Biomass Energy Production Research Articles

Dynamic assessment of the impact of agricultural land use change and globalization on environmental quality in the tropical African Rainforest: evidence from the Congo Basin.

The rising human demand for food has increased the pursuit for more agricultural land to feed the ever-growing human population. Although agriculture constitutes the cornerstone of most economies and serves as a vital source of foreign earnings to others, experts suggest that it emits a substantial amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thereby enhancing global warming. Furthermore, with the growing pace of globalization, less developed countries are witnessing economic growth with detrimental impacts on the environment. Inspired by the need to protect tropical rainforests and basins, the current research aims to assess the dynamic impacts of agricultural land use change (LALUC) and globalization (LGLO) on environmental quality (LCO2) in the Congo Basin while controlling for economic growth (LGDP), biomass energy consumption (LBIO), and urbanization (LURBN). Based on panel data from 1980 to 2018, this study utilized second-generation econometric methods including the cross-sectional Im, Peseran Shin (CIPS), Westerlund bootstrapped co-integration test, autoregressive distributive lag/pooled mean group (ARDL/PMG), and the Dumitrescu Hurlin (D-H) panel causality estimates. The outcome reveals a long-run equilibrium co-integrating association among the estimated variables, and LALUC, LBIO, and LURBN were found to reduce LCO2, while LGDP and LGLO increase LCO2. These findings imply the inverted U-shaped relationship between LALUC, LBIO, and LURBN is beneficial for environmental quality in the Congo Basin. Based on the findings, environmental quality and economic growth can be achieved instantaneously in this region by engaging in large-scale production of biomass energy. Therefore, policymakers and governments should promote renewable energy use and convey foreign funds towards its enhancement, while investments in agriculture should prioritize environmentally benign practices such as agroforestry.

Sidahermaphrodita establishment on highly weed-infested soil using biodegradable mulch film

The sustainable production of plant biomass for energy and material application within a growing bioeconomy is crucial to overcome the dependence on fossil resources. The perennial industrial crop Sida hermaphrodita L. var. Rusby (Sida) was subject of various investigations as a promising biogenic energy carrier, though its field establishment in the juvenile plant stage is challenging. While suitable chemical measures to suppress weeds in Sida are only scarcely available, the use of herbicides for weed control contradicts the sustainability in bioenergy provision. Therefore, this study aimed for an improved Sida plant establishing method using biodegradable mulch film on highly weed-infested soil. During the year of trial establishment, Sida growth under mulch film treatment was highly improved, resulting in 264% (±49%) higher shoots and 683% (±361%) higher ground cover by Sida compared to the control on bare soil where manual weed treatment was applied only, with weeds significantly reduced in number, size, and ground cover. Employing mulch film for the successful field establishment of Sida proved to be a promising approach as it effectively suppressed weeds despite high weed pressure, resulting in significant growth promotion of Sida.

Impact of Chemical Composition on Eucalyptus Wood Clones for Sustainable Energy Production

The energy potential of wood biomass is significantly shaped by its chemical composition. Analyzing the chemical composition of wood biomass and understanding the correlations between these parameters and wood combustibility are essential stages in the selection process of Eucalyptus clones tailored for firewood production and energy generation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of chemical composition on the direct combustibility of Eucalyptus clones. We examined the structural chemical composition and conducted proximate analysis, including fixed carbon, volatile material, and ash, to investigate the relationship between proximate composition and wood combustibility parameters. Our findings revealed significant correlations between wood chemical composition and combustibility parameters. In particular, lignin content, ethanol-soluble extractives, and xylose demonstrated inverse relationships with the parameters of maximum combustion rate, combustion characteristic index, and ignition index. Conversely, holocellulose content, cold-water-soluble extractives, and glucose exhibited direct correlations with the same combustibility parameters. Furthermore, fixed carbon and volatile matter contents demonstrated direct and inverse correlations, respectively, with ignition temperature. These findings have significant implications for enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of biomass energy production.

