Environmental assessment of energy production based on long term commercial willow plantations in Sweden.

The present paper analyzed the environmental assessment of short rotation willow plantations in Sweden based on the standard framework of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) from the International Standards Organisation. The analysis is focused on two alternative management regimes for willow plantations dedicated to biomass production for energy purposes. The data used included the averages of a large sample of commercial plantations. One of the scenarios is carried out under nitrogen based fertilized conditions and the other under non-fertilized management with total biomass yields (dry weight) of 140t/ha and 86t/ha over a 21 and 22-year life time respectively. The environmental profile was analyzed in terms of the potentials for abiotic depletion, acidification, eutrophication, global warming, ozone layer depletion, photochemical oxidant formation, human toxicity, fresh water aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity and terrestrial ecotoxicity. In addition, an energy analysis was performed using the cumulative energy demand method (CED). The application of nitrogen based fertilizers allows an increase in the biomass yield per ha of up to 40% although the contributions to almost all impact categories, particularly the eutrophication potential and toxicity potential impact categories are also considerably higher. Conversely, due to the higher biomass yields achieved with fertilization of these willow plantations, that regime presents a better overall environmental profile in terms of energy yield and global warming potential.

[1]  M. Weih,et al.  Determinants of biomass production in hybrid willows and prediction of field performance from pot studies. , 2005, Tree physiology.

[2]  T. Green,et al.  Biomass production of short-rotation bioenergy hardwood plantations affected by cover crops , 2001 .

[3]  Frank Brentrup,et al.  Application of the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to agricultural production: an example of sugar beet production with different forms of nitrogen fertilisers , 2001 .

[4]  J. M. Peterson,et al.  Sustainability and environmental issues associated with willow bioenergy development in New York (U.S.A.). , 1998 .

[5]  Sylvain Payraudeau,et al.  Environmental impact assessment for a farming region: a review of methods , 2005 .

[6]  John Tzilivakis,et al.  Developing an emissions inventory from farm data , 1999 .

[7]  P. Börjesson.  Environmental effects of energy crop cultivation in Sweden—I: Identification and quantification , 1999 .

[8]  O. Jolliet,et al.  Harmonisation of Environmental Life Cycle Assessment for Agriculture , 1997 .

[9]  Anders Roos,et al.  Willow growers in Sweden , 2000 .

[10]  G. Busch,et al.  A review of the impacts of Short Rotation Coppice cultivation on water issues , 2009 .

[11]  Sara González-García,et al.  Environmental impacts of forest production and supply of pulpwood: Spanish and Swedish case studies , 2009 .

[12]  O. Jolliet,et al.  Environmental analysis of intensity level in wheat crop production using life cycle assessment , 2006 .

[13]  P. Barraclough,et al.  Environmental impact assessment of agricultural production systems using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology II. The application to N fertilizer use in winter wheat production systems , 2004 .

[14]  Ioannis Dimitriou,et al.  Sewage sludge and wastewater fertilisation of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) for increased bioenergy production—Biological and economic potential , 2011 .

[15]  John Tzilivakis,et al.  Environmental impacts of farm scenarios according to five assessment methods , 2007 .

[16]  G. Keoleian,et al.  Renewable Energy from Willow Biomass Crops: Life Cycle Energy, Environmental and Economic Performance , 2005 .

[17]  Ian Shield,et al.  Bioenergy from plants and the sustainable yield challenge. , 2008, The New phytologist.

[18]  C. Gasol,et al.  Economic assessment and comparison of acacia energy crop with annual traditional crops in Southern Europe , 2010 .

[19]  Blas Mola-Yudego,et al.  Yield models for commercial willow biomass plantations in Sweden , 2008 .

[20]  Göran Berndes,et al.  The impact of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) cultivation on the environment , 2009 .

[21]  Blas Mola-Yudego,et al.  Mapping the expansion and distribution of willow plantations for bioenergy in Sweden: Lessons to be learned about the spread of energy crops , 2010 .

[22]  Jean Petit,et al.  Evaluation of the environmental impact of agriculture at the farm level: a comparison and analysis of 12 indicator-based methods , 2002 .

