IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v158y2022ics136403212200082x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Life cycle assessment of a short-rotation coppice willow riparian buffer strip for farm nutrient mitigation and renewable energy production

Author

Listed:
  • Livingstone, David
  • Smyth, Beatrice M.
  • Lyons, Gary
  • Foley, Aoife M.
  • Murray, Simon T.
  • Johnston, Chris

Abstract

As agricultural activity intensifies across Europe there is growing concern over water quality. Agricultural run-off is a leading cause of freshwater degradation. Simultaneously there is a continually increasing drive to promote renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Willow coppice planted as a riparian buffer has been suggested as a solution to help mitigate these problems. However, there is limited research into the use of such a system and several key knowledge gaps remain, such as, the energy ratio of the system is not known, and a fully harvested site has yet to be analysed in the literature. The aim of this research is to fill these knowledge gaps to help inform agri-environmental policy. To do this a life cycle assessment was carried out on an established willow buffer system, considering the global warming potential, eutrophication potential, acidification potential and cumulative energy demand impact categories, alongside the calculation of the energy ratio. To our knowledge it is the first site to be fully harvested and for which a full life cycle assessment has been carried out. The willow was combusted to fuel a district heating system. Key results showed emissions of 4.66 kg CO2eq GJheatout−1 and 0.01 kg SO2eq GJheatout−1, both of which are significant reductions compared to an oil heating system (95% reductions for both impact categories). The system also resulted in the permanent nutrient removal of 55.36 kg PO43−eq ha−1 yr−1 and had an energy ratio of 17.4, which could rise to 64 depending on the harvest method.