Synergetic management of the water-energy-food nexus for cropland ecosystems under climate change: Toward a multistakeholder-based systematic optimization approach

The optimal management of the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in cropland ecosystems (CEs) can help promote food security and resource sustainability. However, the intrinsic interactions among multisource energy, water, the yield-formation process, and the economic-environmental effect have not been systematically quantified and determined. This paper constructs a WEF-based cooperative optimization model in CEs under climate-change conditions, which is capable of reflecting the reciprocal transformations and coordinated interactions among light energy, thermal energy and biomass energy in CEs and of balancing the energy/water use efficiency, economy and environmental factors considering the biomass residue potential. The method is tested and implemented on the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results show that (1) a cooperative relationship between energy utilization efficiencies and economic benefits was identified. For example, if the utilization efficiencies of light and heat energy increase by 1%, the economic benefits increase by 13.59%, and the biomass energy production potential increases by 10.82%. (2) The aboveground residue can be reused in power generation, carbonization, anaerobic fermentation, feed preparation and sales applications to increase the economic benefits by 3.38%–20.70%. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of multiple renewable energy management and the bound with water and food production, promoting the sustainable development of agroecosystems.

Quantifying ecological impacts: A comparative life cycle assessment of conventional and organic potato cultivation

In order to meet the ever-increasing demand of food in the near future, the agriculture sector is anticipated to expand grain, vegetable, fiber, and biomass energy production within the restrictions of limited resources, while simultaneously minimizing the related Environmental Impacts (EIs). When focusing on potatoes specifically, it's important to note that a significant portion of global potato production occurs in developing countries. Nevertheless, existing literature reveals a noticeable gap in research dedicated to assessing the EIs of potato cultivation, as well as other staple crops. The current study aims at contrasting the EIs of organic and conventional potato cultivation in the northern plains of India. Taking two functional units (one hectare of land and one ton of potato produced), a cradle-to-farm gate Life Cycle Assessment approach using SimaPro 9.1.1 software was applied to explore various hotspots for highlighting and analyzing the various phases responsible for sparking off the severe EIs and compared for both cultivation systems. To confirm results from different perspectives, both ReCiPe Midpoint & Endpoint impact assessment methods were used which acknowledged that fertilization is the most significant phase for environmental impacts in conventional cultivation. Specifically, conventional cultivation contributes 2007.669 kg CO2 eq per hectare to Global Warming potential, whereas organic cultivation emits 1287.952 kg CO2 eq. Transitioning to organic cultivation leads to an average reduction of 35.76 percent across a range of 18 environmental impact categories Furthermore, the endpoint method reveals that 86 percent of the total score for conventional cultivation, which is 159.20, comes from human health-related indicators, whereas organic cultivation exhibits 27.6 percent less impact in this regard. Conducting a sensitivity analysis highlights fertilization as the most sensitive phase for conventional potato cultivation, whereas irrigation emerges as the critical phase for organic cultivation. The current study assists farmers in making decisions about chemical usage, energy management, and governments in improving the overall sustainability of cultivation systems through regulatory adjustments.

Effect of greenhouse gas emissions on the life cycle of biomass energy production and conversion under different straw recycling modes

With the gradual growth of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the agricultural cultivation cycle, GHG emissions specific to the production and conversion of biomass energy is becoming increasingly problematic. Current studies lack analysis of net GHG emissions generated during full life cycle of agricultural cultivation, straw use and bioenergy production. This study measures the global warming potential of biomass energy production and conversion processes under different agricultural cultivation cycle systems based on life cycle approach, accompanied by four straw treatment methods: fast pyrolysis, slow pyrolysis, flash pyrolysis and anaerobic fermentation. The demonstration of Heilongjiang Province showed that the net GHG emissions of rice and soybean over 52.39% and 101.57% higher than those of corn, respectively. The amount of standard coal saved by fast pyrolysis treatment, slow pyrolysis treatment and anaerobic fermentation treatment of straw was only 38.38%, 78.02% and 61.98% of that of flash pyrolysis treatment. The relationship between environmental pressure and economic growth was decoupled during 2011–2017 and coupled in 2017–2020. This study contributes to green production of biomass energy. The methodology in this paper can be used to account for and assess the carbon effect of the entire straw recycling chain in any region.

