Analysis of bioenergy potential in the rural landscape of the Overijssel province using energy efficiency indices

Abstract:

The use of available land and its suitability for bioenergy plantation as a measure of bioenergy potential under an SEA framework is inadequate; the inclusion of non-energy cropping options like farm, domestic and industrial waste etc. gives a wider perspective and clearer representation of obtainable bioenergy potential over space and time. The use of monetary valuation can be misleading because it is based on prices which can always change and do not represent the true value of energy; it is not an indicator of how much energy was gained after energy was invested into the biomass/bioenergy production activity. The use of energy yield or output without considering the energy invested to get such energy will give a false representation of the actual bioenergy potential being added to the EU bioenergy policy targets; therefore integrating more holistic indices such as the Net Energy Gain (NEG) and energy efficiency or Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI) under an SEA framework will bridge this methodological gap and also measure the capacity of different biomass/bioenergy production activities to support continuous social and economic functions. Using the Overijssel province as case study, this study applied Life Cycle Inventory and GIS tools to estimate the stock of energy invested and energy obtainable from different conventional and unconventional biomass/bioenergy production activities. This study estimated the energy invested and energy obtainable from the wet anaerobic co-digestion of biomass proceeds from crop residues, farm maThe use of available land and its suitability for bioenergy plantation as a measure of bioenergy potential under an SEA framework is inadequate; the inclusion of non-energy cropping options like farm, domestic and industrial waste etc. gives a wider perspective and clearer representation of obtainable bioenergy potential over space and time. The use of monetary valuation can be misleading because it is based on prices which can always change and do not represent the true value of energy; it is not an indicator of how much energy was gained after energy was invested into the biomass/bioenergy production activity. The use of energy yield or output without considering the energy invested to get such energy will give a false representation of the actual bioenergy potential being added to the EU bioenergy policy targets; therefore integrating more holistic indices such as the Net Energy Gain (NEG) and energy efficiency or Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI) under an SEA framework will bridge this methodological gap and also measure the capacity of different biomass/bioenergy production activities to support continuous social and economic functions. Using the Overijssel province as case study, this study applied Life Cycle Inventory and GIS tools to estimate the stock of energy invested and energy obtainable from different conventional and unconventional biomass/bioenergy production activities. This study estimated the energy invested and energy obtainable from the wet anaerobic co-digestion of biomass proceeds from crop residues, farm manure, grasses from natural grasslands and grasses grown on surplus pasturelands. This study among other things determined the capacity of biomass/bioenergy production activities to support continuous socio-economic functions; assessed the feasibilities and vulnerabilities of these production activities to available policy constraints; and evaluated the potential contributions of such production activities to the local bioenergy policy drive. From this study, uncoventional biomass sources can produce enough to take care of the province’s projected renewable energy targets from bioenergy sources (66.01PJ) and also contribute to demands elsewhere.nure, grasses from natural grasslands and grasses grown on surplus pasturelands. This study among other things determined the capacity of biomass/bioenergy production activities to support continuous socio-economic functions; assessed the feasibilities and vulnerabilities of these production activities to available policy constraints; and evaluated the potential contributions of such production activities to the local bioenergy policy drive. From this study, uncoventional biomass sources can produce enough to take care of the province’s projected renewable energy targets from bioenergy sources (66.01PJ) and also contribute to demands elsewhere.