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The European Environment AgencyThe European Environment Agency

... is the EU body dedicated to providing sound, independent information on the environment

... is a main information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public

www.eea.eu.int

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Tobias WiesenthalEuropean Environment Agency

How much bioenergy can Europe produce How much bioenergy can Europe produce without harming the environment?without harming the environment?

JRC/EEA/CENER/CIEMAT Workshop on ’Sustainable bioenergy cropping systems in the Mediterranean’

Madrid, 9-10 Feb 2006

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Presentation overviewPresentation overview

• Introduction and motivation

• Environmental considerations and implications for the potential • agriculture

• (forestry, waste)

• Overall environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential

• Co-benefits

• Challenges in the Mediterranean

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Motivation: Biomass drives renewables Motivation: Biomass drives renewables growthgrowth

BUT can cause environmental pressuresBUT can cause environmental pressures

Biomass

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

19

90

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91

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92

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93

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94

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95

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96

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97

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98

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99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

10

20

20

20

30

Mill

ion

TO

E Total energy production from renewables

Biomass use today

ca. 69 Mtoe

EU-15 indicative 2010 target for renewables: 12%

130 Mtoe biomass

150 Mtoe for EU-25 (Biomass Action Plan)

Future renewable targets in 2020:

230–250 Mtoe biomass

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EEA project: How much biomass can Europe EEA project: How much biomass can Europe use without harming the environment?use without harming the environment?

Objective: determine the bioenergy potential from agriculture, forest, waste in 2010, 2020, 2030, which

- causes no additional pressure on farmland and forest biodiversity and soil and water resources

- Respects other environmental objectives

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• Institute for applied ecology (Oeko-Institut)• Wageningen University & Research, Alterra• AEA-Technology• European Forest Institute• Vienna University of Technology• Fraunhofer Institute ISI• RIVM

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Agriculture: potential risks due to Agriculture: potential risks due to increased bioenergy productionincreased bioenergy production

• Increased pressure on the entire agricultural sector, thus causing intensification and larger field sizes (caused by ‘economy of scales’).

• Incentives to transform extensively used grassland into arable land for growing bioenergy crops.

• A bioenergy crop mix, which does not take account of the specific pressures of different crops in the context of the main environmental problems in a particular region.

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Environmental criteriaEnvironmental criteria

Extensively cultivated farmland usually has higher biodiversity value

30% of Utilized Agricultural Area ‘environmentally oriented’ farming in 2030 (except Be, Lux, Malta, NL)

High loss of biodiversity & release of soil carbon if grassland is transformed into arable land

Only extensive bioenergy use from grassland

Some farmland species require “ecological stepping stones”

set-aside 3% of intensively used farmland for nature conservation

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Area needed for food and fodder production

UAA

Area needed for food and fodder production

Released land

IncreaseEOF

Released olive

groves & grass land

Released arableland suitable for

dedicated bioenergy production

land to produce exports

Competitioneffect betweenenergy

and food markets

additionalarableland

Yield increaseCAP reform

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Agricultural area for bioenergy productionAgricultural area for bioenergy production taken into account environmental constraintstaken into account environmental constraints

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

EU-15 EU-15+8

EU-15 EU-15+8

EU-15 EU-15+8

available grass land and olive groves

additional available land ONLY for France and Germany(correction with high bioenergy price, reduced exports)

available arable land

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

EU-10 EU-15 EU-25 EU-10 EU-15 EU-25 EU-10 EU-15 EU-25

10

00

ha

available grass land andolive groves

additional available landdue to high energy andcarbon price(only for Germany andFrance)

available arable land

2010

2030

2020

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Agricultural bioenergy:Agricultural bioenergy: minimise environ- minimise environ-mental pressure by growing the right cropsmental pressure by growing the right crops

1. Every bioenergy crop has a specific env. performance

2. Grow bioenergy crops with low environmental pressure

3. Set the crop-specific pressure into context of specific env. characteristics of the region

• erosion• soil compaction• nutrient inputs

ground& surface water• pesticide pollution of

soils and water• water abstraction• "increased fire risk“• biodiversity• (diversity of crop type)

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Priorisation of annual crops for the Priorisation of annual crops for the Mediterranean SouthMediterranean South