Bringing to light a new energy path: the case of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

In Brazil, more than 55% of the energy comes from hydroelectricity, making the system highly vulnerable in the context of global climate change, with precipitation and temperature shifts over the years. Characterised by its multiple opportunities in sources and conversion technologies for energy, biomass has a high potential to become responsible for a relevant share of the renewable energy supply. Previous studies on biomass energy production in Brazil confirm promising results. This paper highlights possibilities for biomass power generation in Minas Gerais State. To estimate energy productivity, a Sustainable Technical Coefficient was adopted: a conservative index that considers the portion of residues that could be used to maintain the integrity of the soil. This index was applied with the data on silviculture and selected crop yields. The local energy demand was also calculated and compared to the potential energy production. Results show that 78% of the municipalities could have their basic energy needs and 18% of the demand for productive uses met by crop residues and silviculture production. For the state of Minas Gerais, with its tradition of agriculture, biomass residual energy is viable and should be considered by policymakers.

Technologies and Innovations for Biomass Energy Production

Biomass is considered one of the prospective alternatives to energy and environmental challenges. The use of biomass as bioenergy has gained global interest due to its environmentally benign, renewable, and abundant characteristics. Numerous conversion technologies have been developed over time to convert biomass into various energy products. This review presents a summary of the different biomass conversion technologies used for bioenergy production. These include thermochemical, biological, physical, biochemical, and hybrid system technologies. It summarizes the production of different bioenergy products such as bio-oil, biodiesel, and fuel via various conversion technologies. The competitive advantages, potential environmental impacts, and challenges of these biomass conversion technologies are discussed. The recycling of biomass can solve a lot of current energy challenges. However, conversion technologies exhibit some challenges relative to upscaling and commercialization due to their immense operational and investment expenses and high energy usage.

Determination of suitable strategies for the development of biomass energy investments in Turkey by AHP method

Biomass energy investments are very important for Turkey. Biomass energy can be an important resource for Turkey's energy security. Considering that Turkey is a foreign-dependent country for energy, these investments will contribute to the country's energy independence. In this context, it would be appropriate for Turkey to take action to increase biomass energy investments. The purpose of this study is to identify appropriate strategies to increase biomass energy investments in Turkey. Within this framework, four different criteria are selected by focusing on literature review. In the following stage, the weights of these items are calculated by AHP methodology. The findings indicate that technological plays an essential role to improve the biomass energy investments in Turkey. Additionally, legal efficiency should also be taken into consideration in this context. However, financial evaluation and customer satisfaction are on the last ranks. It is understood that technological development is of great importance to increase biomass energy investments. Technological developments can contribute to increase efficiency in biomass energy production. Thus, both efficiency of the project will be increased, and the operating costs will be reduced. This situation provides the opportunity to increase the competitiveness of biomass energy projects. Technological developments can also increase the environmental sensitivity of these projects. Owing to advancing technologies, biomass energy projects that do not cause any carbon emissions will be able to be created.

Promising Application of Grape Pomace and Its Agri-Food Valorization: Source of Bioactive Molecules with Beneficial Effects

Grapes, particularly the species Vitis vinifera L., are one of the most widely grown crops in the world. Winemaking processes generate a high amount of residues, which currently pose an environmental and economic sustainability problem for companies in the sector. For this reason, solutions are being explored for the development of new products with high-added value derived from the valorization of these residues. One of the wastes produced by winemaking processes is grape pomace, which chemical composition is promising because it is rich in compounds with high antioxidant activity, such as polyphenols (anthocyanins, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, procyanidins), phenolic acids, resveratrol, and fiber. Commonly grape pomace is used to produce distillates and to extract tartaric acid and coloring substances such as enocyanin. Recently, alternative uses of grape pomace have been adopted, such as the production of extracts with antioxidant properties, fermentation substrates, composting and biomass for energy production, and fiber extraction for the development of high-value-added products enriched with bioactive molecules from grape pomace. Here, we discuss how bioactive molecules from grape pomace are involved in various human biological functions and their applications in the agri-food sector.

