Sustainable production of

biomass for bio-energy

production
Bioenergy
production for
sustainable
development
Annie FA Chimphango (PhD)
Department of Process Engineering
Stellenbosch University
achimpha@sun.ac.za
Outline
Introduction

Biomass production
issues

Biomass production
sustainability

Biomass production best
practices


Introduction- Energy
Demand
The global demand for
bioenergy is increasing due
to:
Oil price increases
Efforts in climate change
mitigation measures
Development of strategies
for low-carbon economies


Introduction: Role of Biomass
Energy
Case of Malawi
Introduction: Biomass Types
Energy crops

Forest plantations/ residues

Industrial /Agricultural residues

Animal waste

Municipal solid waste




Introduction: Energy crops
Sugar crops

Starchy crops

Cellulosic material

Oil crops
Introduction: Energy crops
There is need to increase yields and optimise
agricultural production

Yields can be increased by improving cultivation
methods.

Choice of crops, noting that
different places have different agricultural
productivity potential.
Different plant feedstocks are also
responsive to different objectives
Different biomass provide different
combination of energy products and
intermediates.




Introduction: Biomass production
potential
Biomass production potential
Developing countries:
agricultural production is
below its potential.

Developed world: the
agricultural productivity is
high but at the expense of
the environment.
Biomass production issues
Case of Malawi: Consumption exceeds supply
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400
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600
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
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p
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o
d
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)
Asia
South America
Africa
World
North America
Europe
Biomass production issues
Food production trends
There is need to watch the
food production trends-
slowing down in developed
countries
12
Biomass production issues: Arable land per
person is decreasing
There is need to
consider the land
allocation per capita,
which suggest that
although food
production is
increasing, the
amounts per capita
are getting smaller
13
Biomass production issues: Different Plant
Feedstocks are Responsive to Different Objectives
13





Feedstock

Large Scale
Production

Rural
Economic
Development

Petroleum
Displacement
(Security)
Fossil Fuel
Displacement/
GHG
Reductions


Soil
Fertility
& Ag.
Ecology
Low Cost Fuels
(feedstock &
conversion)
Per
unit
Total Now Future Per unit Total Per unit Total Now Future
Ratings:
excellent
very good
good
fair
poor
Oil crops

Sugar-rich
Starch-rich
Cellulosic
This is based on the U.S.
Biomass production Issues
OPPORTUNITIES:
Increased agricultural productivity

Job creation

Additional sources of income-generating
activities

Enhanced rural development

Biomass production issues
THREATS:
Overuse of resources
Loss of biodiversity
Food insecurity
Distortion of local markets/ benefit sharing
Lack of infrastructure
Inappropriate technology


16
Poor Road
infrastructure
(SATCC, 2003).
17
Sustainability in Biomass production
Increase in bioenergy production creates both new
opportunities and risks along the biomass value
chain.
Bioenergy can stimulate the agriculture sector, a critical
sector for development and poverty reduction
Improving energy access,
Create new market for producers,
Create new employment opportunities,
Contribute to environmental objectives.
Viability of bioenergy production and the
environmental and socio-economic sustainability is
still questionable.


Sustainability in biomass production:

Sustainability in biomass production
suggests preservation of the natural capital
(resource base).

Ensuring even distribution of economic
benefits

Enhancement of socio-economic growth.

Sustainability in biomass production-
Biomass value
Biomass
Functional
properties
Materials
Speciality
chemicals
Chemical
composition
Solid, gas,
liquid,Fuels
Energy
content
Heat &
power

Sustainability in Biomass production-
Biomass value chain

Assessment of the sustainability biomass
production should be done throughout the
whole value chains.

Primary
Biomass
Production
Biomass
Transport
Biomass
Primary
Processing
Biomass
Conversion
to Biofuels
and By-
products
22

Sustainability
Business
models
Benefits to
the poor

Sustainability in Biomass production:
PRO-POOR APPROACH
Sustainable
Production
models
Co-
management is
important
Business models that maximise benefits to the local
people
23
Production
Semi-
mechanised
Medium
potential
Out-growers
High potential
Harvesting
Medium to
High
potential
Pre-
processing
High
potential
Transportation
Low potential

Storage
Low
potential

Conversio
n
Depends
on scale of
operation
Low to
Medium
potential

Promotion of labour-based methods where
feasible, is a key factor in creating productive
employment and reducing poverty (SATTC,
2006).

But requires innovation!

