Biobased Combined Heat and Power Production in Sweden – Opportunities for and Challenges to Sustainability from the Plant Operator Perspective

Although combined heat and power (CHP) production in Sweden is already largely decarbonised, this technology has further potential to alleviate pressing environmental concerns. Today, biobased CHP plants connected to district heating (DH) grids dominate the Swedish residential heating sector. The societal context in which CHP plants operate is, however, subject to continuous change. New aims and requirements concerning decarbonisation and resource efficiency are being discussed and implemented in the political arena to promote the shift towards a sustainable energy system. These include the cascading use of biomass, bioenergy carbon capture, support schemes for innovative investments, life-cycle-based climate performance regulations, and circularity demands. Such shifts affect the operation of CHP plants and can provide new opportunities and challenges that have not yet been investigated. Neither are the consequences fully understood in the scientific or political community. This thesis presents an investigation of the opportunities and challenges facing CHP plant operators within the context of a shift towards a sustainable energy system. Issues of environmental relevance were investigated through a case study of a Swedish wood-fuelled CHP plant. The recycling of wood ash to forest soils after logging residue outtake is recommended to close the loop for forest nutrients and ensure forest production. However, co-incineration of waste wood and forest fuels in the Swedish DH sector was found to inhibit wood ash recycling, due to pollutants in the ash from waste wood. It was also found to be an overlooked challenge in the transition to a circular bioeconomy, where waste wood is utilised to produce energy. Other important issues in a circular bioeconomy are the efficient use of biomass and the production of high-value biobased products. CHP plants are dependent on a stable heat demand to operate efficiently. The addition of a pyrolysis unit, a heat-demanding process, to produce liquid biofuels that could increase the uptime and open up an additional market for CHP plants as biorefineries was studied. Life-cycle analysis showed this to be technically feasible at the CHP plant studied, and to substantially improve the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits. Negative GHG emissions have been deemed by the IPCC to be an important complement in achieving net zero GHG emissions. Biobased CHP plants can contribute to negative emissions through the implementation of carbon capture. However, these technologies are energy-demanding, and thus reduce the energy efficiency of the plant. It was shown that the carbon mitigation potential of installing equipment for carbon capture or liquid biofuel production was highly dependent on which energy sources compen-sate for the changes in the value chains, which is in turn dependent on the decarbonisation of the surrounding energy system. An important outcome of the work presented in this thesis is the identification of existing and emerging opportunities and challenges related to sustainability in biobased CHP plants, which can contribute to, or hamper, the fulfilment of environmental goals. The studies on these opportunities and challenges can prove valuable knowledge for other countries and regions that are planning to develop biobased CHP plants with DH grids. Successful navigation of these opportunities and challenges by policy makers and CHP plant stakeholders will be instrumental in ensuring a decarbonised and resource-efficient energy system

Effects of biochar on the water-holding capacity of soils

Biochar is a residual product that is produced by combustion of organic material at a restricted amount of oxygen, so called pyrolysis. It has been seen that biochar could have positive effects when incorporated in soils, such as increasing the water-holding capacity and decreasing the dry bulk density. The water-holding capacity of a soil is of interest since the future holds a warmer climate which could result in soils being a subject of water scarcity. Biochar could also be a useful way to sustainably store carbon to deal with global warming. In this report the results from a field experiment with biochar is represented and discussed. The experiment was conducted at Stenhuse gård which is located in Klintehamn on Gotland. Gotland is known for having problem with water scarcity and the soil at Stenhuse gård is a sandy soil. The experiment was initiated by Waila AB and financed by the EU. The purpose of the field experiment is to decide the effect biochar has on the water-holding capacity in the soil. The result from this study show tendencies of an effect from the application of biochar on the soils water-content, dry bulk density, organic carbon and water-holding capacity. The results show no significant effect from any of the four biochar treatments compared to the control group. The reason for the lack of statistical significance is probably due to too few samples taken on each trial square of the experiment on Stenhuse gård. It would likely have been a lower variance between the observations if more samples had been conducted and therefore the statistical analysis could have a shown a statistical significance. The experimental design should also have focused on designing the five treatments to have only one changing variable (in this case the biochar), since the treatments had different amounts and types of fertilizers. More studies should be conducted to ensure the effect biochar has on a soil after incorporation