Availability, sustainability and accessibility of agro crop residue production and solar radiation in Egypt for producing highly chemical products through pyrolysis processes

AbstractThis study examines the large amount of agricultural waste produced in Egypt between 2010 and 2019 by analysing data from various departments within the Agriculture Ministry. It also provides a comprehensive database on the biomass available from agricultural waste in Egypt and its potential applications for producing power, heat and chemical products. When biomass-pyrolysis systems powered by solar energy are used, research demonstrates the potential to convert agricultural waste into a variety of chemical compounds. This approach utilizes solar energy, a clean and renewable source, and has wide-ranging industrial and power generation applications. Despite Egypt’s reliance on agriculture, the country currently utilizes little biomass for energy production and has not previously used it as a source for creating chemical products, which could potentially save on the imported oil used in these industries. The findings of the study are graphically presented using histograms, pie charts, etc. The overall production of residues reached the 30-Mt level in 2019. Because it contains the most rice-cultivated land, Dakahlia (Lower Egypt region) produces the highest percentage of the total residue (37.17%). Qena governorate (Upper Egypt region) produces 1.14 metric tons of residues, with sugarcane accounting for 20.3% of the total.

Are all the U.S. biomass energy sources green?

Whether biomass energy should be regarded as a clean energy or not is still a contentious issue in the literature. Biomass energy comes from different sources, each having the possibility to affect the environment differently. Accounting for this heterogeneity to avoid any aggregation bias, this study examines the impact of biomass energy on environmental quality in the U.S. from the standpoints of consumption and production, different biomass sources, asymmetric changes, and threshold effects. We find that the adverse environmental impact of biomass energy production is higher than its consumption. Moreover, except in the long-run where the impact of negative changes in biomass energy consumption overshadows its positive changes, positive changes in biomass energy consumption and production degrade the environment more than negative changes in biomass energy consumption. The threshold analysis further reveals that the production and consumption of biomass energy beyond some levels reduces environmental quality, unlike when they are minimal. Finally, wood is the most environmentally unfriendly biomass energy source, whereas biodiesel is the most environmentally friendly. The policy implications of these findings are crucial for environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation, and efficient production and use of biomass.

Is biomass energy really sustainable in the United States?

This paper analyzes the long-run relationship between biomass energy production and biomass energy consumption in the United States (US), over 1993M01-2022M08. For robustness reasons, it is employed the cointegration methodology to sustain the main findings in parallel with unit root tests of biomass energy surplus/deficit.The main results evidence a long-run equilibrium between biomass energy production and biomass energy consumption in the US conditioned by structural breaks. More precisely, those breaks can severally alter biomass energy sustainability, their importance being crucial in the US's policy design in the biomass sector.Policymakers in the US should take into account the structural changes for their adjustments in the biomass energy market when no long-run equilibrium between biomass energy production and the biomass energy consumption is evidenced. Otherwise, no policy corrections are needed as the long-run equilibrium is reached based on the market self-regulation mechanism.

Comparison of Different Machine Learning Models for Modelling the Higher Heating Value of Biomass

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using structural analysis parameters for estimating the higher heating value (HHV) of biomass by obtaining information on the composition of cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose. To achieve this goal, several nonlinear mathematical models were developed, including polynomials, support vector machines (SVMs), random forest regression (RFR) and artificial neural networks (ANN) for predicting HHV. The performed statistical analysis “goodness of fit” showed that the ANN model has the best performance in terms of coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.90) and the lowest level of model error for the parameters X2 (0.25), RMSE (0.50), and MPE (2.22). Thus, the ANN model was identified as the most appropriate model for determining the HHV of different biomasses based on the specified input parameters. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate the potential of using structural analysis parameters as input for HHV modeling, which is a promising approach for the field of biomass energy production. The development of the model ANN and the comparative analysis of the different models provide important insights for future research in this field.

