Biomass For Bioenergy Research Articles

The Inclusion of Ecosystem Service Valuations in Bioenergy Cost Analysis: A Case Study of Constructed Wetlands in the Neotropics

From an ecosystem services perspective, wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems per unit area on earth. Here, we investigate the ability of a constructed wetland to provide two ecosystem services – biomass for bioenergy and wastewater treatment – using Costa Rica as a case study for a Neotropical developing world context. In the absence of wastewater treatment ecosystem services, biomass production costs are expected to range from 243 to 1287 $ dry Mg−1 depending on model assumptions. When ecosystem services are valued based on a contingent valuation method and given optimistic capital cost assumptions, the costs of biomass production range from 38 to −290 $ dry Mg−1. Negative costs indicate income and suggest that under certain assumptions, the value of water treatment services is large enough to pay for wetland operations, and that biomass can be provisioned for free while still maintaining system profitability. The analysis suggests that the valuation of multiple ecosystem services may alter the economic sustainability of some biomass for bioenergy production systems.

Biomass for bioenergy: Optimal collection mechanisms and pricing when feedstock supply does not equal availability

The supply chain connecting biofuel processing firms and suppliers of biomass is evolving, and processors face a choice in the collection and pricing strategies they will employ to procure biomass. One option is to pay a single price for biomass collected field-side (processor collection). Another is to pay a single price for biomass at the plant gate (supplier delivery). The literature in this area is relatively young, but there is a sense that the evolution of contracting and pricing structures will dictate the industry's success, and ultimately the costs of producing biofuels from dedicated and non-dedicated energy crops. We examine the collection and pricing choices for a cost-minimizing cellulosic biofuel processor, who initially has monopsony power in feedstock procurement in their collection area. We derive optimal prices, total expenditures on feedstocks, and the collection areas required to meet a processor's fixed input needs. We show that while societal welfare is greatest under supplier delivery; however, the processor will be indifferent between supplier delivery and processor collection unless they areconcerned about entry of a competing processor. When this is the case, the processor can use the processor-collection mechanism as an effective deterrent to entry. Numerical simulation based on corn stover for biomass is used to illustrate optimal pricing and the extent of biomass collection areas for different procurement and pricing strategies. We use these findings to calculate the rates at which collection costs increase for a monopsonistic stover processor constrained to a defined procurement area, as might emerge as the industry moves toward commercialization. The derived marginal cost curve for a monopsonistic processor of stover is compared with the marginal cost curve across alternative feedstocks.

Assessing the availability of forest biomass for bioenergy by publicly available satellite imagery

Abstract: Forest biomass is a renewable energy source, more climate-friendly than fossil fuels and widely available in Europe. The wood energy chain has been suggested as a means to re-activate forest management and improve the value of forest stands in marginalized rural areas. However, wall-to-wall estimates of forest biomass, needed to design the location and size of power and heat biomass plants in any given territory, are notoriously difficult to obtain. This paper tests an algorithm to predict forest biomass using publicly available Landsat satellite imagery in the Liguria region, northern Italy. We used regional forest inventory data to train and validate an artificial neural network (ANN) classifier that uses remotely-sensed information such as three principal components of Landsat-5 TM spectral bands, the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and topography, to retrieve aboveground live tree volume. Percent root mean square error was -9% and -23% for conifers and broadleaves respectively in the calibration dataset, and -27% and -24% in the validation dataset. The reconstructed volume map was updated to present day using current volume increment rates reported by the Italian National Forest Inventory. A wall-to-wall map of forest biomass from harvest residues was finally produced based on species-specific wood density, biomass expansion factors, volume logged for timber assortments, forest accessibility, and topography. Predicted aboveground forest volume ranged from 81 to 391 m3 ha-1. In forests available for wood supply (70% of the total), planned volume removals averaged 25.4 m3 ha-1, or 18.7% of the average standing stock across. Biomass available for bioenergy supply was 1.295.921 million Mg dry matter or 8.95 Mg ha-1. This analysis workflow can be replicated in all mountain regions with a predominant broadleaved coppice component.