Suggested Citation

  • Livingstone, David & Smyth, Beatrice M. & Lyons, Gary & Foley, Aoife M. & Murray, Simon T. & Johnston, Chris, 2022. "Life cycle assessment of a short-rotation coppice willow riparian buffer strip for farm nutrient mitigation and renewable energy production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:158:y:2022:i:c:s136403212200082x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112154
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136403212200082X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112154?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dias, Goretty M. & Ayer, Nathan W. & Kariyapperuma, Kumudinie & Thevathasan, Naresh & Gordon, Andrew & Sidders, Derek & Johannesson, Gudmundur H., 2017. "Life cycle assessment of thermal energy production from short-rotation willow biomass in Southern Ontario, Canada," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 343-352.
    2. Vanbeveren, Stefan P.P. & Ceulemans, Reinhart, 2019. "Biodiversity in short-rotation coppice," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 34-43.
    3. Buonocore, Elvira & Franzese, Pier Paolo & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2012. "Assessing the environmental performance and sustainability of bioenergy production in Sweden: A life cycle assessment perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 69-78.
    4. Njakou Djomo, S. & Ac, A. & Zenone, T. & De Groote, T. & Bergante, S. & Facciotto, G. & Sixto, H. & Ciria Ciria, P. & Weger, J. & Ceulemans, R., 2015. "Energy performances of intensive and extensive short rotation cropping systems for woody biomass production in the EU," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 845-854.
    5. Ferrarini, Andrea & Serra, Paolo & Almagro, María & Trevisan, Marco & Amaducci, Stefano, 2017. "Multiple ecosystem services provision and biomass logistics management in bioenergy buffers: A state-of-the-art review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 277-290.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Piyarath Saosee & Boonrod Sajjakulnukit & Shabbir H. Gheewala, 2020. "Feedstock Security Analysis for Wood Pellet Production in Thailand," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-14, October.
    2. John Nyandansobi Simon & Narissara Nuthammachot & Kuaanan Techato & Kingsley Ezechukwu Okpara & Sittiporn Channumsin & Rungnapa Kaewthongrach & Md. Sujahangir Kabir Sarkar, 2022. "Para Rubber ( Hevea brasiliensis ) Feedstock for Livelihoods Opportunities in Southern Thailand: Analysis of Socioeconomic Productivity Potentials and Security," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Ewelina Olba-Zięty & Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski & Michał Krzyżaniak & Kazimierz Warmiński, 2020. "Willow Cultivation as Feedstock for Bioenergy-External Production Cost," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-17, September.
    4. L. Hay & A. H. B. Duffy & R. I. Whitfield, 2017. "The S‐Cycle Performance Matrix: Supporting Comprehensive Sustainability Performance Evaluation of Technical Systems," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 45-70, January.
    5. Stachowicz, Paweł & Stolarski, Mariusz J., 2024. "Pellets from mixtures of short rotation coppice with forest-derived biomass: Production costs and energy intensity," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    6. Huang, Bao-Cheng & Li, Wen-Wei & Wang, Xu & Lu, Yan & Yu, Han-Qing, 2019. "Customizing anaerobic digestion-coupled processes for energy-positive and sustainable treatment of municipal wastewater," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 132-142.
    7. Natalia Stefania Piotrowska & Stanisław Zbigniew Czachorowski & Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski, 2020. "Ground Beetles ( Carabidae ) in the Short-Rotation Coppice Willow and Poplar Plants—Synergistic Benefits System," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-23, December.
    8. Xinhua Shen & Raghava R. Kommalapati & Ziaul Huque, 2015. "The Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Power Generation from Lignocellulosic Biomass," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-14, September.
    9. Häyhä, Tiina & Franzese, Pier Paolo & Paletto, Alessandro & Fath, Brian D., 2015. "Assessing, valuing, and mapping ecosystem services in Alpine forests," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 14(C), pages 12-23.
    10. He, Jiaxin & Liu, Ying & Lin, Boqiang, 2018. "Should China support the development of biomass power generation?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 416-425.
    11. Tong, Huanhuan & Shen, Ye & Zhang, Jingxin & Wang, Chi-Hwa & Ge, Tian Shu & Tong, Yen Wah, 2018. "A comparative life cycle assessment on four waste-to-energy scenarios for food waste generated in eateries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 1143-1157.
    12. Pereira, S. & Costa, M., 2017. "Short rotation coppice for bioenergy: From biomass characterization to establishment – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1170-1180.
    13. Piyarath Saosee & Boonrod Sajjakulnukit & Shabbir H. Gheewala, 2020. "Life Cycle Assessment of Wood Pellet Production in Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-23, August.
    14. Omoyemeh J. Ile & Hanna McCormick & Sheila Skrabacz & Shamik Bhattacharya & Maricar Aguilos & Henrique D. R. Carvalho & Joshua Idassi & Justin Baker & Joshua L. Heitman & John S. King, 2022. "Integrating Short Rotation Woody Crops into Conventional Agricultural Practices in the Southeastern United States: A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-26, December.
    15. Rótolo, G.C. & Montico, S. & Francis, C.A. & Ulgiati, S., 2015. "How land allocation and technology innovation affect the sustainability of agriculture in Argentina Pampas: An expanded life cycle analysis," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 79-93.
    16. Dias, Goretty M. & Ayer, Nathan W. & Kariyapperuma, Kumudinie & Thevathasan, Naresh & Gordon, Andrew & Sidders, Derek & Johannesson, Gudmundur H., 2017. "Life cycle assessment of thermal energy production from short-rotation willow biomass in Southern Ontario, Canada," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 343-352.
    17. Murphy, Fionnuala & Sosa, Amanda & McDonnell, Kevin & Devlin, Ger, 2016. "Life cycle assessment of biomass-to-energy systems in Ireland modelled with biomass supply chain optimisation based on greenhouse gas emission reduction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 1040-1055.
    18. Oliveira, M. & Zucaro, A. & Santagata, R. & Ulgiati, S., 2022. "Environmental assessment of milk production from local to regional scales," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 463(C).
    19. Králík, T. & Knápek, J. & Vávrová, K. & Outrata, D. & Romportl, D. & Horák, M. & Jandera, J., 2023. "Ecosystem services and economic competitiveness of perennial energy crops in the modelling of biomass potential – A case study of the Czech Republic," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    20. Vanbeveren, Stefan P.P. & Spinelli, Raffaele & Eisenbies, Mark & Schweier, Janine & Mola-Yudego, Blas & Magagnotti, Natascia & Acuna, Mauricio & Dimitriou, Ioannis & Ceulemans, Reinhart, 2017. "Mechanised harvesting of short-rotation coppices," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 90-104.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:158:y:2022:i:c:s136403212200082x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.