| 1. |
- Ahlgren, Serina, et al.
(författare)
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Consequential Life Cycle Assessment of Nitrogen Fertilisers Based on Biomass – a Swedish perspective
- 2012
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Ingår i: Insciences Journal. - : Insciences Organization. - 1664-171X. ; 2, s. 80-101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The production of mineral nitrogen represents a large fossil energy input in Swedish agriculture. However, mineral nitrogen can be produced in the Haber-Bosch synthesis, with input from renewable energy. This could lower the dependency on fossil energy and the emissions of greenhouse gases in agricultural production. The aim of this study was to investigate the land use, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from the production of ammonium nitrate based on biomass, using consequential life cycle assessment methodology. Three scenarios are studied. In one scenario the Haber-Bosch synthesis is integrated in an existing forest residue fired combined heat and power plant. In another two scenarios thermochemical gasification of biomass in combination with Haber-Bosch synthesis is studied, using either straw or short rotation coppice (Salix) as raw material. The results showed that the greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil energy can be significantly lowered. The size of emission reductions compared to using fossil fuels as raw material is dependent on choice of data, but also choice of functional unit and if e.g. indirect land use change is included. The study also showed that using green nitrogen in rapeseed production substantially can lower the carbon footprint. Further, we argue that production of nitrogen based on renewables should be a high-priority activity, as nitrogen is one of the pillars for a secure food and bioenergy supply for a growing world population.
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| 2. |
- Ahlgren, Serina, et al.
(författare)
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Det svenska jordbrukets framtida drivmedelsförsörjning
- 2010
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Syftet med detta arbete är att visa på möjligheter för det svenska jordbruket att bli försörjt med drivmedel även i en framtid, när oljan har blivit för dyr eller sällsynt för att kunna användas i tillräcklig omfattning. Detta projekt studerar möjligheterna att ersätta fossil diesel med första och andra generationens förnybara drivmedel, och omfattar drivmedel från råvaror med ursprung i både jord- och skogsbruk. De drivmedel som studeras är etanol, rapsmetylester (RME), biogas, Fischer-Tropsch diesel (FTD), dimetyleter (DME) och metanol. Arealbehov, energibalans och kostnader har beräknats. Studien visar att det finns tillräckligt med arealer i Sverige för att lantbruket ska kunna bli självförsörjande med drivmedel. För de drivmedel som baseras på grödor framförallt första generationens drivmedel) kommer dock mängden mat som är möjlig att producera att minska. Andra generationens drivmedel kan med fördel produceras från biprodukter som halm och matproduktionen behöver då inte minskas
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Ahlgren, Serina, et al.
(författare)
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Nitrogen fertiliser production based on biogas - Energy input, environmental impact and land use
- 2010
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Ingår i: Bioresource Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-8524 .- 1873-2976. ; 101, s. 7181-7184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the present paper was to investigate the land use, environmental impact and fossil energy use when using biogas instead of natural gas in the production of nitrogen fertilisers The biogas was assumed to be produced from anaerobic digestion of ley grass and maize. The calculations showed that 1 ha of agricultural land in south-west Sweden can produce 1.7 metric ton of nitrogen in the form of ammonium nitrate per year from ley grass, or 3 6 ton from maize The impact on global warming, from cradle to gate, was calculated to be lower when producing nitrogen fertiliser from biomass compared with natural gas Eutrophication and acidification potential was higher in the biomass scenarios The greatest advantage of the biomass systems however lies in the potential to reduce agriculture's dependency on fossil fuels In the biomass scenarios, only 2-4 MJ of primary fossil energy was required, while 35 MJ/kg N was required when utilising natural gas (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved
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| 5. |
- Ahlgren, Serina, et al.
