The European Environment Agency

Transcription

1 The European Environment Agency... is the EU body dedicated to providing sound, independent information on the environment... is a main information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public 1

2 How much bioenergy can Europe produce without harming the environment? JRC/EEA/CENER/CIEMAT Workshop on Sustainable bioenergy cropping systems in the Mediterranean Madrid, 9-10 Feb 2006 Tobias Wiesenthal European Environment Agency 2

3 Presentation overview Introduction and motivation Environmental considerations and implications for the potential agriculture (forestry, waste) Overall environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential Co-benefits Challenges in the Mediterranean 3

4 Motivation: Biomass drives renewables growth BUT can cause environmental pressures Biomass Mtoe biomass Million TOE Biomass use today ca. 69 Mtoe Total energy production from EU-15 indicative renewables 2010 target for renewables: 12% 130 Mtoe biomass 150 Mtoe for EU-25 (Biomass Action Plan) Future renewable targets in 2020: 4

5 EEA project: How much biomass can Europe use without harming the environment? Objective: determine the bioenergy potential from agriculture, forest, waste in 2010, 2020, 2030, which - causes no additional pressure on farmland and forest biodiversity and soil and water resources - Respects other environmental objectives 5

6 Institute for applied ecology (Oeko-Institut) Wageningen University & Research, Alterra AEA-Technology European Forest Institute Vienna University of Technology Fraunhofer Institute ISI RIVM 6

7 Agriculture: potential risks due to increased bioenergy production Increased pressure on the entire agricultural sector, thus causing intensification and larger field sizes (caused by economy of scales ). Incentives to transform extensively used grassland into arable land for growing bioenergy crops. A bioenergy crop mix, which does not take account of the specific pressures of different crops in the context of the main environmental problems in a particular region. 7

8 Environmental criteria Extensively cultivated farmland usually has higher biodiversity value 30% of Utilized Agricultural Area environmentally oriented farming in 2030 (except Be, Lux, Malta, NL) Some farmland species require ecological stepping stones set-aside 3% of intensively used farmland for nature conservation High loss of biodiversity & release of soil carbon if grassland is transformed into arable land Only extensive bioenergy use from grassland 8

9 UAA Yield increaseincrease CAP reform EOF Released olive groves & grass land Area needed Area needed for food for food Released and fodder and fodder production productionland land to produce exports Competition effect between energy and food markets Released arable land additional arable land suitable for dedicated bioenergy production 9

10 Agricultural area for bioenergy production taken into account environmental constraints available grass land and olive groves 1000 ha additional available land due to high energy and carbon price (only for Germany and France) 5000 available arable land 0 EU-10 EU-15 EU-25 EU-10 EU-15 EU-25 EU-10 EU-15 EU-25 10

11 Agricultural bioenergy: minimise environmental pressure by growing the right crops 1. Every bioenergy crop has a specific env. performance 2. Grow bioenergy crops with low environmental pressure 3. Set the crop-specific pressure into context of specific env. characteristics of the region erosion soil compaction nutrient inputs ground& surface water pesticide pollution of soils and water water abstraction "increased fire risk biodiversity (diversity of crop type) 11

12 Priorisation of annual crops for the Mediterranean South Medit. South Other Cereal s cultivate d grass Clove r. alfalfa Sorghu m Whe at Sun flower Sugar beets Potatoes Maize erosion A A A A A B/C C C C soil compaction A A/B A/B A A A C C B nutrient inputs groundwater A B B A A A/B B B C nutrient inputs in surface water A B B A A A/B B/C B/C C pesticide pollution of soils and water A A A B/C A B B B C water abstraction A A A A B B B C A/B increased fire risk --- C --- A Link to farmland biodiversity B B/C B B B/C A/B B B/C C (diversity of crop types) B A A B C A (B/C) B A/B B/C 12 Note: A means low risk, C high risk

13 Environmental ranking of energy crops by climatic zone Multi-year crops (SRF/perennials) often more favourable than annual crops: support erosion protection and reduce N input Look for high yield (annual) cropping systems which enable extensive cropping: 2-culture systems of annual crops offer low biocide/fertilizer input and maximum output, no tilling Priorisation of annual crops for the nemoral and boreal zone: linseed cereals oilseed rape sugar beet potatoes NB: Farming practices are NOT taken into account! 13

14 Determing the agricultural bioenergy potential Land Environmental ranking Available technologies Gentle shift in crop mix Yield by zone & crop Sustainable Bioenergy Crop Mix by MS ENVIRONMENTALLY- COMPATIBLE AGRICULTURAL BIOENERGY POTENTIAL 14

15 Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential from agriculture by crop type EU 25 Mio toe SRC+per. grass crops for biogas crops for EtOH+ cereals for EtOH oil crops

16 Examples for Mediterranean countries Spain SRC+per. grass crops f or biogas crops f or Et OH+ cereals f or Et OH oil crops Italy Mio toe SRC+per. grass crops f or biogas crops f or Et OH+ cereals f or Et OH oil crops

17 Forestry biomass residue extraction from stem wood demand complementary fellings Stem wood and residues + stem wood due to competition with other wood industry 17

