Novel Ecological Biomass in the MB Bioeconomy

Transcription

1 Novel Ecological Biomass in the MB Bioeconomy Pilot-scale harvesting of cattail (Typha spp.) for nutrient capture, bioenergy, and high value bioproducts The International Institute for Sustainable Development

2 What is the Bioeconomy? The bioeconomy encompasses the use of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy via innovative and efficient technologies.

3 Functional Watershed Dysfunctional Watershed Ecosystems provide critical Environmental benefits (EGS) Flood storage Drought resilience Nutrient capture Wildlife habitat Biomass Ecosystems impacted reduced EGS Natural buffers gone or severely degraded Ducks Unlimited Canada

4 An abundance of water and nutrients 4

5 Meanwhile...that noxious pollutant, phosphorus, is actually a scarce and strategic resource

6 Lake Winnipeg and The Manitoba Bioeconomy Lake Winnipeg - one of the most eutrophic large lakes in the world Flooding and nutrient management issues provide economic opportunity through innovative solutions Surface water management Biomass Bioenergy, biofuels, Bioproducts Phosphorus capture & recycling Wetland Restoration

7 Netley-Libau NetleyNutrient--Bioenergy Nutrient Project (2006 ( ) Cattail Biomass P P P P P P N CO2 Cattail biomass harvesting for nutrient capture and bioenergy - approach intercepts, sequesters, recovers stored nutrients Cattail plants absorb nutrients through roots phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) Sequester carbon from the air (CO2) Sustainable renewable biomass for bioenergy and higher value bioproducts Combines bioremediation with habitat renewal and GHG reductions Fundamental concept - we re turning a waste/pollution stream into an input for sustainable biomaterial production key building block of the Bioeconomy.

8 Nutrient Capture and Removal Cattail Biomass Harvest Yield: 10 to 20 T/ha Phosphorus captured: 20 to 60 kg / hectare Biomass Transport (Baled) Cattail Harvesting for Nutrient Removal and Bioenergy Production Bioenergy Emissions out Heat Energy Biomass Densification (cubes, pellets) P Recovery Ash OUT Cattail Biomass IN Cattail P IN Biomass Burner 88% Phosphorous Recovery

9 Phosphorus (% as dry biomass) Seasonal Nutrient Loss in Cattail Maximum Median Minimum Summer Fall Winter Spring Translocation to roots Loss from freeze/thaw

10 Pilot Scale Cattail harvesting 2012 to 2013 Lake Winnipeg 8. google earth snapshots of high-biomass sites

11 Pelly s Lake Cattail Harvesting

12 Cattail Harvesting 2012 MacDon windrower with 20 ft draper header Rated weight of windrower and header system 6635 kg half the weight of typical harvesters ( kg) Cut and swathed dry and baled (round and square)

13 Cattail Harvesting 2013 MacDon windrower with 16 ft Rotary Disc Cutter (for forage) Crimping rollers to accelerate drying Green cattail cut and swathed (75% moisture) 1 to 2 weeks baled (6-15% moisture)

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15 Cattail Baling 2012 and round bales and square bales 2013 large square bales

16 Urban Ecological Biomass Harvesting in the City of Winnipeg km of main drainage ditch tonnes of cattail diverted kg of phosphorus captured

17 European Wet Agriculture harvester & baler

18 Biomass and Phosphorus captured (2012) (1 tonne = 1000 kg) TOTALS 2012 Harvested cattails (dry basis) Phosphorus in harvested cattail Harvested area Biomass yield per area Potential biomass (dry basis) Potential phosphorus in harvested cattail Average phosphorus per area 260 tonnes 230 kg 75 ha 13 T/ha 600 tonnes 540 kg 7 kg/ha

19 Estimate of Field Operation Costs Unit Operation Windrower: Self propelled, draper header (includes $2.25/hr swath roller) Baling : 5'x6' round bale, 80 hp tractor Bale Mover: Pull type, 7-12 round bale, 120 hp tractor MAFRI Custom Rate ($/hr) Pilot Research Rate ($/hr) Hours MAFRI Custom Rate Total Pilot Harvest Rate Total $ $ $1, $2, $94.03 $ $5, $7, $ $ *41 $4, $6, Total Estimated Cost $11, $17, Cost Per Bale (575 round bales): $20.08 $29.91 Cost Per Dry Mass (260 tonnes): $52.46 $78.13