Medit. SouthOtherCereals

cultivatedgrass

Clover.alfalfa

Sorghum

Wheat

Sunflower

Sugarbeets

Potatoes Maize

erosion A A A A A B/C C C C

soil compaction A A/B A/B A A A C C B

nutrient inputs groundwater A B B A A A/B B B C

nutrient inputs in surface water A B B A A A/B B/C B/C C

pesticide pollution of soils and water

A A A B/C A B B B C

water abstraction A A A A B B B C A/B

increased fire risk --- C --- A --- --- --- --- ---

Link to farmland biodiversity B B/C B B B/C A/B B B/C C

(diversity of crop types) B A A B C A (B/C)

B A/B B/C

Note: A means low risk, C high risk

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Environmental ‘ranking’ of energy Environmental ‘ranking’ of energy crops by climatic zonecrops by climatic zone

• Multi-year “crops” (SRF/perennials) often more favourable than annual crops: support erosion protection and reduce N input

• Look for high yield (annual) cropping systems which enable extensive cropping: 2-culture systems of annual crops offer low biocide/fertilizer input and maximum output, no tilling

• Priorisation of annual crops for the nemoral and boreal zone: linseed cereals oilseed rape sugar beet potatoes

NB: Farming practices are NOT taken into account!

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Available technologies

Gentle shift in crop mix

Environmental ranking

Yield

by zone & crop

ENVIRONMENTALLY-COMPATIBLE

AGRICULTURAL BIOENERGY POTENTIAL

SustainableBioenergy

CropMix

by MS

Land

Determing the agricultural bioenergy potentialDeterming the agricultural bioenergy potential

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Environmentally-compatible bioenergy Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential from agriculture by crop typepotential from agriculture by crop type

EU 25

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

2010 2020 2030

Mio

tOE

SRC+per. grass

crops for biogas

crops for EtOH+

cereals for EtOH

oil crops

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Examples for Mediterranean Examples for Mediterranean countriescountries

Spain

0

5

10

15

20

2010 2020 2030

SRC+per. grass

crops for biogas

crops for EtOH+

cereals for EtOH

oil crops

Italy

0

5

10

15

20

2010 2020 2030

Mio

tOE

SRC+per. grass

crops for biogas

crops for EtOH+

cereals for EtOH

oil crops

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ForestryForestry biomass biomass

complementary fellings

Stem wood and residues

residue extractionfrom stem wood demand

+ stem wood due to competition with other wood industry

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Forestry bioenergy: environmental Forestry bioenergy: environmental considerationsconsiderations

Forest residues regulate water flows

adapt extraction rate to soil water regime

Forest residues supply the ecosystem with nutrients

always leave foliage in the forest

adapt the residue extraction rate to soil nutrient balance

Forest residues reduce the risk of erosion never extract the roots

adapt extraction rate to local steepness

Increase share of deadwood and protected areas

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““Environmental” Environmental” local suitability local suitability

for residue for residue extraction extraction

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Environmentally-compatible Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential from forestsbioenergy potential from forests

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2010 2020 2030

En

erg

y p

ote

nti

al,

Mto

e Competitive use ofwood

Complementaryfellings stemwood

Complementaryfellings residues

Forest residues

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Biowaste scenariosBiowaste scenarios

Adaptation of baseline developments in line with assumptions in the • Forestry sub-project• Agricultural subproject• Overall energy scenario

+ introduction of further environmental criteria• greater waste reduction, e.g. households -25%• reduced landfill, enhanced recycling and

composting

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Environmentally-compatible biowaste Environmentally-compatible biowaste potentialpotential

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

2000 2010 2020 2030

Bio

wa

ste

po

ten

tia

l, m

toe/

ye

ar

Sewage sludge

Food processing residues

Dry manures

Other agricultural residues

Black liquor

Household waste wood

Packaging waste wood

Demolition wood

MSW (AD)

MSW (incineration)

Wood processing residues

Wet manures

Solid agricultural residues

Business as usual

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0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

250.0

300.0

350.0

2010 2020 2030

Pri

ma

ry b

iom

as

s p

ote

nti

al, M

toe

Additionalagriculturalpotential (DE,FR)

Additionalforest potential

Agriculture

Forestry

Waste

Effect of increasing energy and

CO2 prices

towards 2030

All sectors:All sectors: Environmentally-compatible Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential, EU-25bioenergy potential, EU-25

Conclusion 1: Environmental criteria are required. But even then, substantial, and increasing biomass potential could be available

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Conclusion 2: Explore co-benefits between Conclusion 2: Explore co-benefits between energy use and nature protectionenergy use and nature protection

