Increasing Demand For Biomass Research Articles

TEMPERATURE AND ENERGY SECURITY: WILL FOREST BIOMASS HELP IN THE FUTURE?

Despite the numerous technical, logistical, and policy challenges associated with the use of bioenergy to mitigate climate change, the latest IPCC report identifies bioenergy as a high-value and large-scale mitigation option to support the transition to a cleaner energy system. This paper links a climate-economic-energy model and a land model to measure the net mitigation effect of using forest biomass for electricity generation and corresponding implications on global temperature. Through the soft-link, the energy model provides to the land model the cost-effective regional consumption of forest biomass under nine carbon price scenarios and measures the effects of its use on fossil fuel emissions and carbon sequestered in carbon capture and storage (CCS). The land model provides the dynamic supply of forest biomass and measures the change in land management/use under each demand scenario and corresponding changes in carbon sequestered in forests. Results suggest that forest biomass should be part of global mitigation efforts despite the expected small share of electricity sourced from it. The net climate benefits of forest biomass energy vary across scenarios and temporally — in most scenarios increased biomass demand results in near term reductions in global forest carbon stocks, but at carbon prices starting at $40/tCO2e or greater, results show positive net sequestration by 2030. This increased sequestration, coupled with energy emissions displacement and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) implies substantial long-term mitigation potential for forest biomass energy. Our results suggest that high forest biomass demand pathways could also help reduce the magnitude of future temperature growth. Further, we explore the regional effects on energy security of using forest biomass. Results show that its use can have potential large effects on trade dynamics and regional energy security issues, with 4 of the 17 global regions found to be net exporters of forest biomass.

Impact of agriculture intensification on forest degradation and tree carbon stock; promoting multi‐criteria optimization for restoration in Central India

AbstractForest conservation entails both halting destruction and protecting the state of the forest's vegetation. Monitoring forest cover and restoring degraded forests are critical ecological aspects for India's forestry sector's long‐term growth. Cropland expansion and intensification are the primary approaches for increasing agricultural productivity in response to increased biomass demand, but they are also major drivers of biodiversity loss. We evaluated the ecosystem carbon (C) stock and sequestration potential for dry deciduous forests while assessing the drivers of forest degradation in Central India to advance scientific knowledge and minimize the anthropogenic C emissions from prevalent agriculture intensification in the region. A multi‐criteria optimization approach was used to identify the priority areas forrestoration and quantify the magnitude of drivers of biodiversity loss in the region by investigating the links between forest carbon stock, agriculture intensification, and altering forest structure at various degrees of forest disturbance. The total existing carbon stock of trees in study area during March 2020, was 199.12 Mg C ha−1. Overall carbon stock of these forests showed a significant correlation with disturbance levels (r = 0.50). Changes in vegetation especially to intensive agriculture practices have resulted in loss of carbon stocks and will cause large‐scale forest decline if not addressed immediately. Considering the rapid loss of forests in situation where India has to fulfill Nationally Determined Contributions to UNFCCC, Forest Landscape Restoration becomes priority and needs specialized efforts with enhanced funding to reduce and halt loss of forests.

Elevated ozone inhibits isoprene emission of a diploid and a triploid genotype of Populus tomentosa by different mechanisms.

Ozone (O3) pollution affects plant growth and isoprene (ISO) emission. However, the response mechanism of isoprene emission rate (ISOrate) to elevated O3 (EO3) remains poorly understood. ISOrate was investigated in two genotypes (diploid and triploid) of Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr.) exposed to EO3 in an open top chamber system. The triploid genotype had higher photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) than the diploid one. EO3 significantly decreased A, gs, and ISOrate of middle and lower leaves in both genotypes. In the diploid genotype, the reduction of ISOrate was caused by a systematic decrease related to ISO synthesis capacity, as indicated by decreased contents of the isoprene precursor dimethylallyl diphosphate and decreased isoprene synthase protein and activity. On the other hand, the negative effect of O3 on ISOrate of the triploid genotype did not result from inhibited ISO synthesis capacity, but from increased ISO oxidative loss within the leaf. Our findings will be useful for breeding poplar genotypes with high yield and lower ISOrate, depending on local atmospheric volatile organic compound/NOx ratio, to cope with both the rising O3 concentrations and increasing biomass demand. They can also inform the incorporation of O3 effects into process-based models of isoprene emission.