Working from the heart - cultivating feminist care ethics through care farming in Sweden

In this paper we explore why and how women and men farmers carry out care farming, paying attention to farming being gendered. We engage in geographical research on feminist care ethics to understand care farming by considering the people-place relationships cultivated. We draw on post-structural feminist understandings of gendered farm subjectivities, thereby exploring the emergence of new gender subjectivities. The paper fills research gaps on farmers providing care, and on the gendered nature of care farming. To the feminist geographic theorisations on feminist care ethics, we contribute a post-structural feminist approach. Empirically, the study builds on farm visits and 20 semi-structured interviews with women and men engaged in care farming on 12 farms in rural Sweden. We conclude that care farmers cultivate feminist care ethics as an ontology of connections, by working from the heart. This has meant care farmers are developing people-place and people-people connections. Feminist care ethics is, on the one hand a way of expressing criticism of current societal developments such as productivist agriculture and efficiency orientated welfare provisioning and, on the other, a way of making a difference. Feminist care ethics also includes the development of new gender subjectivities for both women and men farmers. We suggest that care farming implies farming otherwise, which shifts the farms to places of care, instead of food production. Altogether, we argue that care farmers nurturing feminist care ethics challenge the very conceptualisation of agriculture - from cultivating animals and plants to cultivating connections

Wetlands and nutrient retention in the stream Lillån : where should they be located and what effect may be expected?

Construction of wetlands in the agricultural landscape may reduce nitrogen and phosphorus transfer to streams, thereby reducing the eutrophication of lakes and seas. The agriculturalstream Lillån, a tributary to stream Sagån, ends up in Lake Mälaren and is transporting large amounts of these plant nutrients. The aim of this study was to estimate how hypothetical wetlands of different size and location may reduce nitrogen and phosphorus load from stream Lillån. Estimated nutrient retention in several small wetlands was compared to retention in a single large wetland based on existing data from the agricultural stream and from a nearby smaller stream. Retention in the stream was suggested to decrease along with the nutrient concentration in the water. Total nitrogen was found to be retained more efficiently with one large wetland located far downstream in the system (13 %) compared to several small wetlands high up in the stream (8 %). Nutrient retention would be largely influenced based on the assumed effect on the quality of water leaving all the small wetlands. However, size and location turned out to be less important for phosphorus retention (40 % with one large wetland compared to 38 % with several small wetlands) based on adopted assumptions. These included that retention of phosphorus in the stream was more or less negligible compared to the retention in wetlands. Nitrogen retention was estimated to be more efficient in larger wetlands (111 kg ha-1 yr-1) compared to smaller (95 kg ha-1 yr-1), except for in the winter period December to April. In this period nitrogen retention was found to be practically the same in both large and small wetlands.Anläggning av våtmarker i odlingslandskapet kan vara ett sätt att reducera närsaltstransporten till våra sjöar och hav. Den här uppsatsen syftar till att uppskatta hur stor denna reduktion skulle bli och vilken effekt placeringen av våtmarkerna skulle få. De flesta studierna av näringsretention i våtmarker har gjorts i södra Sverige. Både näringsnivåerna och den hydrologiska regimen är annorlunda i Västmanland än i södra Sverige vilket man måste ha med i bedömningen om resultaten som här är baserade på erfarenheter från sydliga våtmarker. Den specifika avskiljningen av kväve var enligt beräkningarna i hög grad styrd av belastningen och därmed avrinningen. Stora skillnader i reningseffekter sågs mellan olika år, vilket till stor del beror på att avrinningen varierar. Avrinnande vatten för med sig näringsämnen och den varierande näringsämnesbelastningen leder till en varierande avskiljning. Avskiljningen i de tänkta våtmarkerna varierade på ungefär samma sätt i de små och i de stora våtmarkerna, med skillnaden att den i genomsnitt var något högre i de stora under den torrare perioden. I medeltal var avskiljningen 95 kg ha-1 år-1 i de små våtmarkerna och 111 kg ha-1år-1 i de stora. 26 För att få en mer heltäckande bild av näringstransporterna togs retentionen i själva vattendraget med i beräkningarna. Retentionen i vattendraget antogs minska när små våtmarker placerades i odlingslandskapet, eftersom vattnet som då nådde vattendraget till viss del hade renats i våtmarkerna och därför hade lägre närsaltshalter. Antagandet fick olika stort utslag på kväve och på fosfor beroende på att de sedan tidigare hade beräknats reduceras till olika stor del i själva vattendraget. Kväveavskiljningen var enligt resultaten mycket beroende av både fördelning och placering av våtmarken i avrinningsområdet. Med en stor våtmark skulle reningen bli 13 % av den totala belastningen och med små våtmarker bara 8 %. För fosforreningen spelar våtmarkernas fördelning och placering inte lika stor roll; med en stor våtmark beräknades reningen till 40 % och med flera små till 38 %. Med en satsning på våtmarker i Lillån enligt vad som föreslås i den här rapporten skulle det regionala målet på 200 ha anlagda våtmarker i Västmanland till år 2010 till nära hälften kunna uppnås