Environmental effects of short‐rotation woody crops for bioenergy: What is and isn't known

AbstractLogging and mill residues are currently the largest sources of woody biomass for bioenergy in the United States, but short‐rotation woody crops (SRWCs) are expected to become a larger contributor to biomass production, primarily on lands marginal for food production. However, there are very few studies on the environmental effects of SRWCs, and most have been conducted at stand rather than at watershed scales. In this manuscript, we review the potential environmental effects of SRWCs relative to current forestry or agricultural practices and best management practices (BMPs) in the southeast United States and identify priorities and constraints for monitoring and modeling these effects. Plot‐scale field studies and a watershed‐scale modeling study found improved water quality with SRWCs compared to agricultural crops. Further, a recent watershed‐scale experiment suggests that conventional forestry BMPs are sufficient to protect water quality from SRWC silvicultural activities, but the duration of these studies is short with respect to travel times of groundwater transporting nitrate to streams. While the effects of SRWC production on carbon (C) and water budgets depend on both soil properties and previous land management, woody crops will typically sequester more C when compared with agricultural crops. The overall C offset by SRWCs will depend on a variety of management practices, the number of rotations, and climate. Effects of SRWCs on biodiversity, especially aquatic organisms, are not well studied, but a meta‐analysis found that bird and mammal biodiversity is lower in SRWC stands than unmanaged forests. Long‐term (i.e., over multiple rotations) water quality, water use, C dynamics, and soil quality studies are needed, as are larger‐scale (i.e., landscape scale) biodiversity studies, to evaluate the potential effects of SRWC production. Such research should couple field measurement and modeling approaches due to the temporal (i.e., multiple rotations) and spatial (i.e., heterogeneous landscape) scaling issues involved with SRWC production.

Utilization of Fast Growing Plantation Timber as Bioenergy in Hungary

The enhanced utilization of plant biomass for bioenergy is a key factor to contribute to a sustainable development. In this research work 3 Hungarian hardwood species Populus x euramericana. cv. ‘I-214’, Populus x euramericana. cv. ‘Pannonia’, Robinia pseudoacacia (2 Poplars and Black locust) were investigated on heating value and ash content. 3 age classes were defined (from 7 years up to 29 years) in order to analyse the effect of the tree’s age on the investigated properties. Significant differences were found between the bark, the sapwood and the heartwood. Age influenced the heating value to, but differently for bark, heartwood and sapwood. The 10 years old Black locust’s bark showed the highest heating value (21,53 MJ/kg), while the 19 years old Pannónia poplar heartwood gave the lowest value (17,68 MJ/kg). In terms of ash content dramatic differences have been proven between bark and xylem (sapwood and heartwood). The 26 years old Black locust heartwood had 0.2 % ash content only, while the 10 years old Pannonia bark 5.2%.

Purification and characterizations of a novel recombinant Bacillus velezensis endoglucanase by aqueous two-phase system

BackgroundCellulases played an important role in the production of bioenergy and bio-products. Cellulases from bacteria with some special characteristics drew great attention due to its fast growth speed, wide adaption to harsh environment, and production of multi-function cellulases.ResultsAn endoglucanase gene egls from Bacillus velezensis A4 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant enzyme Egls was partially purified using aqueous two-phase system. The highest recovery rate of the enzyme was 90.39% at PEG 4000 (25% w/w), phosphate buffer 8.08% (w/w) (pH 6.0), and NaCl (5% w/w). The enzyme molecular weight was 55 KD estimated by zymogram. The optimal pH and temperature of recombinant enzyme Egls were pH 6.0 and 55 °C, respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH range of 5.0–7.0 at 55 °C for 60 min. The enzyme exhibited Km, Vmax, Kcat values as 63.38 mg/ml, 55.6 mg/min, and 3.93 × 103/S, respectively. The addition of 10 mM of Mg2+, Mn2+, or 5% (w/w) of Triton-X 100 in the reaction system enhanced the enzyme activity significantly. The enzyme showed both endoglucanase and exoglucanase activity.ConclusionsAn endoglucanase gene egls from B. velezensis A4 was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant enzyme Egls was purified by aqueous two-phase system and characterized. The enzyme can be applied for the efficient pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for bioenergy and bio-products production.

