Abstract
The increasing interest towards climate change, water and energy saving, and soil protection has led the research community to consider non-conventional water as a sustainable source for irrigation of energy crops. Vegetation filter systems are considered a reliable technique for sustainable biomass cultivation, enabling the use of reclaimed wastewater as water and nutrients sources during irrigation periods. In this study, a geographic information system (GIS)-based spatial model was developed to identify areas potentially suitable for creating vegetation filter systems with poplars to size the plants of energy production. An economic assessment allowed us to identify the cost-effectiveness areas for biomass production that can be fertigated by reclaimed wastewater. Considering the Basilicata region as the test region, a surface area of 258,512 ha was investigated, identifying 73,331 ha of SRF soils sited downstream of 45 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, considering only areas that have positive net present value and are economically attractive, results indicate 1606 ha of SRF falling within the areas of influence of 39 WWTPs. The results show that the sector of dedicated crops, adjacent and linked with WWTPs, expresses a total capacity of 50.56 MW for thermal, 8.25 MW for electricity, and 31 MW for cogeneration (25.07 MWt and 5.94 MWe) plants.
Highlights
Energy is the driving force for economic development
The results show that the sector of dedicated crops, adjacent and linked with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), expresses a total capacity of 50.56 MW for thermal, 8.25 MW for electricity, and 31 MW for cogeneration (25.07 MWt and 5.94 MWe) plants
In 2010, Italy adopted the National Action Plan (NAP) for renewable energy sources, which is the implementation of the Directive 2009/28/EC that sets binding targets by 2020
Summary
Energy is the driving force for economic development. Most of the advances in livelihoods and life quality that we enjoy today can be traced back to the abundant and cheap supply of fossil fuels that humanity has been enjoying over the past century. The European Union has committed itself to comply with the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change and greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2020 through adopting a series of Directives aiming at promoting the use of renewable energy sources (RESs) [1]. Among the available alternative energy sources that would help to respond to such challenges, biomass crops have many advantages over conventional energy and over some other RESs (e.g., wind and photovoltaic), in particular because of the reduced dependence on short-term weather changes, the promotion of regional economic structures, and the provision of alternative sources of employment in rural areas [2]. In 2010, Italy adopted the National Action Plan (NAP) for renewable energy sources, which is the implementation of the Directive 2009/28/EC that sets binding targets by 2020. The National Energy Strategy, approved in the spring of 2013, aims at overcoming NAP objectives
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