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Viability and Sustainability Assessment of Bioenergy Value Chains on Underutilised Lands in the EU and Ukraine

Author

Listed:
  • Cosette Khawaja

    (WIP Renewable Energies, 81369 Munich, Germany)

  • Rainer Janssen

    (WIP Renewable Energies, 81369 Munich, Germany)

  • Rita Mergner

    (WIP Renewable Energies, 81369 Munich, Germany)

  • Dominik Rutz

    (WIP Renewable Energies, 81369 Munich, Germany)

  • Marco Colangeli

    (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 00153 Rome, Italy
    The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.)

  • Lorenzo Traverso

    (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 00153 Rome, Italy
    The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.)

  • Maria Michela Morese

    (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 00153 Rome, Italy
    The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.)

  • Manuela Hirschmugl

    (Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, 8010 Graz, Austria)

  • Carina Sobe

    (Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, 8010 Graz, Austria)

  • Alfonso Calera

    (Institute for Regional Development, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain)

  • David Cifuentes

    (Institute for Regional Development, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain)

  • Stefano Fabiani

    (CREA Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy, 00198 Rome, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Pulighe

    (CREA Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy, 00198 Rome, Italy)

  • Tiziana Pirelli

    (CREA Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy, 00198 Rome, Italy)

  • Guido Bonati

    (CREA Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy, 00198 Rome, Italy)

  • Oleksandra Tryboi

    (Scientific Engineering Centre Biomass Ltd., 03127 Kyiv, Ukraine)

  • Olha Haidai

    (Scientific Engineering Centre Biomass Ltd., 03127 Kyiv, Ukraine)

  • Raul Köhler

    (Research Institute for Post-Mining Landscapes, 03238 Finsterwalde, Germany)

  • Dirk Knoche

    (Research Institute for Post-Mining Landscapes, 03238 Finsterwalde, Germany)

  • Rainer Schlepphorst

    (Research Institute for Post-Mining Landscapes, 03238 Finsterwalde, Germany)

  • Peter Gyuris

    (Geonardo Environmental Technologies Ltd., 1031 Budapest, Hungary)

Abstract

Bioenergy represents the highest share of renewable energies consumed in the European Union and is still expected to grow. This could be possible by exploring bioenergy production on Marginal, Underutilised, and Contaminated lands (MUC) that are not used for agricultural purposes and therefore, present no competition with food/feed production. In this paper, the viability and sustainability of bioenergy value chains on these lands is investigated and measures for market uptake were developed. Using three case study areas in Italy, Ukraine, and Germany, a screening of MUC lands was conducted, then an agronomic assessment was performed to determine the most promising crops. Then, techno-economic assessments followed by sustainability assessments were performed on selected value chains. This concept was then automated and expanded through the development of a webGIS tool. The tool is an online platform that allows users to locate MUC lands in Europe, to define a value chain through the selection of bioenergy crops and pathways, and to conduct sustainability assessments measuring a set of environmental, social, and economic sustainability indicators. The findings showed positive results in terms of profitability and greenhouse gas emissions for bioethanol production from willow in Ukraine, heat and power production from miscanthus, and biogas and chemicals production from grass in Germany. The webGIS tool is considered an important decision-making tool for stakeholders, which gives first insights on the viability and sustainability of bioenergy value chains.

Suggested Citation

  • Cosette Khawaja & Rainer Janssen & Rita Mergner & Dominik Rutz & Marco Colangeli & Lorenzo Traverso & Maria Michela Morese & Manuela Hirschmugl & Carina Sobe & Alfonso Calera & David Cifuentes & Stefa, 2021. "Viability and Sustainability Assessment of Bioenergy Value Chains on Underutilised Lands in the EU and Ukraine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:6:p:1566-:d:515564
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Morales, Marjorie & Quintero, Julián & Conejeros, Raúl & Aroca, Germán, 2015. "Life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic bioethanol: Environmental impacts and energy balance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1349-1361.
    2. