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| 2. |
- Dale, Virginia H., et al.
(författare)
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Status and prospects for renewable energy using wood pellets from the southeastern United States
- 2017
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology Bioenergy. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1757-1693 .- 1757-1707. ; 9:8, s. 1296-1305
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ongoing debate about costs and benefits of wood-pellet based bioenergy production in the southeastern United States (SE USA) requires an understanding of the science and context influencing market decisions associated with its sustainability. Production of pellets has garnered much attention as US exports have grown from negligible amounts in the early 2000s to 4.6 million metric tonnes in 2015. Currently, 98% of these pellet exports are shipped to Europe to displace coal in power plants. We ask, 'How is the production of wood pellets in the SE USA affecting forest systems and the ecosystem services they provide?' To address this question, we review current forest conditions and the status of the wood products industry, how pellet production affects ecosystem services and biodiversity, and what methods are in place to monitor changes and protect vulnerable systems. Scientific studies provide evidence that wood pellets in the SE USA are a fraction of total forestry operations and can be produced while maintaining or improving forest ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are protected by the requirement to utilize loggers trained to apply scientifically based best management practices in planning and implementing harvest for the export market. Bioenergy markets supplement incomes to private rural landholders and provide an incentive for forest management practices that simultaneously benefit water quality and wildlife and reduce risk of fire and insect outbreaks. Bioenergy also increases the value of forest land to landowners, thereby decreasing likelihood of conversion to nonforest uses. Monitoring and evaluation are essential to verify that regulations and good practices are achieving goals and to enable timely responses if problems arise. Conducting rigorous research to understand how conditions change in response to management choices requires baseline data, monitoring, and appropriate reference scenarios. Long-term monitoring data on forest conditions should be publicly accessible and utilized to inform adaptive management.
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| 3. |
- Khatiwada, Dilip, et al.
(författare)
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Accounting greenhouse gas emissions in the lifecycle of Brazilian sugarcane bioethanol : Methodological references in European and American regulations
- 2012
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Ingår i: Energy Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0301-4215 .- 1873-6777. ; 47, s. 384-397
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study discusses four European and American regulatory schemes designed for accounting lifecycle GHG emissions in relation to the Brazilian sugarcane ethanol. The objective is to critically examine the methodologies and associated parameters used in existing regulatory schemes for calculating GHG emissions, and to explore methodological convergences. The issues related to direct lifecycle and indirect land use change emissions have been addressed. It is found that there are commonalities between the European Renewable Energy Directive (EU-RED) and the UK's Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (UK-RTFO), but the US-EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard (US-EPA) and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard of the California Air Resources Board (CA-CARB) vary greatly not only among themselves, but also in relation to the European regulations. Agricultural practices (especially soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics), co-product credits from surplus electricity and uncertainties around economic modeling approaches for indirect land use change are the major areas where methodological divergences exist. Incorporation of domestic agricultural practices, sugarcane mills operations, and realistic modeling of indirect impacts of land use change using regional models could provide more coherence in estimations of GHG emissions. Furthermore, the Brazilian trend of novelty in all phases of sugarcane bioenergy systems should be considered when projecting GHG emissions.
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| 4. |
- Khatiwada, Dilip, et al.
(författare)
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Methodologies for accounting greenhouse gas emissions of bioethanol production in Brazil
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many studies have performed life cycle assessment for evaluating GHG balances of biofuels. However, the result of life-cycle GHG emissions varies significantly, depending on LCA approach used, type and characteristics of biomass feedstocks, system boundaries, functional unit, reference energy systems, conversion technologies, treatment of co-products, direct/indirect land-use change, among others. This study shows how these issues have been addressed in the regulatory schemes for accounting GHG emissions. The objective is to review and critically discuss the methodologies and associated parameters used in existing regulatory schemes in the context of developing a unified methodology for calculating GHG emissions. Four regulatory schemes on biofuels are scrutinized in order to compare the GHG calculation methodologies. The European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) of UK describe methodologies for calculation of life-cycle GHG emissions of biofuels, including common biofuel production pathways such as the Brazilian sugarcane ethanol. In the US, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program under the Energy Independence and Security Act has introduced the threshold of life-cycle GHG emissions of different biofuels in transport, while the California Air Resource Board has enacted the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) to increase the share of low carbon fuels. European (e.g. RED and RTFO) and US (e.g. RFS and LCFS) regulatory schemes have proposed different methodologies for estimating GHG balances. This paper provides an overview of these four accounting methodologies, depicting commonalities and differences among them. We use the Brazilian sugarcane ethanol pathway as reference for the comparison. The comparative analysis helps identify common ground for the development of a unified methodology for sugarcane bioethanol.
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| 5. |
- Khatiwada, Dilip, et al.
(författare)
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Power generation from sugarcane biomass : a complementary option to hydroelectricity in Nepal and Brazil
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses the complementarity between hydroelectricity and surplus electricity from sugarcane biomass based cogeneration plants in sugarcane mills. The paper investigates opportunities and barriers in the context of governments’ initiatives, institutions and prevailing regulatory frameworks in Brazil and Nepal. The paper finds that bioelectricity from cogeneration can be a good complementary option for hydroelectric power, helping foster diversification on the generation side and enhance security of electricity supply based on local resources. Bioelectricity potential from sugarcane biomass is estimated to be in the range of 209 – 313 GWh for Nepal and 62 – 93 TWh for Brazil. In Nepal, the grid connected bioelectricity can provide power for operating industries, and support local development through rural electrification. In Brazil, the biomass potential can be further enhanced through a better utilization of the biomass in the sugar-ethanol industry to balance hydropower availability. This comparative study offers a reflection on the need for better planning and policies to address the barriers which are hindering the development of bioelectricity even in places where the potential is large.
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| 6. |
- Khatiwada, Dilip, et al.
(författare)
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Power generation from sugarcane biomass - A complementary option to hydroelectricity in Nepal and Brazil
- 2012
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Ingår i: Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-5442 .- 1873-6785. ; 48:1, s. 241-254
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses the complementarity between hydroelectricity and surplus electricity from sugarcane biomass based cogeneration plants in sugarcane mills. The paper investigates opportunities and barriers in the context of governments' initiatives, institutions and prevailing regulatory frameworks in Brazil and Nepal. The paper finds that bioelectricity from cogeneration can be a good complementary option for hydroelectric power, helping foster diversification on the generation side and enhance security of electricity supply based on local resources. Bioelectricity potential from sugarcane biomass is estimated to be in the range of 209 - 313 GWh for Nepal and 62 -93 TWh for Brazil. In Nepal, the grid connected bioelectricity can provide power for operating industries, and support local development through rural electrification. In Brazil, the biomass potential can be further enhanced through a better utilization of the biomass in the sugar-ethanol industry to balance hydropower availability. This comparative study offers a reflection on the need for better planning and policies to address the barriers which are hindering the development of bioelectricity even in places where the potential is large.
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