Forestry and sustainable development

Global trends of increasing threat to forests and the environment, as well as the efforts of humanity to achieve greater material and economic benefits have influenced the acceptance of the concept of sustainable development and forest management. Sustainability in forestry is applied as a principle of regulated management that has long been associated with the concept of sustainability (continuity) of production, yield and income. It represents the basic principle of forest management in the Republic of Srpska in which the priority is the production (economic) function. Sustainable forest development is enabled if forests are managed in such a way as to preserve their biodiversity, productivity, natural regeneration, vitality, and their potential so that forests now and in the future perform significant ecological, economic and social functions locally, nationally and globally. level. Regarding indicators of sustainable forest management, there are differences between organizations, so there is a need to achieve widely recognized harmonization in order to facilitate the analysis and adoption of measures to improve sustainable forest management. Forestry is often viewed in the context of overall sustainable development, because the SDGs goals affirmed the economic and environmental component of sustainable development. Strategic development goals in modern European forestry are of a sectoral, social, political, economic and environmental nature. The United Nations has defined 17 basic goals of sustainable development, and almost all of them are directly and indirectly related to forestry. The global goals and measures in forestry that need to be achieved by 2030 are: stopping the trend of forest loss around the world, increasing economic, environmental and social support provided by forests, increasing the area of protected forests and strengthening cooperation and partnerships in scientific and technical forestry. Due to the mutual interaction and contradictions of goals and measures, certain compromises are needed, and due to the pronounced multifunctionality of forests and the manner of their use, the principles of certification of sustainable forest management have been promoted. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC 1993) and Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC 1999) are mainly applied. In the Republic of Srpska, the FSC FM certificate has been held by JPŠ "Šume Republike Srpske" a.d. since 2008. Sokolac, while private forests are not certified. In the Republika Srpska/BiH, FSC standards for sustainable forest management have been developed, which have been used since March 22, 2020. years (FSC 2019) and have a validity period of five years. The evaluation of the functions of our forests is not always in line with modern trends in the evaluation of forest resources, because the indicators related to productivity from the point of view of raw material base, growth and simple reproduction are quantified. Forestry development guidelines must be strategically focused on priority areas: forest cultivation and protection, development of a sustainable environment, development of human resources and education systems, and business use of information and communication technology. Necessary coherence, complementarity and integration of sustainable development goals have influenced the inclusion of forestry as an important economic activity for achieving human health, access to renewable energy, food, drinking water, the fight against climate change and others. Contemporary intentions that are insisted on when it comes to the importance of forest ecosystems, and current topics in the process of education, forestry science and profession relate to ecosystem services and biodiversity, forest protection, biomass production for energy, new technologies, information systems and monitoring.

Forestry products as renewable energy sources

Forestry products as renewable energy sources

Evaluating the International Competitiveness of RCEP Countries’ Biomass Products in the Context of the New Development Paradigm

As research related to the clean use of primary energy and new energy technologies continues to intensify in countries around the world, biomass energy has been incorporated into the long-term development plans of many countries for energy use due to its unique zero-carbon emission advantages. However, there are fewer studies on the competitiveness of biomass products in the literature. In this study, we adopted the constant market share (CMS) model and IRCA index method to measure the long-term trend of international competitiveness of biomass energy products in Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries, which enriches the research on the competitiveness of biomass energy products. The two methods integrate multiple indicators to analyze the competitiveness of biomass energy in each country, making up for the deficiency that the RCA index can only be analyzed from trade volume. The results show that (1) the international competitiveness of biomass energy products in RCEP countries is on an upward trend; (2) the main biomass energy products of RCEP countries lack comparative advantages in the world market; and (3) the export market structure of biomass energy products in RCEP countries is not adapted to the world market demand. Finally, based on the above research findings, this paper puts forward some policy suggestions for exporting biomass energy products.