The role of parks during the covid-19 pandemic : how a virus highlighted the importance of green environments

Denna studie har undersökt om och hur coronapandemin har påverkat människors användning och relation till utemiljön i en urban kontext. De hälsofrämjande effekter som gröna miljöer har på människan är extra viktiga under en tid som präglas av uppochnedvänd vardag, social distans, distansarbete, rädsla och oro. Den urbana parken bidrar till återhämtning och stressreducering och närheten till den bidrar till ökad fysisk aktivitet, ökad fysisk hälsa och till och med ökad nivå av upplevd lycka. Parker och grönområden har visat sig ha en buffrande inverkan för den personliga hanteringen av coronapandemins negativa effekter. Medvetenheten kring vikten av gröna miljöer har ökat och genom det, även önskan att besöka dem. Användningen av parker och grönområden har gått upp under coronapandemin och intresset för friluftsliv och friluftsaktiviteter för unga har ökat. Denna studie belyser för vikten av urbana grönområden, både i kristid och i vardag, och visar på hur landskapsarkitektur och strategisk stadsplanering kan vara betydelsefulla verktyg i förberedelser inför framtidens pandemier.This study has examined whether and how the corona pandemic has affected people's use and relationship to the outdoor environment in an urban context. The health-promoting effects that green environments have on humans are extra important during a time characterized by upside-down everyday life, social distancing, working from home, fear and anxiety. The urban park contributes to recreation and stress recovery and the proximity to a park also contributes to increased physical activity, increased physical health and even increased levels of perceived happiness. Parks and green spaces have been shown to have a buffering effect against the negative effects of corona pandemic on an individual level. Awareness of the importance of green spaces has increased and through it, so has the desire to visit them. The use of parks and green spaces has increased during the corona pandemic and interest in outdoor life and outdoor activities for young people has increased. This study sheds light on the importance of urban green spaces, both in times of crisis and in everyday life, and it shows how landscape architecture and strategic city planning can be important tools in preparing for future pandemics

Wizards of Oz in the Evolving Map of Design Research – Trying to Frame GUI Interaction Interviews

