The agricultural phase of oleaginous no food crops in a perspective of sustainable biorefinery

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1 The agricultural phase of oleaginous no food crops in a perspective of sustainable biorefinery Dr. Luca Lazzeri Researcher Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura Centro di ricerca per le Colture Industriali CRA-CIN. Bologna 1

2 The Biorefinery concepts (1) Biorefineries are industrial systems that integrating different chemical, physical or microbiological processes permit a biomass modification not only for producing bioenergy, but also and moreover materials and products as chemicals of high added value for the industry.

3 The Biorefinery concept (2) Biorefinery systems use as feedstock vegetable biomasses, and this is a change that is often underestimated in planning new biorefineries On the contrary this change has not to be considered only a product innovation, but a system innovation, fundamental to define a biorefinery truly sustainable. 11/11/2014 3

4 Redesign the role of the agriculture Agriculture is living a structural crisis of competitiveness on international market and a technical one due to biodiversity and soil fertility depletion Giving back the agriculture system to its historical role of primary sector, source of life and sustainability

5 Different Biorefinery approaches Biorefinery based on undifferentiated biomasses Biorefinery based on dedicated crops 5

6 Different biorefinery strategies Lower cultivation impacts Higher processes impacts Organic waste Crop residues Agroindustrial by-products Lignocellulosic biomasses Starch and sugar Oilseed crops Functional elements Higher cultivation impacts Lower process impacts Historically, for energy producion human used exclusively residual or low value biomasses

7 Biorefinery based on vocated biomasses The first biorefinery step is the plant for its capability of synthesizing specific chemical compounds

8 Definition of vegetable oils of interest High oleic oils (Sunflower, safflower..) High erucic oils (Crambe, Carinata..) High oily capability Good oxidation resistance High mixing properties High lubricant capability High smocking point High mixing properties 2005 AAIC Annual Meeting September Murcia, Spa

9 Methods for the definition of new crops for biorefinery New non food crops with specific characteristics and with a good adaptability to the territory to be inserted in food crop rotation Full valorisation systems of the co-products and of their setback on the local economy

10 Co-products valorization (VALSO Project)

11 New biobased products from defatted seed meals Organic fertilisers and amendments Biostimulants BioErbicides Formulations with fertiliser and biofumigant properties for crop management and defense in open field and for post-harvest phase Supplements for pet food Proteaginous isolates

12 A full valorisation of oilseed components The theoretical value of the individual chemical constituents of one hectar of sunflower was calculated higher than one million dollars S.Beckstrom. Pythochemical Potential of Chemical Plants., In Downum et al., Plenum Press, New York, 1993

13 So it becomes fundamental what we will grow But also how we will grow 11/11/

14 The RED Directive The RED (2009/28/EC) provides sustainability criteria for financial support eligibility of biofuel chain GHG emissions: default values from JRC Cultivation 30-83% Processing 14-70% Transport and distribution 2-38% 11/11/

15 Sustainability concept The agricultural phase requests the larger input amounts representing more than 50% of the entire production cycle The optimization of cultivation techniques influence significantly the environmental sustainability of green chemistry

16 Methodology approach (calculators) It becomes crucial to evaluate not only the economic balance ( /kg), but even the energy balance (J/kg) or environmental one (kg CO 2 eq/kg) Inputs Outputs Seeds Residues

17 Agriculture asprogetto an open Bioenergie air industry Filiera colture oleaginose B.carinata cultivation inputs vs. oil produced (Energy depletion) 30 Rg Pd Output olio (GJ) oil Bo Ba Pi Fg En Ct Nu Ro Input (GJ)

18 Oleaginous crop environmental balance Bioenergie project: oil plant-local chain to produce biodiesel and defatted meals: same species (carinata) same year (2008) Diesel oil Pesticides Fertilizers Seeds Diesel oil Pesticides Fertilizers Seeds Machinery / equip. 80Vegetable oil Cake Plant residues Bologna Kg CO2eq / ha Nuoro Enna Pisa input output input output input 400 output input output Machinery / equip. Bologna Pisa Enna Nuoro g CO2eq / MJ (biodiesel + cake) , > 431 Bologna Pisa Enna Nuoro GJ ha -1

19 1.2 Reduction of chemical inputs On average, the production of 1 kg of chemical nitrogen releases in the atmosphere from 3 to 7 kg of CO 2 equivalents, to which have to be added on average 5 kg of CO 2 eq for its application in agriculture

20 1. 3 Green manure and cover crops Green manure plants of Brassicaceae family as frost resistant crops for winter cultivation Green manure plants of Leguminosae family as arid crops for summer cultivation Rotations and green manure have to be considered really as a Biorefinery systems

21 Green manure for carbon sink The incorporation of 10 t ha -1 on DM allows to incorporate more than 4000 kg of CO 2 per hectare Luca Lazzeri, Lorenzo D Avino Green Chemistry, a first step towards Bioeconomy - S. Lucia, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Italy. November 27th, 2013

22 1.3 The challenge of improving soil fertility Use of amendments ( viz. compost) Use of agroindustrial by-products and waste Soil incorporation of plant residues Optimization of soil tillage Others CO 2 eq

23 In this way the aim could be to plan in the short period a new industrial production integrated with agriculture and based on renewable, compostable and low toxic materials The organic industry

24 The Biorefinery concept (3) The concept of a new biorefinery linked to the territory is a lot more than an innovative production system, but it is rather the expression of a new way of considering agriculture, industry and environment for a real sustainability. 11/11/

25 Thank you for your attention 11/11/2014 Biorefinery research group. Research Centre for Industrial Crop (CRA-CIN) Bologna 25