Novel Ecological Biomass in the MB Bioeconomy Pilot-scale harvesting of cattail (Typha spp.) for nutrient capture, bioenergy, and high value bioproducts www.iisd.org 2012 The International Institute for Sustainable Development
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.
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
An abundance of water and nutrients 4
Meanwhile...that noxious pollutant, phosphorus, is actually a scarce and strategic resource
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
Netley-Libau NetleyNutrient--Bioenergy Nutrient Project (2006 (2006--2010) 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.
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
Phosphorus (% as dry biomass) Seasonal Nutrient Loss in Cattail 2006-20102010 0.30 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 Maximum Median Minimum Summer Fall Winter Spring Translocation to roots Loss from freeze/thaw
Pilot Scale Cattail harvesting 2012 to 2013 Lake Winnipeg 8. google earth snapshots of high-biomass sites
Pelly s Lake Cattail Harvesting 2012-20132013
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 (11000-13000 kg) Cut and swathed dry and baled (round and square)
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)
Cattail Baling 2012 and 2013 2012 round bales and square bales 2013 large square bales
Urban Ecological Biomass Harvesting in the City of Winnipeg 2013 25 km of main drainage ditch 50-75 tonnes of cattail diverted 45-150 kg of phosphorus captured
European Wet Agriculture harvester & baler
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
Estimate of Field Operation Costs Unit Operation Windrower: Self propelled, 18-24 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 $117.47 $174.90 14 $1,644.58 $2,448.59 $94.03 $140.00 56 $5,265.68 $7,840.00 $113.07 $168.47 *41 $4,635.87 $6,907.45 Total Estimated Cost $11,546.13 $17,196.04 Cost Per Bale (575 round bales): $20.08 $29.91 Cost Per Dry Mass (260 tonnes): $52.46 $78.13
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 17.29 to 18.2 7739 64 to 76 16.82 5.47 7.64 Cattail pellet (no binder) 19.9 8551 64.5 28.9 6.5 Cattail pellet (starch binder) 16.8 7223 68.5 25.3 6.2 Wood (15 % mc) b 15.0 to 22.3 7309 > 70-0.65 to 1.52 Wood chips 10.4 4471 > 70-0.6 to 1.5 Wheat Straw (dry) 17.3 7438 72.9-8.3 Wheat Straw (20 % mc) b 13.74 5907 - - 4 Flax Straw (dry) b 19.97 8586 - - - Flax Straw (20 % mc) b 15.43 6634 - - - Alfalfa c 16.1 6922 - - 7.94 Coal (anthracite) 29.5 12683 - - 10.5 Coal (Bituminous) 20.9 to 33.4 10748 - - 6 to 9.8 Coal (lignite) b 15.31 6582 - - 7.3
Elemental analysis (% dry biomass) Carbon (%) Hydrogen (%) Nitrogen (%) Sulphur (%) Cattail 38-44 5-6 0.8-1.3 0.1-0.3 Wood 47-53 6 0-0.4 0-0.1 Straw 42 5.1 0.4 0.2 Corn stover 43-0.6 0.01 Coal 80 0.9 0.7 Anthracite Bituminous 52-82 1-1.5 1-1.5 Lignite 40 0.7 1 Natural Gas 75 24 0.9 0 Cellulose and lignin cattail (% dry biomass) Cellulose Hemicellulose Lignin Current Study 37-40 18-21 8-13 Saskatchewan (1979) 20-29 24-36 15 Minnesota (1980) 31-33 19-20 - North Carolina (2009) 28 23 10
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
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 $500-2500/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
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
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
www.iisd.org 2012 The International Institute for Sustainable Development
Typha biomass characteristics and comparisons Biomass yield (T/ha) Moisture (baled) Phosphorus content Phosphorus capture Ash content Phosphorus in ash Average 10-20 tonnes 6-25 (% dry matter) 0.05-0.25 (% dry matter) 10-40 (kg/hectare = 1-2 kg/bale) 5-7 (% dry matter) 1 3 (% dry matter) Average Yield (T/ha) Days to Maturity Typha IISD (2006-2013) 10 to 20 90 North Carolina, USA (2009) 16 (42 max) 90 Minnesota, USA (1980) 25 90 Wheat straw 1-3 90-100 Corn stover 5 110-120 Flax residue 1 99-110 Switchgrass 9-14 3 years Miscanthus 6-48 3-5 years Willow 7-10 3 years
Kg of P / hectare Phosphorus captured (kg/hectare) in harvested Typha 70.00 60.00 50.00 40.00 30.00 20.00 OP 1 OP 2 SP 3 SP 4 BP 5 SP N 10.00 0.00 5 June 06 19 June 06 11 July 06 26 July 06 15 Aug 06 30 Aug 06 19 Sept 06 03 Oct 06 1 May 07 19 June 07 04 July 07 17 July 07 3 Aug 07 21 Aug 07 30 Aug 07 21 Sept 07 04 Oct 07 20 Aug 08 11 Sept 08 27 Aug 09 20 to 60 kg of P per Hectare of Typha ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 to 20 tonnes DM per hectare yield