18 Forestry bioenergy: environmental considerations Forest residues supply the ecosystem with nutrients always leave foliage in the forest adapt the residue extraction rate to soil nutrient balance Forest residues reduce the risk of erosion never extract the roots adapt extraction rate to local steepness Forest residues regulate water flows adapt extraction rate to soil water regime Increase share of deadwood and protected areas 18

19 19 Environmental local suitability for residue extraction

20 Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential from forests 80 Energy potential, Mtoe Competitive use of wood Complementary fellings stemwood Complementary fellings residues Forest residues 20

21 Biowaste scenarios Adaptation of baseline developments in line with assumptions in the Forestry sub-project Agricultural subproject Overall energy scenario + introduction of further environmental criteria greater waste reduction, e.g. households -25% reduced landfill, enhanced recycling and composting 21

22 120 Environmentally-compatible biowaste potential Sewage sludge Biowaste potential, mtoe/year Food processing residues Dry manures Other agricultural residues Black liquor Household waste wood Packaging waste wood Demolition wood MSW (AD) MSW (incineration) Wood processing residues Wet manures Solid agricultural residues Business as usual 22

23 All sectors:environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential, EU Primary biomass potential, Mtoe Additional agricultural potential (DE, FR) Additional forest potential Agriculture Forestry Effect of increasing energy and CO 2 prices towards Waste Conclusion 1: Environmental criteria are required. But even then, substantial, and increasing biomass potential could be available 23

24 Conclusion 2: Explore co-benefits between energy use and nature protection 1. Use cuttings from grassland necessary to maintain biodiversity-rich grassland and landscape diversity provide (limited) amount of bioenergy (5-7% of total agric. potential) 2. Use new bioenergy crop systems and varieties reduced environmental pressure: less nutrient input, enhanced crop diversity, less use of heavy machines lower, structural elements high energy yield 3. Use forest residues Can support fire prevention measures in otherwise unmanaged forests in Southern Europe provides bioenergy, covering (parts of) the cost of collection 24

25 Dilemma in the Mediterranean Very special agro-environmental characteristics High risk of soil erosion Water abstraction problems Increased fire risk Relatively low share of arable land in UAA Medium to low-intensive farmland (HNV) Problems with land abandonment Need for alternative rural activities Environmentally-compatible bioenergy production with large synergetic effects could be of high relevance Only few crops seemed suitable from an environmental perspective Arable crops may increase water abstraction (double cropping no solution -> are there other high-yield, low input cropping systems?) Only few perennial crops suited for very arid summers (e.g. reed canary grass, switchgrass) But: Increased risk of fire; landscape considerations 25

26 Workshop objective: solving the dilemma What are the practical experiences made with the growth of conventional bioenergy crops (yields, environmental pressures)? Are there any other crops or crop combinations and agroforestry options that can combine low input and high yields? How about fire risks etc.? What is the environmental impact of different bioenergy crops in the agro-environmental context of the Mediterranean? Which social, economical and consideration will have to be respected with regards to bioenergy production in the Mediterranean? 26

27 Thank you very much for your attention Tobias Wiesenthal European Environment Agency phone : tobias.wiesenthal@eea.eu.int 27

28 28 Structure of the project environmental criteria market trends environmental criteria market trends environmental criteria market trends macroeconomic assumptions; energy prices; climate targets EEA scenarios and environmental assumptions Agriculture Forestry Waste Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential in 2010, 2020, 2030

29 Priorisation of annual crops for the Mediterranean North Medit. North Other Cereal s cultivate d grass Clover alfalfa Sorghu m Whea t Sun flower Sugar beets Potatoe s erosion A A A A A B/C C C C soil compaction A A/B A/B A A A C C B nutrient inputs groundwater A B B A A A/B B B C Maize nutrient inputs in surface water pesticide pollution of soils and water A B B A A A/B B/C B/C C A A A B/C A B B B C water abstraction A A A A B B B C A/B increased fire risk --- C --- A Link to farmland biodiversity B B/C B B B/C A/B B B/C C diversity of crop types B A A B C A (B/C) B A/B B/C 29 Note: A means low risk, C high risk

30 Forestry: approach Forests available for wood supply Forests not available for wood supply Complimentary fellings Fellings to fulfil market demand for wood products Stem wood Residues Residues Stem wood environmental criteria 1-3: site suitability Env.-compatible potential competition effect for high energy prices Criteria 4, 5: more deadwood more protected areas Sustainable harvest level Wood industry 30

31 Which technologies can exploit the environmentally-compatible potential? Heat and electricity production are better suited to use solid biomass, perennials, biogas etc. Environmentally-friendly crop mixes favour perennials and low-impact, high yield crops 1 st generation biofuel production has limited potential Sugar beet and oilseed rape appear not so favourable 2 nd generation biofuel technologies are promising from an environmental perspective (BTL, biogas, ethanol+) as they can use ligno-cellulosic material: Can use low-impact, high yield crops and grass cuttings as input Allows the use of the important bioenergy potential from forestry and waste, incl. by-products from agriculture 31