EU sustainability criteria for biofuels potentially restrict ley crop production on marginal land for use as biogas substrate
(2013) The Role of Grasslands in a Green Future: Threats and Perspectives in Less Favoured Areas 18. p.528-530- Abstract
- Ley crops can be grown to provide a substrate for biogas vehicle-fuel production on a range of soils including marginal land. According to EU regulations, such biofuel currently has to achieve an emission reduction of 35%, but tightened goals of 50 and 60% will come into effect as early as 2017. In two field trials (one on marginal soil, one on productive soil) ley crop mixtures were tested and the biomass DM yield was determined. In a life-cycle assessment approach, the emissions of the production chain for biogas-vehicle-fuel were
estimated for a range of biomass DM yields. The results show that the emission intensity per energy unit of fuel produced is an asymptotic function of the DM yield. Currently, marginal lands not... (More) - Ley crops can be grown to provide a substrate for biogas vehicle-fuel production on a range of soils including marginal land. According to EU regulations, such biofuel currently has to achieve an emission reduction of 35%, but tightened goals of 50 and 60% will come into effect as early as 2017. In two field trials (one on marginal soil, one on productive soil) ley crop mixtures were tested and the biomass DM yield was determined. In a life-cycle assessment approach, the emissions of the production chain for biogas-vehicle-fuel were
estimated for a range of biomass DM yields. The results show that the emission intensity per energy unit of fuel produced is an asymptotic function of the DM yield. Currently, marginal lands not competing with food production can provide biofuels fulfilling the emission
reduction requirements. However, a tightening of the goals to 50 or 60% is likely to cause a shift in biomass production towards better soils, potentially causing competition with food and feed production. Alternatively, the CO2 emissions from biomass production of marginal
soils need to be further reduced, e.g. by increased nitrogen fixation or reduced machinery use. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4678856
- author
- Prade, Thomas ; Svensson, Sven-Erik ; Mattsson, Jan Erik ; Carlsson, Georg ; Björnsson, Lovisa LU ; Börjesson, Pål LU and Lantz, Mikael LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2013
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- greenhouse gas emissions, energy balance, systems analysis, substrate, biogas
- host publication
- Grassland Science in Europe
- editor
- Helgadóttir, Áslaug and Hopkins, Alan
- volume
- 18
- pages
- 528 - 530
- publisher
- European Grassland Federation EGF
- conference name
- The Role of Grasslands in a Green Future: Threats and Perspectives in Less Favoured Areas
- conference location
- Akureyri, Iceland
- conference dates
- 2013-06-23 - 2013-06-26
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- f10a4b93-2037-4a22-9a80-b50c5f31865c (old id 4678856)
- alternative location
- http://www.europeangrassland.org/printed-matter/proceedings.html
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 11:51:40
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 21:07:41
@inproceedings{f10a4b93-2037-4a22-9a80-b50c5f31865c, abstract = {{Ley crops can be grown to provide a substrate for biogas vehicle-fuel production on a range of soils including marginal land. According to EU regulations, such biofuel currently has to achieve an emission reduction of 35%, but tightened goals of 50 and 60% will come into effect as early as 2017. In two field trials (one on marginal soil, one on productive soil) ley crop mixtures were tested and the biomass DM yield was determined. In a life-cycle assessment approach, the emissions of the production chain for biogas-vehicle-fuel were <br/><br> estimated for a range of biomass DM yields. The results show that the emission intensity per energy unit of fuel produced is an asymptotic function of the DM yield. Currently, marginal lands not competing with food production can provide biofuels fulfilling the emission <br/><br> reduction requirements. However, a tightening of the goals to 50 or 60% is likely to cause a shift in biomass production towards better soils, potentially causing competition with food and feed production. Alternatively, the CO2 emissions from biomass production of marginal <br/><br> soils need to be further reduced, e.g. by increased nitrogen fixation or reduced machinery use.}}, author = {{Prade, Thomas and Svensson, Sven-Erik and Mattsson, Jan Erik and Carlsson, Georg and Björnsson, Lovisa and Börjesson, Pål and Lantz, Mikael}}, booktitle = {{Grassland Science in Europe}}, editor = {{Helgadóttir, Áslaug and Hopkins, Alan}}, keywords = {{greenhouse gas emissions; energy balance; systems analysis; substrate; biogas}}, language = {{eng}}, pages = {{528--530}}, publisher = {{European Grassland Federation EGF}}, title = {{EU sustainability criteria for biofuels potentially restrict ley crop production on marginal land for use as biogas substrate}}, url = {{http://www.europeangrassland.org/printed-matter/proceedings.html}}, volume = {{18}}, year = {{2013}}, }