Delivering Sustainable

Bioenergy
Presentation
by
Sarah Young
Land Use Consultants
17th April 2007

Outline of presentation

1.

What is bioenergy?

2.

How much energy is currently produced from bioenergy?

3.

What is the scale of the opportunity?

4.

Can bioenergy really contribute towards reducing CO2?

5.

What are the environmental impacts of bioenergy production?

1. What is bioenergy?

Bioenergy is the inclusive term for all forms of biomass and biofuels
Biomass: refers to the use of biodegradable matter as a source of
renewable heat or electricity
Biofuels: are renewable transport fuels including:
Bioethanol
Biodiesel
Biogas
Biobutanol

What are the main sources of bioenergy?

Bioenergy (in the form of biomass or biofuels) can be generated from four
principle sources:

Woodfuels e.g. short rotation

coppice (SRC) and short rotation
forestry (SRF), forest residues and
low grade timber

Perennial grass crops e.g.

miscanthus

Conventional annual crops e.g.

sugar beet, cereal crops, sorghum,
oil seed rape, linseed and
sunflowers

SRC plantation

Miscanthus

Waste e.g. cow and pig slurry,

poultry litter and wood waste
Oilseed rape

2. How much energy is currently produced from bioenergy?

3. What is the scale of the opportunity?

The Government suggests that bioenergy
could provide:

5-6% of the UKs electricity supply by 2020 (currently1.5%)

7% of the heat market by 2015 (currently 1%)

5% of the UKs transport fuel demands by 2010 (currently 0.25%)

Woodfuel strategy for England suggests there is

the potential to use an extra 2 million tonnes of
wood from existing woodland alone

Resource map of Forestry residues in GB

How will this be realised?

Straw, waste wood and woodfuel have the greatest immediate potential to
contribute to renewable heat and power

Short rotation coppice and miscanthus offer significant potential in the

longer term but this will require a significant change in land-use

In the medium to long term, the development of new conversion

technologies will favour the more carbon-efficient multi-annual crops
(woodfuels, SRC and miscanthus) and reduce the demand for oilseed rape
and wheat as biofuels

Existing bioenergy use

Wood Based Fuels

Perennial Grasses

Electricity and Heat

Waste

Conventional Crops

Transport

but with second generation biofuels..

Wood Based Fuels

Perennial Grasses

Electricity and Heat

Waste

Conventional Crops

Transport

4. Can biomass really contribute towards reducing CO2?

Electricity Generation

% of green house gas

savings versus fossil fuel
reference

Grid Electricity
Electricity from miscanthus

84%

Electricity from SRC woodchip

84%

Electricity from forest residue

86%

Electricity from straw

59%

Small Scale Heating

Oil fired heating boiler
Combustion of woodchip

93%

Source: Defra from: Carbon and energy balances for a range of biofuels options, Sheffield Hallam University (2003);
and WTW evaluation for production of ethanol from wheat, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, (2004),

Can biofuels really contribute towards reducing CO2?

Transport Fuels

% saving in GHG versus fossil fuel reference

Source: Sheffield Hallam
Univ. (2003) & Low CVP
(2004)

Source: E4tech (May

2006)

Diesel (ultra low sulphur)

Biodiesel (from oil
seed rape)

53%

38 -57%

Biodiesel from
recycled vegetable
oil

85%

Second generation
diesel

94%

Ethanol from wheat

grains

49-67%

7-77%

Ethanol from sugar

54%

32-64%

Petrol (ultra low sulphur)

Conclusions on carbon savings

Carbon savings are difficult to predict as they are affected by agricultural

practice, production, processing methods and transportation of the
feedstock

The most carbon efficient conversion technologies are those that produce
heat or CHP directly from the energy crop rather than those that produce
electricity

Superior carbon savings can be achieved from second generation

biofuels produced from biomass

In addition, the estimated yield per hectare from second generation

feedstock is at least three times greater than that of rapeseed biomass

5. What are the environmental impacts of bioenergy?

Range of impacts both positive and negative that arise from use of
bioenergy
Focus on:
Wood based fuels:
short rotation coppice (SRC)
short rotation forestry (SRF)
forest residues and low grade timber
Not covering..
Perennial grass crops
Conventional annual crops
Waste

What is short rotation coppice?

Densely planted, high yielding

varieties of either willow or
popular

Harvested on average every 2-5

years

Expected lifespan of 15-25

years (corresponding to around
6 harvests)

Shoots usually harvested during

the winter as chips, short billets
or as whole stems

Yields from SRC at first harvest

range from 7-12 tonnes dry
weight/ha/yr

What are the environmental impacts of SRC?