Nanometrology of Biomass for Bioenergy: The Role of Atomic Force Microscopy and Spectroscopy in Plant Cell Characterization

Ethanol production using extracted cellulose from plant cell walls (PCW) is a very promising 4 approach to biofuel production. However, efficient throughput has been hindered by the pheno5 menon of recalcitrance, leading to high costs for the lignocellulosic conversion. To overcome 6 recalcitrance, it is necessary to understand the chemical and structural properties of the plant 7 biological materials, which have evolved to generate the strong and cohesive features observed 8 in plants. Therefore, tools and methods that allow the investigation of how the different molecular 9 components of PCW are organized and distributed and how this impacts the mechanical proper10 ties of the plants are needed but challenging due to the molecular and morphological complexity 11 of PCW. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), capitalizing on the interfacial nanomechanical forces, 12 encompasses a suite of measurement modalities for nondestructive material characterization. 13 Here, we present a review focused on the utilization of AFM for imaging and determination of 14 physical properties of plant-based specimens. The presented review encompasses the AFM 15 derived techniques for topography imaging (AM-AFM), mechanical properties (QFM), and sur16 face/subsurface (MSAFM, HPFM) chemical composition imaging. In particular, the motivation and 17 utility of force microscopy of plant cell walls from the early fundamental investigations to achieve 18 a better understanding of the cell wall architecture, to the recent studies for the sake of advancing 19 the biofuel research are discussed. An example of delignification protocol is described and the 20 changes in morphology, chemical composition and mechanical properties and their correlation at 21 the nanometer scale along the process are illustrated.

Estimating potential harvestable biomass for bioenergy from sustainably managed private native forests in Southeast Queensland, Australia

BackgroundAustralia’s energy future is at the crossroads and the role of renewable sources is in focus. Biomass from sustainably managed forests provide a significant opportunity for electricity and heat generation and production of liquid fuels. Australia has extensive native forests of which a significant proportion are on private land. However, there is limited knowledge on the potential capacity of this resource to contribute to the expansion of a biomass for bioenergy industry. In addition, there are concerns on how to reconcile biomass harvesting with environmental protection.MethodsWe used regional ecosystem vegetation mapping for Queensland to stratify harvestable forests within the 1.8 m hectares of private native forests present in the Southeast Queensland bioregion in 2014. We used a dataset of 52,620 individual tree measurements from 541 forest inventory plots collected over the last 10 years. Tree biomass was estimated using current biomass allometric equations for Australia. Biomass potentially available from selective sawlog harvesting and silvicultural treatment across the bioregion was calculated and mapped.ResultsCurrent sawlog harvesting extracts 41.4% of the standing tree biomass and a biomass for bioenergy harvest would retain on average 36% of felled tree biomass on site for the protection of environmental and fauna habitat values. The estimated area extent of harvestable private native forests in the bioregion in 2013 was 888,000 ha and estimated available biomass for bioenergy in living trees was 13.6 million tonnes (t). The spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata) forests were the most extensive, covering an area of 379,823 ha and with a biomass for bioenergy yield of 14.2 t∙ha−1 (with approximately 11.2 t∙ha−1 of the biomass harvested from silvicultural thinning and 3 t∙ha−1 recovered from sawlog harvest residual).ConclusionsSilvicultural treatment of private native forests in the Southeast Queensland bioregion, has the capacity to supply a large quantity of biomass for bioenergy. The availability of a biomass for bioenergy market, and integration of sawlog harvesting and silvicultural treatment operations, could provide land owners with additional commercial incentive to improve the management of private native forests. This could potentially promote restoration of degraded forests, ecological sustainability and continued provision of wood products.