We present and discuss GUI-ii, Graphical User Interface interaction interview, a method used to remotely discuss, develop and test GUI prototypes with users and stakeholders. Examples of such sessions are presented to demonstrate that the main benefits of GUI-ii are that this way of co-designing allows for interaction-informed discussions around functions and user interfaces, where re-design and hands-on experience can be integrated and efficiently carried out remotely. Using a facilitation tool to enact GUI layout and responses allows participation and evaluation to take turns in participatory design processes in a productive way. We discuss this form of Participatory Design along the dimensions found in Sanders’ Map of Design Research. The discussion concludes that GUI-ii facilitates participation by relaxing demands for physical presence and by allowing people to participate from their own work environment while still making it easy for them to directly influence contents, structure and interaction

Conceptualising feminist resistance in the postfeminist terrain

PurposeIn this paper, women entrepreneurs are seen as leaders and women leaders as entrepreneurial, making both groups an easy target of postfeminist expectations, governed by calls to embody the entrepreneurial self. Acknowledging that the entrepreneurial self has its roots in the universal, rational and autonomous subject, which was shaped in a male form during the Enlightenment, the purpose of this study is to conceptualise feminist resistance as a process through which the autonomous subject can be de-stabilised.Design/methodology/approachEmpirically, this study draws on an extensive research project on women’s rural entrepreneurship that includes 32 in-depth interviews with women entrepreneurs in rural Sweden. This study interpreted expressions of resistance from the women by using an analytical framework the authors developed based on Jonna Bornemark’s philosophical treatise.FindingsFeminist resistance unfolds as an interactive and iterative learning process where the subject recognises their voice, strengthens their voice and beliefs in a relational process and finally sees themselves as a fully fledged actor who finds ways to overcome obstacles that get in their way. Conceptualising resistance as a learning process stands in sharp contrast to the idea of resistance as enacted by the autonomous self.Research limitations/implicationsThis study helps researchers to understand that what they may have seen as a sign of weakness among women, is instead a sign of strength: it is a first step in learning resistance that may help women create a life different from that prescribed by the postfeminist discourse. In this way, researchers can avoid reproducing women as “weak and inadequate”.Originality/valueThrough the re-writing of feminist resistance, the masculine entrepreneurship discourse including the notion of the autonomous self is challenged, and a counternarrative to the postfeminist entrepreneurial woman is developed. Theorising resistance as a learning practice enables a more transforming research agenda, making it possible to see women as resisting postfeminist expectations of endless competition with themselves and others

Identitet efterlyses! En narrativ studie om konstruktion av identitet i relation till ett självskadebeteende.

Abstract The purpose of our study has been to examine how individuals in selected autobiographies construct their self-image and identity based on their own experience of a self-harm behavior. Self-harm is a growing problem, especially among young people, and as future social workers we believe that our thesis can help to increase understanding of what self-injury can mean and the impact it can have on an individual. Using a narrative method, we have been able to interpret the authors' life stories and produce various narrative themes that we have interpreted on the basis of the personal identity creation. For our empirical material we have chosen five different autobiographies where self-harm has a central role in the life-story. The themes we saw as particularly central to our narrative analysis based on the personal identity creation were the creation of identity in relation to the self-image, attitude and relationships, the construction of gender roles, the body as an identity marker, group belonging, security and turning points

DNA-dependent conversion of Oct-1 and Oct-2 into transcriptional repressors by Groucho/TLE

POU domain proteins contain a bipartite DNA-binding element that can confer allosteric control of coactivator recruitment. Dimerization of Oct-1 and Oct-2 on palindromic response elements results in the conformational dependent inclusion or exclusion of the transcriptional coactivator OBF-1. In this paper, we demonstrate that Oct-1 and Oct-2 can function as transcriptional repressors by recruiting and physically interacting with members of the Grg/TLE family of corepressors. In accordance with a model of DNA induced cofactor assembly, and analogous to the recruitment of the OBF-1 coactivator, the different Grg/TLE members can discriminate between both Oct-1 and Oct-2, and the monomeric or dimeric nature of the POU/DNA complex