Value chain analysis: where can the poor benefit
the most?
24
Land

Food
Water
Sustainability in biomass production: Land-Water-
Food- & Energy - Nexus
Resource use
& management
Productivity

Access
Treatment
Distribution
use
Production
Postharvest
Harvesting
Residue/waste
mgt
Best practices for biomass
production
Resource use efficiency :
water and agricultural inputs
sustainable land use

Positive impact on food security

Maintenance of biodiversity

Positive impact on rural livelihoods
Best practices for biomass
production
Good Environmental Practices in
Bioenergy Feedstock Production (FAO,
2012).

These practices are aimed at
minimizing the risk of negative
environmental and socio-economic
impacts in biomass production for
bioenergy.
Best practices for biomass
production
Conservation Agriculture enables
sustainable production intensification.

Strategies include:
No or minimal mechanical soil
disturbance
Permanent organic-matter soil cover
Diversified crop rotations


Best practices for biomass
production
Sustainable Crop Production Intensification, Agro-
Ecology and Eco-agriculture

This involves various
Use of high yielding varieties; irrigation; Fertilizers
and Pesticides

Proper land management

Precision agriculture and conservation agriculture.

Best practices for biomass
production
Sustainable Crop Production Intensification (SCPI) or Save
and Grow Approach (A product of Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) in 2000)

It is a strategy for the integrating management of land, water,
and living resources to promote conservation and
sustainable use in an equitable way

Considers: biological processes and their interactions, but
also the social and economic aspects involved.
Best practices for biomass
production
Ecosystem Approach and Sustainable Crop Production
Intensification, Agro-Ecology and Eco-agriculture

Issues to consider:
Having institutional support at national and local
levels.
Access to extension services.
Availability of strong social capital.
Gender participation in Agriculture
Need sustained investments in human, natural,
financial and social capital.






Best practices for biomass
production
Issues to consider: contd...

Investment costs (including cost of learning
the new practices)
Maintenance costs
Opportunity costs
Transaction costs, e.g. environmental
liabilities
Risk costs ( in the absence of insurance)






Best practices for biomass
production
Organic Agriculture (requires certification):

Biomass for bioenergy production might not
need to be certified as organic

However, the principles used in organic
farming can be applied in biomass
production for bioenergy to make it
sustainable





Environmental

Agricultural Management approaches

Conservation
Agriculture

The Ecosystem Approach
and Sustainable Crop
Production, Intensification,
Agro-ecology and Eco-
agriculture
Organic
Agriculture
Soil quality
Water availability
and quality
Biodiversity
Agrobiodiversity
Climate change
mitigation
Best practices Benefits
Environmental

Agricultural Management approaches

Conservati
on
Agriculture

The Ecosystem Approach and
Sustainable Crop Production,
Intensification, Agro-ecology and
Eco-agriculture
Organic
Agriculture
Socio-economic
Productivity/income
Availability of inputs
Access to energy
Best practices
Benefits
Sustainable integrated
agricultural and forestry
management systems
Agroforestry
Integrated Food-
Energy Systems
(IFES)
Multiple Cropping
Systems and Crop
Rotation.

Best practices for biomass
production
Agroforestry
agrisilvicultural systems
silvopastoral systems
agrosilvopastoral systems.
Agroforestry
Crop
production
Pasture/animal
production
Tree
production
Tree
production
A variety of bioenergy and bioenergy feedstocks can be produced e.g. fuelwood,
first and second-generation liquid biofuels, and biogas (under silvopastoral and
agrosilvopastoral systems).
Best practices for biomass
production
Sustainable integrated agricultural and forestry
management systems (IFES)
Simultaneous production of food and energy.

Done in two ways:
Type 1 IFES: production of feedstock for food and for
energy on the same land, through multiple-cropping
patterns or agroforestry systems.
Type 2 IFES: adoption of renewable energy
technologies that allow maximum utilization of all by-
products, and encourages recycling and economic
utilization of residues.
Best practices for biomass
production
Multiple Cropping Systems and Crop Rotation.

cultivation and management of two or more crops on
the same field in the same year.

crop intensification in the space and/or time
dimensions.

Two main types of multiple cropping systems:
Time-dependent or sequential cropping
Space-dependent or intercropping
Best practices
Benefits
Environmental

SUSTAINABLE INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL
AND FORESTRY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Agroforestry Integrated Food-Energy
Systems
Multiple Cropping
Systems and Crop
Rotation
Soil quality
Water availability and
quality
Biodiversity
Agrobiodiversity
Climate change
mitigation
Socio-economic
Productivity/income
Availability of inputs
Access to energy
Sustainable
Bioenergy
system
Socially
acceptable
Institutionally
Strong
Appropriate
Technology
Economically
viable
Financially
sound
Environmentally
sustainable
Political
support
BIOENERGY SUSTAINABILITY MONITORING
FRAMEWORK