SUSTAINABLE FOREST-BASED BIOENERGY IN EURASIA

This study analyzes the Russian forest biomass-based bioenergy sector. It is shown that presently - although given abundant resources - the share of heat and electricity from biomass is very minor. With the help of two IIASA models (G4 M and BeWhere), future green-field bioenergy plants are identified in a geographically explicit way. Results indicate that by using 3.78 Mt (or 6.16 M m3), twice as much heat and electricity than is presently available from forest biomass could be generated. This amount corresponds to 3.3% of the total annual wood removals or 12% of the annually harvested firewood, or about 11% of illegal logging. With this amount of wood, it is possible to provide an additional 444 thousand households with heat and 1.8 M households with electricity; and at the same time to replace 2.7 Mt of coal or 1.7 Mt of oil or 1.8 G m3 of natural gas, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels by 716 Mt of CO2-equivalent per year. A multitude of co-benefits can be quantified for the socioeconomic sector such as green jobs linked to bioenergy. The sustainable sourcing of woody biomass for bioenergy is possible as shown with the help of an online crowdsourcing tool Geo-Wiki.org for forest certification.

Overheads of truck transport in Australia: implications for biomass as feedstock for bio-energy

ABSTRACTTransport of feedstock for transformation to usable fuel, and/or utilized, are overheads in the use of biomass for bio-energy. The inclusive costs for truck transport were evaluated for different truck types. Using small trucks, operational costs (1.1 Aus$/t/km) are an overwhelming liability in terms of the value of carbon and/or energy delivered, unless transport distances are a few kilometres. When larger trucks are used, transport costs (0.15 Aus$/t/km) represent a significant impost on the actual value of the commodity (carbon or energy) and the degree to which it is competitive with other sources of energy (e.g. existing electricity, gas or petroleum) or with the likely values placed on carbon. For example, transport costs are equivalent to the retail value of electricity when a large truck has travelled about 600 km. These results are also relevant to how transportation distances influence the economics of value chains for various commodities.

On the macro-economic impact of bioenergy and biochemicals – Introducing advanced bioeconomy sectors into an economic modelling framework with a case study for the Netherlands

Advanced uses of biomass for bioenergy and biochemicals are being gradually introduced and are expected to grow considerably in regional economies, thus raising questions on their mid-term macro-economic impacts. To assess these impacts, we use a computable general equilibrium model and a regional energy systems model side-by-side. The former is extended with new sectors of lignocellulosic biofuels, bioelectricity, biochemicals, lignocellulosic biomass supply and tradeable pellets. Next to 1st generation biofuels and other renewable energy supply, the economic impacts of bioeconomy are assessed for technology development and trade openness scenarios. We demonstrate the macro-economic model by assessing developments of the Dutch bioeconomy in 2030. Under rapid technical growth and trade openness, the models consistently show increased biomass consumption and supply of bioenergy and biochemicals from lignocellulose through large-scale deployment of advanced biomass conversion technologies. Traditional fossil-based sectors are replaced by biomass, which brings additional macro-economic benefits on gross domestic product (0.8 bn€ a−1) and value added (0.7 bn€ a−1). Furthermore, it reduces projected decline in trade balance (0.7 bn€ a−1) and employment (2.5–4.5%) compared to low technology development. Extending the temporal scope to beyond 2030 may demonstrate additional macro-economic benefits of bioeconomy. This requires assessing the influence of improvements in the agricultural sector that may lower biomass prices, learning and other developments of promising biomass conversion technologies in the longer term. Uncertain fossil fuel and CO2 price developments necessitate additional sensitivity analysis.