SUPPLY CHAINS FOR VALORIZATION OF OLIVE GROVE RESIDUES AND OLIVE OIL INDUSTRY BY-PRODUCTS: A REVIEW ON RESEARCH AND LITERATURE ON OLIVE BASED BIOECONOMY

The residual biomass produced in the olive sector is the result of the large quantity of olive groves and olive oil manufacturers that generate byproducts with a potentially high energy content. Until now, the disposal and management of pruning residues and olive oil by-products has generally represented disposal problems which lead to environmental problems rather than opportunities for additional revenue. In this context, this study aimed to define a roadmap for studies in Turkey to untap the potential of olive grove residues and olive oil industry by-products and residues, (i.e., olive tree prunings, olive leaves, olive pomace) that could be used to produce high-added value products in an integrated biorefinery or in a bioenergy power plant. This paper presents a review on recent research on the valorization of olive by-products in line with the circular economy principles and the bioeconomy strategy and presents the literature which applies to design and management of olive biomass supply chains. Main objective is to provide a conceptual framework for developing and deploying an effective bioeconomy utilizing olive prunings and olive oil industry byproducts conducting a preliminary review of the olive oil chain residues in Europe and Turkey comparatively, assessment of technical potentials, biomass supply costs and allocation of biomass collection sites and energy production facilities with different supply chain scenarios. Biomass resource assessment, biomass feedstock supply chain design and management, and logistics optimization require multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. They need to be carried out properly in order to execute efficient projects in energy generation from biomass and/or extracting bio-commodities in biorefineries. Turkish researchers have adequate research on valorization methods for olive based biomass resources, but their studies are limited on general biomass supply chain design and particularly no research has been conducted for olive biomass resources. Taking all the aforementioned into account, the author proposes to conduct further studies on a biomass energy project including design of a supply chain network for energy valorization of olive grove residues and olive oil industry by-products in line with the common practice and being inspired by the leading countries like Spain and Italy, which will both contribute to circular business concept development and renewable energy capacity increase.

Produkcija biomase klonova evroameričke topole (Populus x euramericana (Dode) Guinier) u zasadima kratke ophodnje sa različitim razmacima sadnje

Biomass from short rotation poplar plantations presents a good alternative as a material for energy production, either as a substitute or as an addition to fossil fuels. This research presents the investigation of the potential of the Serbian forestry's most commonly used clones (a) Populus × euramericana cl. I-214 and (b) Populus × euramericana cl. "Pannonia" for the production of biomass for energy in different plant density plantations (2500, 3333, 5000 and 10000 plants ha-1) on the marginal soil for the poplar production. Measured parameters included (a) diameter at breast height, (b); tree height, (c) wood biomass per unit of the area, (d) potentially produced energy per unit of the area, (e) individual tree volume and (f) wood volume per unit of the area. Obtained results indicated significant influence of the plant density on the investigated parameters, while there was no effect of the selected clone or clone x plant density interactio. Such results can be explained by the site conditions and production cycle duration.

Evaluation of the Biomass Energy Production Potential in Agricultural Holdings in Relation to Their Size. Case Study for COP Farms in Romania

Biomass energy production is a priority for the global economy in terms of ensuring the premises for sustainable development. The current context, determined by increases in energy costs, involves the identification of applicable and eco-intensive measures by which the use of biomass in productive activities will reduce the level of pollution and, implicitly, global warming. Progress of the bioeconomy is intercorrelated with the dimension of agriculture, which is the major provider of biomass for food, feed, and other bio-based industries. The agricultural sector in the last decades is characterized by an increase in energy production and consumption, with direct consequences on the environment. Biomass is for Romania, a renewable energy source, particularly valuable, both in terms of potential and in terms of future use, through complementarity with the sustainable development programs of the state that aim to develop the capacity of production and the creation of well-being. This research aims to estimate the energy efficiency of three types of COP farms (which cultivate cereals, oilseeds, and protein crops) of different physical sizes, and the analysis of the potential energy generated by energetical cultures, with emphasis on biomass energy. The energy balance at the farm level remains a very important method to determine the efficiency of agricultural systems and for the assessment of potential energy from biomass. With this study, we emphasize the need to support a more sustainable demand for biomass and to make the bioeconomy market more competitive.