Agro-forestry

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Agro-forestry crop combination options

• Dr Calliope Panoutsou
• Biomass Department
• CRES

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Contents

• Aim
• Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threats
• Biomass resources available in south EU
• Agro- biomass
• Forest biomass
• Current RTD projects
• Future options
• Future RTD needs
• Challenges
• Recommendations- Conclusions

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Aim

• Collecting information on experiences gained with
  and possibilities for dedicated bioenergy crop
  combinations as well as
• agro-forestry options which promise to combine
  high yields with relatively low environmental
  impacts.

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Strengths

• Climate favors several resource options
• Residual resources with low moisture
• Energy crops with high yielding potential
• Energy crops can be complementary to current
  activities in time and resources (human
  machinery)
• Uncertain policy framework (new CAP) leads
  farmers to seek new cropping options
• Political pressure on RES bioenergy (Biomass
  Action Plan)
• Emissions Biofuels Directives (2003/87/EC,
  2003/30/EC) could be a means for high biomass
  demand

5
Weaknesses

• Semi-arid conditions require irrigation
• Landscape associated risks (erosion, water
  runoff, desertification levels)
• Small farming size compared with central,
  northern EU member states
• Lack of fully mechanized agriculture
• RTD fragmented, reflecting great diversity of
  crops, supply routes and end uses.
• Difficult forest management, fire risks, lack of
  road infrastructure, etc.
• Need to evaluate the whole chain an integrated
  approach to deliver quality, availability and
  cost targets and achieve competitiveness.

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Opportunities

• Identify dedicated low impact high yielding
  cropping systems suitable for med regions
• Create supply chains combining residual forms and
  energy crops.
• Establish fuel supply chains which will act as
  links among biomass producers users
• Evaluate resource options both for industrial
  with waste fractions (e.g. energy properties
  (biorefinery supplies)
• Combine agro- forestry biomass with waste streams
  (demolition wood, packaging paper, etc.)
• Create communication channels synergies with
  the farming forestry community

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Threats

• Traditional food agriculture systems not aware
  of energy- industry markets
• Variety of feedstocks with different physical-
  chemical properties
• Lack of specified agricultural machinery for
  certain energy crops
• Low knowledge levels in the farming forestry
  communities
• Complexity of issues associated groups involved
  require prior to start- up planning and strong
  day-to-day coordination

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Biomass energy in south EU

• High growth rate in wind energy but slow
  expansion of biomass singled out as key reason
  for failure to reach targets.
• Modest progress in southern countries.
• Limited data for energy crops RTD small scale
  fields cannot give answers for commercial scale
  up
• Lack of forest management practices dedicated to
  energy in most south states

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Agro-biomass potentialLand use (Mha)
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Agro-biomass potentialDry biomass (Mt/y)
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Agro- biomass potentialDry biomass ()
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Agro- biomass potentialBiomass production (t)
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Forests EU 25 Land cover(2000)
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Annual increment, fellings (2000)
Growing stock(Million m3) EU N 6,420 EU C
10,546 EU S 2,767
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Current RTD projects

• ENK6 CT2001 00524 Bioenergy chains for south
  Europe
• Four perennial grasses giant reed, cynara,
  switcgrass, miscanthus
• Three thermochemical processes combustion,
  gasification, pyrolysis
• Whole chain economics environmental assessments
• Harvest window ensuring year round supply
• Good time allocation of resources
• Crops are complementary to current agricultural
  activities

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Current RTD projects

• Cynara cardunculus BIOCARD 6FP
• Perennial crop suitable to med conditions
• Can be rainfed
• Wide range of products from biodiesel, heat
  electricity
• Good potential for biorefinery feedstock

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Future RTD needs

• Establish competitive supply chains to meet
  market requirements.
• Optimise bioenergy systems, matching production
  options through to conversion requirements.
• Improve know-how for stages between production
  and conversion.

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Resource production

• Yield Characteristics
• Sustained high yields over long term under
  commercial (not research) conditions
• Multi-cropping of selected perennial crops for
  energy
• Optimise forest management systems also for
  energy
• Agronomy to influence biomass quality
• Combined approaches of residual biomass energy
  crops examined at pre-commercial chains
• Determine production systems that best integrate
  with chain including conversion requirements.

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Harvesting Collection

• Effectiveness Speed
• Test existing machinery
• Develop and test new machines and components
• Low contamination harvesting methods
• Harvesting and collection must be effective and
  high speed, deliver feedstock in optimal state,
  and minimize site impacts

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Storage Transport

• Reliability Quality
• Minimization of risks fire, health.
• Ensure quality feedstock physical specifications
• Optimise technology for chips / bales / pellets
• Assess different logistic structures, such as
  centralized fuel depots.

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System integration

• System sustainability energy and emissions
  balance over life cycle of chain
• System costs vertical integration or each step
  as profit centre?
• Stakeholders consultation agro-industry,
  hauliers, energy industry, local communities.
• Emergence of international trade of standardised
  biomass fuels impacts?
• Minimization of risk throughout the chain and
  demonstrating schemes can be financed.

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Challenges

• Supply the industry with secure raw material
• Efficient land use by the use of whole- crop
  solutions as well as exploiting both fertile and
  marginal land.
• Ensure that both primary production and residues
  will be evaluated for their energy potential
• Sustainability in biomass production- handling
• Improve the acceptability of biomass filiere by
  strengthening the communication channels among
  the relevant stakeholders, especially the
  farming- forestry sectors with the respective
  fuel and energy sectors.
• Local biomass production international biomass
  trade

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Future options

• Perennial crops, like cynara, giant reed,
  miscanthus and SRC like eycalypts, robinia
• Annual crops possibilities for double cropping
  like in Germany
• Green crop harvesting for AD-biogas and a second
  crop option for bioenergy biofuels??
• Integrate energy crops within the current crop
  patterns as complementary activities
• Ensure harvest window with crop selection
• Integrate forest agricultural activities to
  ensure supply

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Recommendations

• Integrated waste management strategies
• Introduce efficient land use strategies,
  complementary to current systems and regional
  characteristics
• Sustainable forest residual harvest for energy
  prevents fire risks. Make sure the message is
  clear enough!!

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Conclusions- Next Steps

• To be completed with your
• valuable input!!
• Thank you for your attention