Reducing the costs of landscape restoration by using invasive alien plant biomass for bioenergy

South Africa's natural resources are severely impacted by invasive alien plants (IAPs). As water is a scarce resource, the national Working for Water (WfW) program was established in 1995 to restore landscapes by eradicating IAPs. Since then, considerable progress has been made with about three million hectares cleared. However, the costs of doing so have been substantial and the overall area invaded has increased while new species have become invasive. Focusing on terrestrial woody IAPs, this study reviews the extent of IAPs as well as efforts to eradicate them, and identifies value‐adding opportunities to use the cleared IAP biomass for reducing the costs of landscape restoration. Since bioenergy is suited to a large portion of the biomass, and energy powers socio‐economic growth and development, this opportunity was explored in detail, with a focus on generating electricity. Bioenergy businesses struggle to be financially feasible due to the significant costs to access, harvest, and secure the widely distributed and varied IAP biomass. The costs of eradicating IAPs can be substantially offset by the potential benefits from using IAP biomass for producing bioenergy and biomaterial, as well as from a wide range of ecosystem services from the restored landscapes. Incorporating the values of these benefits into the business case for clearing IAPs can accelerate and upscale landscape restoration programs, while creating jobs in the environmental goods and services sector, and facilitating the transition to a Green economy. WIREs Energy Environ 2018, 7:e272. doi: 10.1002/wene272.This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Science and Materials Bioenergy > Economics and Policy Bioenergy > Climate and Environment

Possibilities for near-term bioenergy production and GHG-mitigation through sustainable intensification of agriculture and forestry in Denmark

To mitigate climate change it is necessary to further increase the deployment of renewable energy, including bioenergy. This analysis shows how this can be achieved in Danish agriculture and forestry before 2020. The key is a sustainable intensification and we show through three scenarios how it is possible to increase production while at the same time decreasing environmental impact and with only minor consequences on food and feed production. An additional ~10 Tg biomass can be available in 2020 for the Danish energy sector. By converting the biomass in a biorefinery concept it is possible to supply relevant, domestically produced energy carriers that amounts to ~5%−13% of 2020 Danish energy consumption. This has the potential to reduce the GHG emissions with 13%−21% of 2020 emissions. These results are possible because Danish net primary production and the human appropriation hereof can be increased. We show that biomass for bioenergy has a large near-term potential to supply relevant energy carriers to the society while at the same time achieving significant GHG emission mitigation.

Effect of Increasing Salinity on Development of Giant Reed (Arundo donax) from Rhizome and Culms.

Arundo donax (giant reed) has great potential for bioenergy biomass production in constructed wetlands. Large scale use of A. donax in constructed wetlands will require the use of either established plants sourced from nurseries, or the use of cuttings or rhizomes and stems from mother plants derived from nurseries or wild stands. The results of this study suggest that cuttings and rhizomes are not sensitive to salinity up to an EC ~ 4500 µScm- 1. Plants used to establish a constructed wetland should have stems of at least 300mm length, with well established roots. Moreover, culms will emerge from small pieces of stems with viable nodes regardless of salinity, albeit the fresher the water the less likely salinity will subsequently affect the emerging shoot. From a practical perspective, this suggests that wetlands can be planted with giant reed using horizontally laid stems. Unless using plants pre-stressed to a salinity matching that of the wastewater to be treated, giant reed should be established using reasonable quality water (EC < 1000 µS cm- 1) until the plants are of a reasonable size, e.g. > 500mm in height, after which undiluted wastewater can be used.

Yield and Nitrogen Removal of Bioenergy Grasses as Influenced by Nitrogen Rate and Harvest Management in the Coastal Plain Region of North Carolina

The agronomic performances of giant miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) grown as bioenergy grasses are still unclear in North Carolina, due to a relatively short period of introduction. The objectives of the study were to compare the biomass yield and annual N removal of perennial bioenergy grasses and the commonly grown coastal bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], and to determine the optimum N rates and harvest practices for switchgrass and miscanthus. A 4-year field trial of the grasses under five annual harvest frequencies (May/Oct, June/Oct, July/Oct, Aug/Oct, and October only) and five annual N rates (0, 67,134, 202, and 268 kg N ha−1) was established at a research farm in Eastern North Carolina in 2011. Across harvest treatments and N rates, greatest biomass was achieved in the second growth year for both miscanthus (19.0 Mg ha−1) and switchgrass (15.9 Mg ha−1). Grasses demonstrated no N response until the second or the third year after crop establishment. Miscanthus reached a yield plateau with a N rate of 134 kg ha−1 since achieving plant maturity in 2013, whereas switchgrass demonstrated an increasing fertilizer N response from 134 kg N ha−1 in the third growth year (2014) to 268 kg N ha−1 in the fourth growth year (2015). The two-cut harvest system is not recommended for bioenergy biomass production in this region because it does not improve biomass yield and increased N removal leads to additional costs.