Catalytic and inhibitory roles of K and Ca in the pyrolysis and CO2 or steam gasification of Erianthus, and their effects on co-gasification performance

Increasing biomass demand for domestic power production due to feed-in tariffs has led to the use of herbaceous perennial energy crops such as Erianthus arundinaceus (Erianthus) as a biomass resource. Erianthus (JES1) is obtained in a yield of approximately 14 t/ha on a dry basis in Nasu-shiobara, a temperate climate region of Japan and its standing-dead characteristics permit a small drying cost. In this study, the catalytic roles of Ca and K on the CO2 and steam gasification of Erianthus char were investigated using thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), and the effect of blending Erianthus with timber waste on the co-gasification performance was elucidated. The obtained results showed that the loading of K into the demineralised char (DC) enhanced both the CO2 and steam gasification processes. In contrast, the loading of Ca on DC slightly inhibited CO2 gasification, while steam gasification was significantly inhibited. In the co-gasification of an Erianthus-blended timber waste feedstock, the conversion to gas and cold-gas efficiency was promoted in the case of an Erianthus blend ≤30% due to the presence of inorganic components, such as K, in the blended feedstock.

Biochar produced from wood waste for soil remediation in Sweden: Carbon sequestration and other environmental impacts.

The use of biochar to stabilize soil contaminants is emerging as a technique for remediation of contaminated soils. In this study, an environmental assessment of systems where biochar produced from wood waste with energy recovery is used for remediation of soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and metal(loid)s was performed. Two soil remediation options with biochar (on- and off-site) are considered and compared to landfilling. The assessment combined material and energy flow analysis (MEFA), life cycle assessment (LCA), and substance flow analysis (SFA). The MEFA indicated that on-site remediation can save fuel and backfill material compared to off-site remediation and landfilling. However, the net energy production by pyrolysis of wood waste for biochar production is 38% lower than incineration. The LCA showed that both on-site and off-site remediation with biochar performed better than landfilling in 10 of the 12 environmental impact categories, with on-site remediation performing best. Remediation with biochar provided substantial reductions in climate change impact in the studied context, owing to biochar carbon sequestration being up to 4.5 times larger than direct greenhouse gas emissions from the systems. The two biochar systems showed increased impacts only in ionizing radiation and fossils because of increased electricity consumption for biochar production. They also resulted in increased biomass demand to maintain energy production. The SFA indicated that leaching of PAH from the remediated soil was lower than from landfilled soil. For metal(loid)s, no straightforward conclusion could be made, as biochar had different effects on their leaching and for some elements the results were sensitive to water infiltration assumptions. Hence, the reuse of biocharremediated soils requires further evaluation, with site-specific information. Overall, in Sweden's current context, the biochar remediation technique is an environmentally promising alternative to landfilling worth investigating further.

Long-term impacts of bio-based innovation in the chemical sector: A dynamic global perspective

Biochemicals constitute a key sector in the bioeconomy, but their future expansion depends on biomass availability. This study employs an integrated global Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modeling approach to quantify the impacts on land-use change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and socioeconomic indicators, when reducing biomass conversion costs for global biochemical production by 1.5% annually until 2050. Global demand for crop- and forest-based feedstock by the chemical industry increases sharply in 2050, e.g. by 327% for wheat; driving up agro-food prices, e.g. by 3.5% for oilseeds and 3.9% for sugarcane in Brazil. Chemical output decreases in countries that rely on imported biomass for biochemical production, such as Germany, France or the United States; while it increases, for instance, in Brazil and Australia, which use mainly domestic feedstock. Increased biomass demand entails significant natural forest cover loss across South America and Asia, and, to a lesser extent, in North America. Subsequent GHG emissions from global losses in carbon stocks outweigh GHG savings from reduced fossil fuel consumption, resulting in a net increase in GHGs of 107 Mt in 2050 relative to the baseline. Results suggest that R&D investments in bio-based sectors should be complemented with coherent policies to prevent deforestation and negative impacts on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Modelling effects of policies for increased production of forest-based liquid biofuel in the Nordic countries

