17 research outputs found
How certain are greenhouse gas reductions from bioenergy? Life cycle assessment and uncertainty analysis of wood pellet-to-electricity supply chains from forest residues
Climate change and energy policies often encourage bioenergy as a sustainable greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction option. Recent research has raised concerns about the climate change impacts of bioenergy as heterogeneous pathways of producing and converting biomass, indirect impacts, uncertainties within the bioenergy supply chains and evaluation methods generate large variation in emission profiles. This research examines the combustion of wood pellets from forest residues to generate electricity and considers uncertainties related to GHG emissions arising at different points within the supply chain. Different supply chain pathways were investigated by using life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyse the emissions and sensitivity analysis was used to identify the most significant factors influencing the overall GHG balance. The calculations showed in the best case results in GHG reductions of 83% compared to coal-fired electricity generation. When parameters such as different drying fuels, storage emission, dry matter losses and feedstock market changes were included the bioenergy emission profiles showed strong variation with up to 73% higher GHG emissions compared to coal. The impact of methane emissions during storage has shown to be particularly significant regarding uncertainty and increases in emissions. Investigation and management of losses and emissions during storage is therefore key to ensuring significant GHG reductions from biomass
Impacts of land use change to short rotation forestry for bioenergy on soil greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon
Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) for bioenergy could be used to meet biomass
requirements and contribute to achieving renewable energy targets. As an important
source of biomass it is important to gain an understanding of the implications of
large-scale application of SRF on the soil-atmosphere greenhouse gas (GHG)
exchange. This study examined the effects of land use change (LUC) from grassland
to SRF on soil fluxes of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2),
and the important drivers in action.
Examining soils from a range of sites across the UK, CO2 emission potentials were
reduced under SRF with differences between coniferous and broadleaved transitions;
these changes were found to be related to changes in soil pH and microbial biomass.
However, there were limited effects of SRF tree species type on CH4 and N2O fluxes.
A detailed study at an experimental SRF site over 16 months demonstrated a
reduction in CH4 and net CO2 emissions from soils under SRF and revealed intriguing
temporal dynamics of N2O under Sitka spruce and common alder. A significant
proportion of the variation in soil N2O fluxes was attributed to differences between
tree species, water table depth, spatial effects, and their interactions. The effects of
microtopography (ridges, troughs, flats), and its interactions with water table depth
on soil GHG fluxes under different tree species was tested using mesocosm cores
collected in the field. Microtopography did not significantly affect soil GHG fluxes
but trends suggested that considering this spatial factor in sampling regimes could
be important. N2O fluxes from Sitka spruce soils did not respond to water table depth
manipulation in the laboratory suggesting that they may also be determined by tree-driven
nitrogen (N) availability, with other research showing N deposition to be
higher in coniferous plantations. An N addition experiment lead to increased N2O
emissions with greatest relative response in the Sitka spruce soils.
Overall, LUC from rough grassland to SRF resulted in a reduction in soil CH4
emissions, increased N2O emissions and a reduction or no change in net CO2
emissions. These changes in emissions were influenced both directly and indirectly
by tree species type with Sitka spruce having the greatest effect on N2O in particular,
thus highlighting the importance of considering soil N2O emissions in any life cycle
analysis or GHG budgets of LUC to SRF for bioenergy. This research can help inform
decisions around SRF tree species selection in future large-scale bioenergy planting