The role of energy management in the agricultural sector: key prerequisites and impacts

Received: January 30th, 2023 ; Accepted: April 8th, 2023 ; Published: May 3rd , 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] is one of the most energy-consuming sectors in the EU’s economy. Implementing sustainable agriculture to reduce GHG emissions and increase energy efficiency through energy management is a crucial strategy to tackle climate change. In this paper, the role of energy management in the agricultural sector is studied, and experiences from Europe and the world have been considered. Literature analysis regarding the chosen topic has been conducted, including the methodology of energy management plan development and its implementation in the case study of Latvia. Data from Latvia’s agricultural and other sectors have been analysed and compared. Latvia’s Inventory Report regarding GHG emissions in the agricultural sector was reviewed, and all emission sources in the agricultural sector were highlighted. The primary purpose of the study is to find out if energy management were introduced in an agricultural company, what would be the potential GHG emission, energy savings and additional advantages. Two companies working in Latvia were surveyed, and potential emission and energy consumption reduction measures in agriculture that would be applied to companies were developed. The research showed that by implementing the basic principles of energy management, it would be possible to reduce the average energy consumption by 17%. If measures are applied to reduce GHG emissions from agricultural companies, the average emissions would be reduced by 43%

Carbon balance of biogas production from maize in Latvian conditions

Received: January 31st, 2021 ; Accepted: March 28th, 2021 ; Published: May 19th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] of biogas using bioresources of agricultural origin plays an important role in Europe’s energy transition to sustainability. However, many substrates have been denounced in the last years as a result of differences of opinion on its impact on the environment, while finding new resources for renewable energy is a global issue. The aim of the study is to use a carbon balance method to evaluate the real impact on the atmosphere by carrying out a carbon balance to objectively quantify naturally or anthropogenically added or removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This study uses Latvian data to determine the environmental impact of biogas production depending on the choice of substrate, in this case from specially grown maize silage. GHG emissions from specially grown maize use and cultivation (including the use of diesel fuel, crop residue and nitrogen fertilizer incorporation, photosynthesis), biogas production leaks, as well as digestate emissions (including digestate emissions and also saved nitrogen emissions by the use of digestate) are taken into account when compiling the carbon balance of maize. The results showed that biogas production from specially grown maize can save 1.86 kgCO2eq emissions per 1 m3 of produced biogas

Life cycle assessment of fish feed for oil alternatives - environmental impact of microalgae, rapeseed and fish oil

Received: January 31st, 2023 ; Accepted: May 7th, 2023 ; August 17th, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] is an inexpensive source of high-quality protein as well as valuable micronutrients. Increasing the volume of fish and producing more fish feed is necessary to ensure the necessary consumption. One of the main components of fish feed is oil, the most crucial lipid source in fish feed. Fish oil is easily digestible and contains essential fatty acids, but replacing fish oil with alternative oil might make the fish feed more sustainable. Vegetable oils can replace fish oil due to reduced costs due to continued growth in production volumes, high availability and better economic value. Soy, linseed, rapeseed, sunflower, palm and olive oils are often used in fish feed. Also, microalgae oil is rich in essential fatty acids and a long-lasting alternative to fish oil. Important is not only the environmental impact of oil alternatives but also how these alternatives maintain or even improve the overall composition and quality of fish feed and products. An LCA assessment was performed to determine the environmental impact of microalgae, rapeseed oil, and fish oil. Where LCA system boundaries are “cradle to gate” and a functional unit of 1 kg of oil. LCA inventory is data from a literature review and SimaPro Ecoinvent database. The results obtained from LCA are based on PEFCR impact assessment categories. The LCA results show that the single score value for microalgae oil is 1.00E+00 mPt, for rapeseed oil 3.55E-01 mPt and fish oil 1.61E-01 mPt. It should be noted that the comparison presented reflects a generic comparison of alternatives, as the input data is derived from the literature analysis and the Ecoinvent v3.8 database