Title:
Environmental and Economic Assessment of Planting Cover Crops for Energy Production
Author(s):
Golkowska, K., Igos, E., Koster, D., Vervisch, B., Benetto, E.
Document(s):
Paper
Slide presentation
Abstract:
The study analyzed cover crops as a source of biomass (not competing with food and feed) for energy production. The field trials with maize (main crop) and winter rye (cover crop) were accompanied by an economic study, comparing the costs of rye silage production to possible revenues from its selling, as well as an environmental analysis of anaerobic co-digestion of rye. The total cultivation costs of rye reach 680-810€/ha and revenues of 102-232€/ha can be generated. Cultivation of rye and its use in co-digestion generates advantages linked to optimized land use, applying less fertilizer and no herbicides, reducing leaching effects and avoiding biomass transport, as compared to digestion of solely maize silage. However, for the production of 1 MJ of energy, larger amounts of rye silage are required as compared to maize, which counterbalances the advantages of rye. According to the summarized results, cover crops can be considered as additional biomass source securing local supplies with an overall similar balance of environmental impacts when comparing to the digestion of maize silage and additionally generating multiple benefits for the soil and profits for the farmer.
Keywords:
anaerobic digestion, economic assessment, life cycle assessment (LCA), maize, cover crops, winter rye
Topic:
Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability
Subtopic:
Environmental impacts of bioenergy
Event:
23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
4BO.11.3
Pages:
1372 - 1375
ISBN:
978-88-89407-516
Paper DOI:
10.5071/23rdEUBCE2015-4BO.11.3
Price:
FREE
