scholarly journals Environmental Sustainability of Heat Produced by Poplar Short-Rotation Coppice (SRC) Woody Biomass

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 878
Author(s):  
Giulio Sperandio ◽  
Alessandro Suardi ◽  
Andrea Acampora ◽  
Vincenzo Civitarese
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Woody Biomass ◽  
Short Rotation Coppice ◽  
Short Rotation ◽  
Forest Plants ◽  
Biomass Power Plant ◽  
Different Levels

As demonstrated for some time, the reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can also take place using agroforestry biomass. Short-rotation coppice (SRC) is one of the sources of woody biomass production. In our work, the supply of woody biomass was considered by examining four different cutting shifts (2, 3, 4 and 5 years) and, for each, the Global Warming Potential (GWP) was evaluated according to the IPCC 2007 method. Regarding the rotation cycle, four biomass collection systems characterized by different levels of mechanization were analyzed and compared. In this study, it was assumed that the biomass produced by the SRC plantations was burned in a 350 kWt biomass power plant to heat a public building. The environmental impact generated by the production of 1 GJ of thermal energy was assessed for each of the forest plants examined, considering the entire life cycle, from the field phase to the energy production. The results were compared with those obtained to produce the same amount of thermal energy from a diesel boiler. Comparing the two systems analyzed, it was shown that the production and use of wood biomass to obtain thermal energy can lead to a reduction in the Global Warming Potential of over 70% compared to the use of fossil fuel.

scholarly journals Carbon Footprint of Thermal Energy Production from Poplar Short-Rotation Coppice Plantations

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Giulio Sperandio ◽  
Alessandro Suardi ◽  
Andrea Acampora ◽  
Vincenzo Civitarese
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Wood Biomass ◽  
Short Rotation ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Biomass Plant ◽  
Forest Rotation

The use of agroforestry biomass represents a relevant aspect in the world debate on the issue of reducing climate-altering gases in the atmosphere. One of the possible sources of wood biomass production is represented by poplar SRC plantations. In the present work, the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the entire supply chain of four different cutting shifts (2, 3, 4, and 5 years) have been evaluated according to the IPCC method. In relation to the rotation cycle, four biomass harvesting systems were considered with a different level of mechanization. It was considered that the biomass produced by the plantations was used in a biomass plant for heating a public building. The environmental impact of 1 GJ of heat energy produced by the various forest rotation plants was assessed considering the entire life cycle, from the field stage to the thermal energy production. The results were compared with the production of the same quantity of thermal energy using a diesel boiler. The comparison between the two systems has shown that the production and use of biomass to generate thermal energy can reduce the Global Warming Potential by more than 70% compared to the use of fossil fuels.

scholarly journals Global Warming Potential of Biomass-to-Ethanol: Review and Sensitivity Analysis through a Case Study

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 2535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Pacheco ◽  
Carla Silva
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Electricity Mix ◽  
Ch4 And N2o ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Biomass To Ethanol

In Europe, ethanol is blended with gasoline fuel in 5 or 10% volume (E5 or E10). In USA the blend is 15% in volume (E15) and there are also pumps that provide E85. In Brazil, the conventional gasoline is E27 and there are pumps that offer E100, due to the growing market of flex fuel vehicles. Bioethanol production is usually by means of biological conversion of several biomass feedstocks (first generation sugar cane in Brazil, corn in the USA, sugar beet in Europe, or second-generation bagasse of sugarcane or lignocellulosic materials from crop wastes). The environmental sustainability of the bioethanol is usually measured by the global warming potential metric (GWP in CO2eq), 100 years time horizon. Reviewed values could range from 0.31 to 5.55 gCO2eq/LETOH. A biomass-to-ethanol industrial scenario was used to evaluate the impact of methodological choices on CO2eq: conventional versus dynamic Life Cycle Assessment; different impact assessment methods (TRACI, IPCC, ILCD, IMPACT, EDIP, and CML); electricity mix of the geographical region/country for different factory locations; differences in CO2eq factor for CH4 and N2O due to updates in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports (5 reports so far), different factory operational lifetimes and future improved productivities. Results showed that the electricity mix (factory location) and land use are the factors that have the greatest effect (up to 800% deviation). The use of the CO2 equivalency factors stated in different IPCC reports has the least influence (less than 3%). The consideration of the biogenic emissions (uptake at agricultural stage and release at the fermentation stage) and different allocation methods is also influential, and each can make values vary by 250%.

An economic assessment of the use of short-rotation coppice woody biomass to heat greenhouses in southern Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 374-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. McKenney ◽  
Denys Yemshanov ◽  
Saul Fraleigh ◽  
Darren Allen ◽  
Fernando Preto
Keyword(s):  
Woody Biomass ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Short Rotation Coppice ◽  
Short Rotation

scholarly journals Heat Transfer, Refrigeration and Heat Pumps

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (23) ◽  
pp. 7988
Author(s):  
Moonis R. Ally ◽  
Brian Fricke
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Alternative Refrigerants ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Low Global Warming Potential

The Special Issue entitled “Heat Transfer, Refrigeration and heat Pumps” accepted papers covering a wide range of topics related to heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and low-Global Warming Potential (GWP) alternative refrigerants [...]

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