20 Energy value and proximate analysis (% dry basis) (sources: a Alberta Research Council 2009, b Pami 1995) Biomass Calorific Value MJ/kg BTU /lb Volatile Components (%) Fixed Carbon (%) Ash Content (%) Cattail to to Cattail pellet (no binder) Cattail pellet (starch binder) Wood (15 % mc) b 15.0 to > to 1.52 Wood chips > to 1.5 Wheat Straw (dry) Wheat Straw (20 % mc) b Flax Straw (dry) b Flax Straw (20 % mc) b Alfalfa c Coal (anthracite) Coal (Bituminous) 20.9 to to 9.8 Coal (lignite) b

21 Elemental analysis (% dry biomass) Carbon (%) Hydrogen (%) Nitrogen (%) Sulphur (%) Cattail Wood Straw Corn stover Coal Anthracite Bituminous Lignite Natural Gas Cellulose and lignin cattail (% dry biomass) Cellulose Hemicellulose Lignin Current Study Saskatchewan (1979) Minnesota (1980) North Carolina (2009)

22 Water Quality Trading - Lake Simcoe Lake Simcoe, like Lake Winnipeg, is a highly eutrophic lake in Southern Ontario subject to point and non-point phosphorus loads. Goal to reduce P load to 44 T/year from 80 T/year Actions to improve water quality Phosphorus Reduction Strategy Stormwater management Water Quality Trading (WQT) Phosphorus becomes a commodity - creates values & stimulates innovation Price schemes up to $400/kg of P removed

23 Water Quality Trading Demonstrated willingness to pay for phosphorus removal as public benefit in Canada has exceeded $400/kg for Water Quality Trading (WQT) Technologies under consideration for Lake Simcoe - unit phosphorus removal costs $ /kg Estimated cost to reduce all Lake Simcoe point sources to discharge threshold of 0.05 mg P/L = $1459/kg P Pelly s Lake value of P removed: 2012 harvest (230 kg) water quality trading credit ($50/kg to $400/kg) = $11,500 to $92,000

24 Exploration of higher value bioproducts biofuels, biochar, liquid fertilizer, composites Rural storm and ditch wetlands Harvested and Baled Cattail biomass City of Winnipeg urban ditches Biomass products Nutrient extraction Gasification Biochar Diversion From Landfill and methane avoidance Shredded loose biomass Densify: Cubes & pellets Treated Biomass Liquid nutrient extract Syngas Biochar Livestock bedding Solid Fuel High value fertilizer Soil amendment Combustion Greenhouse fertilizer trials Crop scale trials Ash Carbon Offset Credits

25 Conclusions Cattail harvesting is a sustainable and renewable resource with significant environmental benefits and economic potential Important proof of concept - demonstrates harvesting ecological biomass, which soak up nutrients that would cause eutrophication, key driver for regional bioeconomy Nutrient management + novel biomass production combined with surface water management - applied to engineered wetlands, storm water basins, and ditches for greater economic gains Mechanism to capture and recover phosphorus - reduce watershed loading profitably, rather than at cost both environmentally and economically Creating value for ecological biomass - incentives for conservation and restoration of wetlands on marginal agricultural land Alternative revenue for landowners - otherwise unproductive land

26 The International Institute for Sustainable Development

27 Typha biomass characteristics and comparisons Biomass yield (T/ha) Moisture (baled) Phosphorus content Phosphorus capture Ash content Phosphorus in ash Average tonnes 6-25 (% dry matter) (% dry matter) (kg/hectare = 1-2 kg/bale) 5-7 (% dry matter) 1 3 (% dry matter) Average Yield (T/ha) Days to Maturity Typha IISD ( ) 10 to North Carolina, USA (2009) 16 (42 max) 90 Minnesota, USA (1980) Wheat straw Corn stover Flax residue Switchgrass years Miscanthus years Willow years

28 Kg of P / hectare Phosphorus captured (kg/hectare) in harvested Typha OP 1 OP 2 SP 3 SP 4 BP 5 SP N June June July July Aug Aug Sept Oct 06 1 May June July July 07 3 Aug Aug Aug Sept Oct Aug Sept Aug to 60 kg of P per Hectare of Typha to 20 tonnes DM per hectare yield