2 O emissions from mineral soils 0,04 C-equiv/ha/yr 55 Reduced N-leaching in general 10 kg N/ha/yr 60 Reduced N-leaching through buffer strips 70 kg N/ha/yr 2,6 Reduced P-leaching through buffer strips 1,5 kg P/ha/yr 3,7 Cadmium removal 6 g Cd/ha/yr 92 Replacing arable with SRC is only positive, but indirect land use change was not studied in 1999! Source: P. Börjesson, Lund University, 1999

14 Land available for SRC in EU, technically and economically (only countries with suitable climate) ha Total SRC area in EU < ha 0 unutilised land, 100% unutilised land, 10% fallow land, 100 % fallow land, 50% permanent grassland, 100% permanent grassland, 10%

15 SRC on 10 % of unutilised land, 50% of fallow land and 10% of permanent grassland (only countries with suitable climate) = feedstock for 359 CHP plants such as this one; Örtofta, Sweden, 816 MWh/yr 92% efficiency 70% heat, 30% electricity condensation ha % of permanent grassland % of fallow land 10% of unutilised land 1 Total SRC area in EU < ha

16 ha SRC on 10% of unutilised land, 50% of fallow land, 10% of permanent grassland and 10% of arable land in EU (only areas with suitable climate) 0 Total SRC area in EU < ha unutilised land, 10% fallow land 50% permanent grassland10% reductio of arable 1 = feedstock for 1167 CHP plants such as this one; Örtofta, Sweden, 816 MWh/yr 92% efficiency 70% heat, 30% electricity condensation

17 PRINCIPLE 1 cont. Land with high carbon stock Wetlands not a problem since: SRC does not grow on wetlands! cannot use machinery on wetlands! Forested areas- Not a problem: uneconomic Land that was peat land in Jan 2008 or thereafter not a problem: SRC does not grow on peat land!

18 Environmental changes when perennial energy crops (salix/reed canary grass) replace annual food crops, 1 Changed environmental impact Av quantitative impact Max proportion of total arable land (%) Increased soil fertility 5% higher yield 47 Reduced wind erosion 10% higher yield 0,5 Reduced water erosion Reduced land degradation 1 Waste water treatment 100 kg N/ha/yr 0,4-2,5 Landfill leachate treatment 100 kg N/ha/yr 0,04 Recirculation of sewage sludge 1 tonne dry matter/ha/yr 4,8 Biodiversity Unchanged/increased in open farm land 60 Source: P. Börjesson, Lund University, 1999

19 PRINCIPLE 2: Biomass shall be produced in an environmentally responsible way. This includes the protection of soil, water and air and the application of Good Agricultural Practices 1. Environmental impact assessment - OK 2. Natural water courses - OK 3. Soil conservation and avoidance of soil erosion - OK 4. Soil organic matter and soil structure -OK 5. Ground water and irrigation -OK 6. Use of fertilizer 7. Integrated pest management 8. Use of plant protection products

20 Natural vegetation along water courses shall be maintained/restored Not a problem: Minimum 10 m buffer zones are needed along water course to enable use of machinery Riparian areas are not suitable for SRC, too wet Ground water and irrigation Salix does not grow on dry areas, needs good water supply, not suitable where ground water formation is limited Irrigation usually not applied, uneconomic but: Possible to use the salix plantation as biological filter, for waste water

21 Soil conservation and avoidance of soil erosion: The soil is quickly covered after planting, remains undisturbed for 20 years Compared with grain: ph + nutrient balance + organic matter + soil structure + soil biodiversity +

22 Very little risk for soil erosion: after harvest The soil is never bare after the year of establishment Source: NE Nordh, SLU, 2010

23 Soil fertility: the field can be restored to arable land in one year Stubble removal by mulcher, Aug Sowing of winter wheat, Sep Disc ploughing, Aug Winter wheat emerging, Oct Swedish trials show that wheat after salix has higher yield Source :NE Nordh, SLU, 2010

24 Odt/ha/ year Yield of 10 Lantmännen varieties in three trials at SLU, Alnarp, Sweden, planted in 2010, first harvest 2013 Trial site J, Alnarp, Sweden, Trial site P, Alnarp, Sweden, Trial site S, Alnarp, Sweden, Source: J. Albertsson, SLU, processed by A. Henriksson

25 Use of fertilizer on new, improved varieties 5 trials in central Sweden , varieties Jorr (2) and Tora (3) 14,0 12,0 10,0 8,0 6,0 4,0 2,0 0,0 odt/ha/yr no fertilizer economy, 160 N normal, N intensiv, N Source: H Rosenqvist, P Aronsson, SLU,

26 Sewage sludge is a good fertilizer for salix 4 odt/ha after planting and after every harvest Only certified sludge is used, same quality as for food crops This covers the P-need but not the N-need Many salix fields are fertilized only with sludge

27 The effect of weeds in salix trial in Sweden planted April 2010, photo September 2010 Use of herbicides. not weeded weeded not weeded weeded not weeded Weed control can be done mechanic ally, but requires more energy! Growth reduction 2 years after planting: 56-98%!!! Source: J. Albertsson, SLU

28 Integrated pest management, use of plant protection products: Resistance insects breeding Pests, Pests, diseases, diseases other NO damages SPRAYING Resistance Leaf rust breeding Source :NE Nordh, SLU, 2010 NEEDED Breeding of frost tolerant varieties Coexistence! Deer, moose, hare, rabbits

29 Unit: MJ/ha Activities sum average/ha/yr Soil cultivation Planting Cutting production (incl cold storage) Spraying Prod of plant protection products Spreading of fertilizer prod N-fertilizer (70 kg N/ha/yr) prod P-fertilizer (7 kg P/ha/yr) prod K-fertilizer (25 kg K/ha/yr) Harvest (direct chipping) Road transport of biomass (30 km) Field transport at harvest Breaking up of salix stumps yr Total energy input total energy harvest, 9 dt/ha/yr Net energy harvest Energy balance in salix production Sensitivity analysis transport Road transport, km Energy balance Energy balance 21

30 HSAB billet harvester less energy to harvest

31 Billets Short billets cm Requires appr 10-20% less energy to produce than chips Dries without input of energy from % moisture content

32 Billets - less energy to produce Long billets cm 30 cm

33 Billet planting

34 Conclusions The present SRC production is very far from having a significant effect on environment (and unfortunately also on energy supply) The present area of SRC is totally insignificant compared to: the area of unutilised land, fallow, extensively used grassland and to the area made available through the continued reduction of arable production in EU SRC is an agricultural crop and must be grown on agricultural land. Wetland, peat land, land with high carbon stock is not suitable for SRC Living up to good agricultural practise is unproblematic in SRC production. Fertilisation and weed control is absolutely necessary but much less intensive than in arable crops Replacing arable with SRC is beneficial to the environment in all aspects except indirect land use change SRC has the highest energy efficiency of all energy crops, easily > 20 Not forget: improve the efficiency in todays energy conversion in EU: combined heat and power, district heating, exhaust gas condensation 70% of the energy content of the biomass fed into conventional power plants is wasted

35 Annika Henriksson Thank you for your attention!