Effectiveness of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program: Roles of Behavioral Factors, Credit Constraint, and Program Design

AbstractThe Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) aims to incentivize the production of biomass for bioenergy and bioproducts. This paper investigates the potential effectiveness of BCAP in stimulating biomass production. We find that the effectiveness of BCAP is significantly affected by program design, farmers’ risk and time preferences, credit availability, and biomass prices. The impact of a budget‐constrained BCAP on incentivizing biomass production is much larger under a program design that enrolls land with the largest incremental biomass production per BCAP payment dollar (IBP‐Max design) than under a design that enrolls land with the lowest cost of production (COP‐Min design). The effectiveness of BCAP in inducing biomass production is highest when farmers are credit constrained, have a high degree of risk aversion, and a high rate of time preference under the IBP‐Max design. The mix of feedstocks induced by the BCAP also varies as the biomass price increases; at low prices much of the biomass induced is from crop residues, while at high prices it is from perennial energy crops. The additional biomass production induced by the BCAP ranges from 0.1% to 62% of total biomass production without BCAP under the IBP‐Max design, and from 0.1% to 3% under the COP‐Min design. However, the volume of biomass production induced by BCAP is small even in the credit constrained, high‐risk aversion, and high discount rate scenario (2.7 million metric tons annually) due to the limited program budget of $125 million BCAP budget under the 2014 Farm Bill.

Impact of a biochar or a biochar-compost mixture on water relation, nutrient uptake and photosynthesis of Phragmites karka

Soil water and nutrient status are both of major importance for plant appearance and growth performance. The objective of this study was to understand the effect of biochar (1.5%) and a biochar-compost mixture (1.5% biochar + 1.5% compost) on the performance of Phragmites karka plants grown on a synthetic nutrient-poor sandy clay soil (50% sand, 30% clay, and 20% gravel). Indicators of plant performance, such as growth, lignocellulosic biomass, water status (leaf water potential, osmotic potential, and turgor potential), mineral nutrition status, leaf gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence, and soil respiration (carbon dioxide (CO2) flux) were assessed under greenhouse conditions. Biochar-treated plants had higher growth rates and lignocellulosic biomass production than control plants with no biochar and no compost. There was also a significant increase in soil respiration in the treatments with biochar, which stimulated microbial interactions. The increase in soil water-holding capacity after biochar amendment caused significant improvements in plant water status and plant ion (K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) contents, leading to an increase in net photosynthesis and a higher energy-use efficiency of photosystem II. Biochar-treated plants had lower oxidative stress, increased water-use efficiency, and decreased soil respiration, and the biochar-compost mixture resulted in even greater improvements in growth, leaf turgor potential, photosynthesis, nutrient content, and soil gas exchange. Our results suggest that biochar and compost promote plant growth with respect to nutrient uptake, water balance, and photosynthetic system efficiency. In summary, both the soil amendments studied could increase opportunities for P. karka to sequester CO2 and produce more fodder bio-active compounds and biomass for bio-energy on nutrient-poor degraded soils.

