Ahlgren, Serina
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2008Peer reviewedOpen access
Future fuel supply systems for organic production based on Fischer-Tropsch diesel and dimethyl ether from on-farm-grown biomass
Ahlgren, Serina; Baky, A; Bernesson, Sven; Nordberg, Åke; Norén, Olle; Hansson, Per-Anders
Abstract
The effects of making a 1000 ha organic farm self-sufficient in renewable fuel were studied. Biomass grown on-farm can be transported to large fuel production facilities and the fuel transported back to the farm. Two fuels, Fischer–Tropsch diesel (FTD) and dimethyl ether (DME), produced from either straw or short-rotation willow coppice (Salix), were studied. The environmental impact, land use and energy balance were calculated using life-cycle methodology. It was calculated that the straw-based systems had only 32–39% of the impact on global warming (kg [CO2-eq]) compared to the Salix-based systems. For acidification and eutrophication, the differences between the systems were less significant. The energy balances were 8.9 and 9.6 for FTD and 10.1 and 10.0 for DME, from straw and Salix, respectively. To become self-sufficient in FTD, 108 ha has to be set aside for Salix production or 261 ha of straw collected from the existing crop rotation. For DME the corresponding figures are 38 and 70 ha. The many by-products in the FTD scenarios explain the large difference between fuels. Comparing FTD and DME, the differences in environmental impact were small. Considering this, FTD is a more likely alternative since DME requires a pressurised infrastructure system and engine modifications
Published in
Biosystems Engineering
2008, volume: 99, number: 1, pages: 145-155
Publisher: ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
SLU Authors
Bernesson, Sven
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Nordberg, Åke
- Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering (JTI)
Hansson, Per-Anders
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Global goals (SDG)
SDG7 Affordable and clean energy
UKÄ Subject classification
Agricultural Science
Renewable Bioenergy Research
Environmental Sciences
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2007.09.011
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/43718