The Nordic countries have ambitious plans to reduce the use of fossil fuels. One possible solution is to blend biofuel into the liquid fuel mix. A large share of this biofuel could potentially be produced from forest biomass, which is an easily available resource in the Nordic countries. However, technologies for producing liquid biofuel from forest-based biomass are immature, implying high risk for biofuel investors. This study assesses six different support schemes that may increase the attractiveness of investing in forest-based liquid biofuel production facilities. Furthermore, the study simulates the likely effects of policy schemes on the future production of forest-based liquid biofuels using a partial equilibrium forest sector model. The study applies an nth plant estimate for the costs of various biofuel technologies and analyses investment support, feed-in premiums, quota obligations, increase in fossil fuel taxes, biofuel tax exemptions, and support for using harvest residues. According to the model results, a feed-in premium gives the lowest needed subsidy cost for production levels below 6 billion L (25% market share) of forest-based biofuel, while quota obligation is the cheapest option for production levels above 6 billion L. The necessary subsidy level is in the range of 0.60–0.85 €/L (82–116% of the fossil fuel cost in 2030) for realistic amounts of biofuel production. The pulpwood prices increase up to 24% from the base scenario due to increasing biomass demand.

Increasing biomass demand enlarges negative forest nutrient budget areas in wood export regions

Energy production from biomass is one of the adopted strategies in different European countries to limit global warming to within the 1.5–2° targets after the 2015 UN climate agreement. This will motivate enhanced forest harvest rates and whole tree harvest to supply the increasing biomass demand. Negative nutrient budgets for certain timberland areas where geogenic nutrient supply cannot cope with harvesting rates will be one consequence. A spatially explicit analysis for a U.S. timberland area of 33,570 km2 reveals that for a minimum nutrient loss and supply scenario, negative nutrient budgets occur in 17, 20, 16, and almost 94% of the studied areas for Ca, K, Mg, and P, respectively. For a maximum nutrient loss (considering intensive harvesting) and supply assumptions, the affected areas increase to 50, 57, 45 and 96% for Ca, K, Mg, and P, respectively. In general, atmospheric nutrient deposition is of minor importance for the high weathering supply cases. Increasing global woody biomass demand may cause additional pressure on forested ecosystems, enlarging negative nutrient budget areas. If woody biomass demand rises, strategies to counterbalance nutrient gaps might be needed, for example, by preparing harvested areas with rock products, designed to replenish growth limiting nutrients, and/or implementing forest management strategies to minimize nutrient export.

Techno-economic and carbon emissions analysis of biomass torrefaction downstream in international bioenergy supply chains for co-firing

Ambitious renewable energy targets in European countries drive an increasing biomass demand to a point where domestic resources are insufficient, leading to emergence of international bioenergy supply chains. This work aims to examine the feasibility of biomass torrefaction downstream in long-distance international bioenergy supply chains for co-firing and to investigate the effect of various biomass co-firing ratios on the whole supply and energy conversion system performance from a technical, environmental and economic aspect. A techno-economic analysis together with a CO2 emissions assessment is performed, adopting a whole systems approach. In particular, Palm Kernel Shell biomass from Malaysia is considered for co-firing in UK. Findings indicate that downstream torrefaction is profitable under the current conditions for 100% biomass and marginally unprofitable for 50% biomass co-firing. The financial yield exhibits high sensitivity on the price of coal, biomass, Renewable Obligation Certificates, the torrefaction facility investment and biomass sea transportation costs. From an environmental perspective, higher co-firing ratios lead to higher emissions per unit of renewable energy generated. The findings can support policy makers and investors in adopting lower biomass co-firing ratios with torrefaction instead of 100% biomass conversion, leading to improved environmental benefits from a whole system's perspective.

Dynamics of the land use, land use change, and forestry sink in the European Union: the impacts of energy and climate targets for 2030

A 2030 climate and energy policy framework was endorsed by the European Council in 2014. The main elements are a binding 40 % greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target compared to 1990, a renewable energy share of 27 %, and an energy savings target of at least 27 % by 2030. In this paper, we assess the impact of these targets on the European land use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector using a Europe focused global land use model linked with a detailed forest management model. We show that implementing a 40 % GHG emission reduction target by 2030 may only have a small negative impact on the domestic LULUCF sink if the additional biomass demand for energy is mostly met through ligno-cellulosic energy crops rather than forest removals. However, if the increased biomass demand were met through higher rates of forest harvest removals, a more negative impact on the LULUCF sink could be expected.