Miscanthus establishment and management on permanent grassland in southwest Germany

The intensification of livestock farming and use of arable forage crops has led to a decrease in the area of grassland used for animal husbandry. One potentially profitable use of this grassland is the production of biomass for bioenergy. The C4 grass miscanthus (Miscanthus spp.) is considered an important biomass resource for bioenergy production; however, its cultivation is currently limited by the shortage of suitable agricultural land. The establishment of miscanthus on permanent grassland, at low densities and without destruction of the existing vegetation, could be an interesting option to consider. In this way, the expansion of miscanthus cultivation could be combined with grassland maintenance. Conventional tilling practices in miscanthus establishment (ploughing and herbicide application) on meadows can lead to loss of biodiversity. The aim of this study was to investigate efficient no-till practices for establishment and maintenance of several miscanthus genotypes on permanent grassland in Germany, focusing on the methods to improve establishment success and biomass production potential of miscanthus-supplemented grassland. A field trial was conducted at two sites to assess the effect of genotype, grassland pre-treatment (through temporary suppression of existing vegetation to reduce initial competition) and management (harvest frequencies) on miscanthus establishment and growth in grassland stands. An additional experiment with two miscanthus genotypes was set up to assess the effect of propagation method (rhizomes or pre-grown plantlets) on miscanthus establishment on grassland. Successful miscanthus establishment was achieved with no-till planting and grassland pre-treatment. Overall, miscanthus genotypes with tall, thick shoots performed better on grassland than those with short, thin shoots. Higher establishment rates were achieved through the transplanting of rhizome-derived (pre-grown) plantlets than with direct planting of rhizomes. Cutting the grassland vegetation to a stubble height of 5cm and spraying herbicide in narrow strips before introducing miscanthus had beneficial effects on its establishment, without significant negative impact on grassland productivity. In the first three years of the study, two biomass harvests per growing season allowed a good total biomass yield from grassland to be achieved without significant impact on miscanthus growth.

Thermogravimetric analyses revealed the bioenergy potential of Eulaliopsis binata

The present study was focused on the thermal degradation of Eulaliopsis binata biomass produced on a salt-affected soil without any fertilizer or pesticide applications. The plant biomass was subjected to thermal degradation experiments at three heating rates, 10, 30 and 50 K min−1. The kinetic analyses were performed through isoconversional models of Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, followed by the calculation of thermodynamic parameters of activation. The high heating value was calculated as 15.10 MJ mol−1. The activation energy values of the grass were shown to be ranging from 118 through 240 kJ mol−1. Energy difference of enthalpies of activation between the reagent and the activated complex was in accordance with activation energies. Pre-exponential factors indicated the reaction to follow first-order kinetics. Gibbs free energy for the grass was measured to be ranging from 171 to 174 kJ mol−1. Our data have shown that E. binata biomass offers remarkable potential as a low-cost biomass for bioenergy.

A financial analysis of the potential of dead trees from the boreal forest of eastern Canada to serve as feedstock for wood pellet export

Global demand for forest biomass feedstock has increased drastically in recent years, mainly due to the implementation of policies and strategies for climate change mitigation and renewable energy production in many jurisdictions. The biomass from dead trees has been recognized by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a promising source of forest biomass for bioenergy at the global scale both because of its wide scale availability and its potential to limit global warming. In eastern Canada, dead trees are not only very abundant but are also widely perceived by lumber and pulp and paper producers as contaminants in the wood supply chain with marginal profitability. The general aim of this study was to determine the conditions of profitability of an eastern Canada independent sawmill (i.e., unaffiliated with a pulp plant) to produce pellets destined for international export using either co-products or roundwood from dead trees as feedstock. We compared the yield and monetary value of dead trees at various sizes and degradation levels for the production of wood pellets, alone or in conjunction with the production of lumber, to current market conditions. Our results suggest that using dead trees for lumber and pellets is almost as profitable as using them for lumber and pulp, with a difference of about 1–12% depending on tree size. Dead trees from all classes of wood degradation could serve as an interesting feedstock for pellets because wood density was only slightly affected by wood degradation. Small dead trees (DBH<15cm) could serve for all scenarios, as the difference between revenues and costs remained generally minimal between them. Larger dead trees did not appear to represent a financially viable option under current market prices, unless suitable subsidies or other types of financial support are provided. The sustainability criteria applied by European consumers could therefore be a determining factor for the future importance of dead trees from eastern Canada as a source of feedstock for wood pellet production.