Title:
The Renewable Energy Directive and Cereal Residues
Author(s):
Whittaker, C., McManus, M.C.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
The treatment of cereal residues is a contentious issue in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reporting for biomass and biofuels. Wheat cultivation is highly emission intensive, mainly due to the manufacture and application of nitrogen¬based fertilisers; therefore decisions on allocation can greatly affect both 1st and 2nd generation biofuels. The European Commission's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) currently considers cereal residues to be acquired from soil at a zero GHG ‘cost'. This paper questions this reasoning, by considering the impact of allocation on the overall emissions per tonne of straw, and also examining the impacts of straw removal from soil. The impacts are considered based on direct impacts from removal of nutrients in the straw, or from the forgone benefits or avoided emissions from straw incorporation, such as forgone carbon sequestration and avoided nitrous oxide emission from straw incorporation. The paper represents preliminary research and concludes that more research is required on other impacts of straw removal, as well determining the likelihood that straw would be removed in a non¬sustainable manner due to increases in straw prices.
Keywords:
biofuels, wheat straw, LCA methodology, greenhouse gas reporting
Topic:
Biomass Policies, Markets and Sustainability
Subtopic:
Sustainability assessment and criteria
Event:
20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
5DO.1.2
Pages:
2049 - 2057
ISBN:
978-88-89407-54-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-5DO.1.2
Price:
FREE