Landscape

Threats

Opportunities

change in landscape
character
obscure landscape
features

add structural diversity

restore and reinstate boundary
features

displace open farmland

bird species
damage sensitive wetland
habitats

increase abundance/diversity
ground flora farmland bird
species and invertebrates
provide habitat for small
mammals
buffer woodlands and vulnerable
habitats

Biodiversity

Water

high water requirements

Soil

soil compaction

Archaeology

damage archaeological
sites and deposits

improve water quality

tackle nitrate pollution problems
treat wastewater
reduce soil erosion and
sedimentation problems

Management recommendations for SRC

Do:

Benefits:

use mixed species

biodiversity, landscape

incorporate headlands, rides & open spaces

biodiversity, landscape

locate to minimise transport

reduce CO2

coppice cyclically

biodiversity, landscape

limit use of fertiliser, herbicides & pesticides

biodiversity, water quality

Dont:

Impacts:

establish large monoculture blocks

biodiversity, landscape

replace land of high value for biodiversity

biodiversity

plant in low rainfall areas or on waterlogged soils

biodiversity

block recreational access

well-being

plant on sites of archaeological interest

heritage

What is short rotation forestry?

Cultivation of fast-growing trees that

reach their economically optimum size
between 8-20 years old

When felled - replaced by new planting

or regenerate from stumps as coppice

Varieties may include native species

such as alder, ash, birch, poplar,
sycamore (cultivars), and non-native
species such as eucalyptus and
southern beech (nothofagus)

What are the environmental impacts of SRF?

Landscape

Threats

Opportunities

non native species - impact

on landscape character
inappropriate in some open
landscapes

trees with dense canopies

discourage ground feeding
birds
displace birds adapted to
open habitats

Biodiversity

creation of new native

broadleaved woodland
expansion of existing woodland
increase biodiversity if native
species used
understorey vegetation can
provide habitat for invertebrate
and mammal species
increase abundance/diversity
woodland birds

Water

non-native species- high

water requirements

lower inputs required reduce

nitrate pollution

Soil

soil compaction during

harvesting

stabilising impact - reduce soil

erosion

Archaeology

root growth - damage

archaeological sites and
deposits

Management recommendations for SRF

Do:

Benefits:

incorporate 10-20% of open space

biodiversity, landscape

leave some areas to mature to old age

biodiversity

maximise diversity of woodland structure

biodiversity, landscape

harvest cyclically

biodiversity, landscape

use UK Woodland Assurance Standard

biodiversity, water quality

Dont:

Impacts:

plant in sensitive open landscapes

biodiversity, landscape

use non-native species

biodiversity

use exceptionally heavy equipment

soil structure, water

harvest forests on high carbon soils

release CO2

plant on sites of archaeological interest

heritage

What are forest residues and low grade timber?

Forest residues - harvesting

residues (i.e. lop and top or
brash) and small roundwood
(i.e. small stems of no
commercial value)

Low grade timber - poor

quality final crop and wood from
unmanaged coppice

Demand for woodfuel for

bioenergy has the potential to
create an economic rationale
for the re-introduction of
traditional sustainable
woodland management

What are the environmental impacts of forest residues and LGT?

Landscape

Threats

Opportunities

visual impact of new

access tracks
perception of rapid
changes to landscape

depletion of nutrients
deprivation of food and
habitat for small
invertebrates,
invertebrates, fungi
and bats etc
inadequate
regeneration following
cutting due to deer

Biodiversity

diversification of age structure of

woodlands (reduce storm damage)
restoration of historic coppiced
landscapes
diversification of woodland structure
increase in edge and ride habitats
increase in ground flora by reduction
in shadiness
thinning or felling of Plantations on
Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS)
restoration of neglected coppice
woodlands
removal of invasive scrub and trees
removal of rhododendron and other
invasive species from open habitats

What are the environmental impacts of forest residues and LGT?

Threats
Water

Soil

Archaeology

Opportunities

increased runoff and

impaired water quality
increased sedimentation
of water courses
damage to woodland soils
increased susceptibility to
soil erosion after
harvesting

heavy machinery and

creation of woodland
tracks - damage to
archaeological sites

counter 20th century increase

in nitrogen and potassium
levels in soils
establishment ground cover
reduce soil erosion
reduced risk of windblow
disturbing remains

Management recommendations for forest residues and LGT

Do:

Benefits:

adapt extraction rate to suit soil/ biodiversity

biodiversity, soils

undertake checks for protected species

biodiversity

increase structural diversity of woodland

biodiversity, landscape

leave some forest brash/ cut wood

biodiversity, soil & water

use UK Woodland Assurance Standard

biodiversity, water quality

Dont:

Impacts:

use exceptionally heavy harvesting equipment

soil structure, water

extract deadwood

biodiversity

whole tree harvest on sensitive sites

biodiversity, soil

Conclusions

Production of bioenergy from wood sources offers real potential to reduce

greenhouse gases and deliver substantial environmental benefits
however

Risk of placing environmental pressure on our limited natural resources

To realise opportunities, it is crucial that bioenergy is produced sustainably. We must

ensure that we:
- deliver real carbon savings
- avoid sensitive sites
- place particular emphasis on securing the future management of semi-natural
woodland
- use high environmental standards to maximise environmental benefits