Cross-Sectoral Resource Management: How Forest Management Alternatives Affect the Provision of Biomass and Other Ecosystem Services

Integrated forest management is faced with the challenge that the contribution of forests to economic and ecological planning targets must be assessed in a socio-ecological system context. This paper introduces a way to model spatio-temporal dynamics of biomass production at a regional scale in order to derive land use strategies that enhance biomass provision and avoid trade-offs for other ecosystem services. The software platform GISCAME was employed to bridge the gap between local land management decisions and regional planning by linking growth and yield models with an integrative mesoscale modeling and assessment approach. The model region is located in Saxony, Germany. Five scenarios were simulated, which aimed at testing different alternatives for adapted land use in the context of climate change and increasing biomass demand. The results showed, for example, that forest conversion towards climate-change-adapted forest types had positive effects on ecological integrity and landscape aesthetics. In contrast, negative impacts on landscape aesthetics must be expected if agricultural sites were converted into short rotation coppices. Uncertainties with stem from assumptions regarding growth and yield models were discussed. Future developmental steps which consider, for example, accessibility of the resources were identified.

Seaweed biomass of the Philippines: Sustainable feedstock for biogas production

Abstract Archipelagic and island countries are among the most affected by the worsening climate change. To mitigate global warming, the Philippines mandated the use of biofuel through the Biofuel Act of 2006. However, coping with the increasing biomass demand for biofuel production is challenging because of the country׳s limited freshwater and land resources. On the other hand, the Philippines has rich but untapped marine biomass resources. Hence, the potential of seaweed resources as the most accessible energy source for coastal and island communities of the Philippines was explored for methane fermentation. The seaweed species, Sargassum spp., Turbinaria spp., Hydroclathrus spp., Caulerpa spp., and Ulva spp., which can allow sustainable biomass supply either through managed harvesting of natural stocks or through cultivation, have been identified. Information on the geographical distribution and seasonal productivity of these species were laid out. The proximate and elemental components of the biomass were presented for viability assessment as feedstock. Challenges on biogas technology in the Philippines and anaerobic digestion of seaweed biomass were also evaluated. Research on the development of culture technologies for the Sargassum spp., Turbinaria spp., Hydroclathrus spp, and Ulva spp. is recommended to avoid the adverse impacts of harvesting on natural stocks. Further studies on anaerobic digestion conditions of the selected seaweeds that are suitable for utilization by island communities should also be conducted.

The effect of assessment scale and metric selection on the greenhouse gas benefits of woody biomass

Recent attention has focused on the net greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of using woody biomass to produce energy. In particular, a great deal of controversy has erupted over the appropriate manner and scale at which to evaluate these GHG effects. Here, we conduct a comparative assessment of six different assessment scales and four different metric calculation techniques against the backdrop of a common biomass demand scenario. We evaluate the net GHG balance of woody biomass co-firing in existing coal-fired facilities in the state of Virginia, finding that assessment scale and metric calculation technique do in fact strongly influence the net GHG balance yielded by this common scenario. Those assessment scales that do not include possible market effects attributable to increased biomass demand, including changes in forest area, forest management intensity, and traditional industry production, generally produce less-favorable GHG balances than those that do. Given the potential difficulty small operators may have generating or accessing information on the extent of these market effects, however, it is likely that stakeholders and policy makers will need to balance accuracy and comprehensiveness with reporting and administrative simplicity.

Externalities of the transport sector and the role of hydrogen in a sustainable transport vision

Transport systems perform vital societal functions, but in their present state cannot be considered “sustainable”. One of the most controversially discussed long-term solutions to climate change and air emission externalities is the introduction of hydrogen as an energy fuel and fuel cell vehicles. In this paper, we integrate the two debates on the sustainability of today's transport systems and on the opportunities, threats and possible transition paths towards a “hydrogen economy” in road transport. We focus our analysis on developed countries as well as the specific needs of the fast growing markets for car travel in the emerging economies. We conclude that the use of hydrogen can significantly reduce CO 2 emissions of the transport sector, even if taking into account tailpipe and upstream emissions as well as alternative technology developments. Moreover, local air pollutants can be reduced up to 80%. Possible negative impacts, including accident risks, nuclear waste or increased biomass demand, need to be benchmarked against these benefits. Thus, we highlight the need for integrated energy and transport policies and argue for more reflexive and inclusive societal debate about the impacts and beneficiaries of hydrogen transport technologies.