1. Use cuttings from grassland • necessary to maintain biodiversity-rich grassland and landscape

diversity• provide (limited) amount of bioenergy (5-7% of total agric. potential)

2. Use new bioenergy crop systems and varieties• reduced environmental pressure: less nutrient input, enhanced crop diversity, less use of heavy machines lower, structural elements• high energy yield

3. Use forest residues • Can support fire prevention measures in otherwise unmanaged forests

in Southern Europe• provides bioenergy, covering (parts of) the cost of collection

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‚‚Dilemma‘ in the MediterraneanDilemma‘ in the MediterraneanVery special agro-environmental characteristics

• High risk of soil erosion

• Water abstraction problems

• Increased fire risk

• Relatively low share of arable land in UAA

• Medium to low-intensive farmland (HNV)

• Problems with land abandonment

• Need for alternative rural activities

Only few crops seemed suitable from an environmental perspective• Arable crops may increase water abstraction (double cropping no solution -> are there other high-yield, low input cropping systems?)

• Only few perennial crops suited for very arid summers (e.g. reed canary grass, switchgrass)

• But: Increased risk of fire; landscape considerations

Environmentally-compatible bioenergy production with large synergetic effects could be of high relevance

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Workshop objective: ’solving the Workshop objective: ’solving the dilemma’dilemma’

• What are the practical experiences made with the growth of ‘conventional’ bioenergy crops (yields, environmental pressures)?

• Are there any other crops or crop combinations and agroforestry options that can combine low input and high yields? How about fire risks etc.?

• What is the environmental impact of different bioenergy crops in the agro-environmental context of the Mediterranean?

• Which social, economical and consideration will have to be respected with regards to bioenergy production in the Mediterranean ?

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Tobias WiesenthalEuropean Environment Agencyphone : +45 3336 – 7194 tobias.wiesenthal@eea.eu.int

Thank you very much for your attention

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Structure of the projectStructure of the project

macroeconomic assumptions; energy prices;climate targets

Agriculture Forestry Waste

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential in 2010, 2020, 2030

EEA scenarios and environmental assumptions

macroeconomic assumptions; energy prices;climate targets

Agriculture Forestry Waste

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential in 2010, 2020, 2030

macroeconomic assumptions; energy prices;climate targets

Agriculture Forestry Waste

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

marke

t trend

s

enviro

nme

ntalcrite

ria

Environmentally-compatible bioenergy potential in 2010, 2020, 2030

EEA scenarios and environmental assumptions

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Priorisation of annual crops for the Priorisation of annual crops for the Mediterranean NorthMediterranean North

Medit. NorthOtherCereals

cultivatedgrass

Cloveralfalfa

Sorghum

Wheat

Sunflower

Sugarbeets

Potatoes

Maize

erosion A A A A A B/C C C C

soil compaction A A/B A/B A A A C C B

nutrient inputs groundwater A B B A A A/B B B C

nutrient inputs in surface water

A B B A A A/B B/C B/C C

pesticide pollution of soils and water

A A A B/C A B B B C

water abstraction A A A A B B B C A/B

increased fire risk --- C --- A --- --- --- --- ---

Link to farmland biodiversity B B/C B B B/C A/B B B/C C

diversity of crop types B A A B C A (B/C)

B A/B B/C

Note: A means low risk, C high risk

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Forests available forwood supply

Sustainable harvest level

Forestsnot availablefor woodsupply

Criteria 4, 5: more deadwoodmore protected areas

Fellings to fulfil market demand

for wood products

Complimentary fellings

Stem wood

Residues

Residues

Stem wood

environ-mental

criteria 1-3: site

suitability

En

v.-c

om

pat

ible

po

ten

tial

Wo

od

ind

ust

ry

competition effect for high

energy prices

Forestry: approachForestry: approach

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Which technologies can exploit the Which technologies can exploit the environmentally-compatible potential?environmentally-compatible potential?

• Heat and electricity production are better suited to use solid biomass, perennials, biogas etc.

• 2nd generation biofuel technologies are promising from an environmental perspective (BTL, biogas, ethanol+) as they can use ligno-cellulosic material:

• Can use low-impact, high yield crops and grass cuttings as input • Allows the use of the important bioenergy potential from forestry

and waste, incl. by-products from agriculture

• Environmentally-friendly crop mixes favour perennials and low-impact, high yield crops 1st generation biofuel production has limited potential Sugar beet and oilseed rape appear not so favourable