[23]  Paavo Pelkonen,et al.  The effects of policy incentives in the adoption of willow short rotation coppice for bioenergy in Sweden , 2008 .

[24]  Hayo M. G. van der Werf Inra,et al.  Hemp Production in France , 2002 .

[25]  R. Matthews,et al.  Modelling of energy and carbon budgets of wood fuel coppice systems , 2001 .

[26]  S. Larsson,et al.  Genetic improvement of willow for short-rotation coppice , 1998 .

[27]  R. Frischknecht,et al.  Implementation of Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methods. ecoinvent report No. 3, v2.2 , 2010 .

[28]  A. Pizzigallo,et al.  The joint use of LCA and emergy evaluation for the analysis of two Italian wine farms. , 2008, Journal of environmental management.

[29]  Frank Brentrup,et al.  Methods to estimate on-field nitrogen emissions from crop production as an input to LCA studies in the agricultural sector , 2000 .

[30]  Ioannis Dimitriou,et al.  Effects of short rotation coppice with willows and poplar on soil ecology , 2009 .

[31]  Anselm Eisentraut,et al.  Sustainable Production of Second-Generation Biofuels: Potential and Perspectives in Major Economies and Developing Countries , 2010 .

[32]  Ioannis Dimitriou,et al.  Wastewater and sewage sludge application to willows and poplars grown in lysimeters–Plant response and treatment efficiency , 2011 .

[33]  M. Hauschild,et al.  Estimation of pesticide emissions for LCA of agricultural products , 2002 .

[34]  Sarah J. Cowell,et al.  Evaluation of the environmental impacts of apple production using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Case study in New Zealand , 2006 .

[35]  B. P. Weidema,et al.  Agricultural data for life cycle assessments , 2000 .

[36]  Blas Mola-Yudego,et al.  Regional potential yields of short rotation willow plantations on agricultural land in Northern Europe. , 2010 .

[37]  Martin Heller,et al.  Life cycle energy and environmental benefits of generating electricity from willow biomass , 2004 .

[38]  Pål Börjesson,et al.  Agricultural crop-based biofuels – resource efficiency and environmental performance including direct land use changes , 2011 .

[39]  R. Heijungs,et al.  Life cycle assessment An operational guide to the ISO standards , 2001 .

[40]  Uffe Jørgensen,et al.  Nitrate leaching during establishment of willow (Salix viminalis) on two soil types and at two fertilization levels , 1998 .

[41]  Hans-Jürgen Dr. Klüppel,et al.  The Revision of ISO Standards 14040-3 - ISO 14040: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework - ISO 14044: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines , 2005 .

[42]  Matthew J. Aylott,et al.  Greenhouse gas emissions from four bioenergy crops in England and Wales: Integrating spatial estimates of yield and soil carbon balance in life cycle analyses , 2009 .

[43]  Jeroen B. Guinée,et al.  Evaluation of selection methods for toxicological impacts in LCA recommendations for OMNIITOX , 2004 .

[44]  Kurth Perttu,et al.  Willow vegetation filters for wastewater treatment and soil remediation combined with biomass production , 2001 .

[45]  M. Manzone,et al.  Energetic and economic evaluation of a poplar cultivation for the biomass production in Italy. , 2009 .

[46]  A. Antón,et al.  LCA of poplar bioenergy system compared with Brassica carinata energy crop and natural gas in regional scenario , 2009 .

[47]  Niels Halberg,et al.  Indicators of resource use and environmental impact for use in a decision aid for Danish livestock farmers , 1999 .

[48]  G. Keoleian,et al.  Life cycle assessment of a willow bioenergy cropping system , 2003 .

[49]  Fargam Neinavaie,et al.  Treatment and utilization of pulp industry residues using Short Rotation Forestry , 2011 .

[50]  W. Huisman,et al.  Economical and technical comparison between herbaceous (Miscanthus x giganteus) and woody energy crops (Salix viminalis) , 1999 .

[51]  T. Nemecek,et al.  Life Cycle Inventories of Agricultural Production Systems , 2007 .