(författare)
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Tractive power in organic farming based on fuel cell technology : Energy balance and environmental load
- 2009
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Ingår i: Agricultural Systems. - : Elsevier BV. - 0308-521X .- 1873-2267. ; 102:1-3, s. 67-76
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study analysed a future hypothetical organic farm self-sufficient in renewable tractor fuel. Biomass from the farm was assumed to be transported to a central fuel production plant and the fuel returned to the farm, where it was utilised in fuel cell powered tractors. The land use, energy balance and environmental impact of five different scenarios were studied. In the first two scenarios, straw was used as raw material for production of hydrogen or methanol via thermochemical gasification. In the third and fourth scenarios, short rotation forest (Salix) was used as raw material for the same fuels. In the fifth scenario, ley was used as raw material for hydrogen fuel via biogas production. The straw scenarios had the lowest impact in all studied environmental impact categories since the Salix scenarios had higher soil emissions and the ley scenario had comparatively large emissions from the fuel production. The energy balance was also favourable for straw, 16.3 and 19.5 for hydrogen and methanol respectively, compared to Salix 14.2 and 15.6. For ley to hydrogen the energy balance was only 6.1 due to low efficiency in the fuel production. In the Salix scenarios, 1.6% and 2.0% of the land was set aside for raw material production in the hydrogen and methanol scenarios respectively. In the straw scenarios no land needed to be reserved, but straw was collected on 4.3% and 5.3% of the area for hydrogen and methanol respectively. To produce hydrogen from ley, 4% of the land was harvested. The study showed that the difference in environmental performance lay in choice of raw material rather than choice of fuel. Hydrogen is a gas with low volumetric energy density, which requires an adapted infrastructure and tractors equipped with gas tanks. This leads to the conclusion that methanol probably will be the preferred choice if a fuel cell powered farm would be put into practice in the future. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Ahmadi Moghaddam, Elham, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the potential for biomethane production by willow pyrolysis using life cycle assessment methodology
- 2019
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2192-0567. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundBiomethane, as a potential substitute for natural gas, reduces the use of fossil-based sources, promoting bioenergy applications. Biomethane for energy use can be produced using a variety of biomass types and technologies. Biomethane from farmland crops is currently produced by anaerobic digestion (AD) of energy crops, which is a biological treatment of organic material resulting in biomethane and digestate. Recently, thermochemical conversion technologies of biomass to biomethane have gained attention. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process whereby woody biomass is converted to fuel gas and biochar. This study assessed the land use efficiency of producing biomethane through a maize-based AD system compared with switching to a willow-based biomethane system using pyrolysis as an emerging technology. The energy performance and climate impact of the two pathways were assessed from a land use perspective, using life cycle assessment methodology. The entire technical system, from biomass production to delivery of biomethane as the end product, was included within the analysis. The study also investigated how the climate impact was affected when biochar was applied to soil to act as a soil amendment and carbon sequestration agent or when biochar was used as an energy source.ResultsPyrolysis of willow had a higher external energy ratio and climate mitigation effect than maize-based AD as a result of lower primary energy inputs and lower methane loss in the pyrolysis process and upgrading units. Furthermore, the biochar from willow pyrolysis, when used as a soil amendment or energy source, contributed significantly to the climate impact mitigation potential in both cases. Substituting fossil gas with biomethane gave a considerable reduction in climate impact in all scenarios, especially in the case of willow pyrolysis. The willow pyrolysis system acted as a carbon sink, resulting in a negative climate impact, counteracting global warming.ConclusionFrom a land use perspective, the transition from maize-based AD to a willow-based pyrolysis system for biomethane production could be beneficial regarding the energy performance and climate impact. Application of biochar to the soil in the willow scenario contributed significantly to counteracting emissions of greenhouse gases.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Angelstam, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Knowledge production and learning for sustainable forest management on the ground: Pan-European landscapes as a time machine
- 2011
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Ingår i: Forestry. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0015-752X .- 1464-3626. ; 84, s. 581-596
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While sustainable forest management (SFM) policy processes are well developed, implementation on the ground remains a challenge. Given the diversity of biophysical conditions, economic histories and governance systems on the European continent, regionally and temporally adapted and adaptive solutions are needed for both social and ecological systems. To illustrate this, we apply (1) a biographic forest and woodland history approach to central Sweden's Bergslagen region, where boreal sustained yield forestry was widely applied first and (2) a comparative case study approach using five European landscapes that represent different forest history phases in Scotland, Germany, Ukraine and Russia. Additionally, we illustrate the need to learn from reference landscapes for natural forest and cultural woodland systems such as in economically remote regions in Romania, Russia and on the Iberian Peninsula. We conclude that there is great opportunity for innovative knowledge production about both governance and management for different SFM dimensions based on comparisons among concrete landscapes. In addition, there is a need to develop local place-based social learning processes that are characterized by a focus on a geographical area, commitment to SFM policy visions and collaborative approaches to development that include both ecological and social systems.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Elbakidze, Marine, et al.
(författare)
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How does forest certification contribute to boreal biodiversity conservation? Standards and outcomes in Sweden and NW Russia
- 2011
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Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 262, s. 1983-1995
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is one of the leading forest certification schemes. While many studies concern political aspects and social outcomes of FSC, little is known about the contribution of certification to biodiversity conservation. In Europe, the Russian Federation and Sweden have the largest areas of FSC-certified forest. We assessed the potential of FSC certification for boreal biodiversity conservation in terms of standard content, and outcomes as habitat area set aside and habitat network functionality. First, we compared the biodiversity conservation indicators at different spatial scales in Swedish and Russian FSC standards. Second, focusing on one large state forest management unit in each country, we compared the areas of formally and voluntarily set aside forests for biodiversity conservation. Third, we evaluated the structural habitat connectivity by applying morphological spatial pattern analysis, and potential functional connectivity by using habitat suitability index modelling for virtual species. The Russian standard included indicators for all spatial scales of biodiversity conservation, from tree and stand to landscape and ecoregions. The Swedish standard focused mainly on stand and tree scales. The area of voluntary set-asides for FSC was similar in Sweden and Russia, while formal protection in the Russian case study was three times higher than in the Swedish one. Swedish set-aside core areas were two orders of magnitude smaller, had much lower structural and potential functional connectivity and were located in a fragmented forestland holding. We conclude that to understand the potential of FSC certification for biodiversity conservation both the standard content, and its implementation on the ground, need to be assessed. We discuss the potential of FSC certification for biodiversity conservation with different levels of ambition. We stress the need for developing rapid assessment tools to evaluate outcomes of FSC for biodiversity conservation on the ground, which could be used by forest managers and FSC-auditors toward adaptive governance and management. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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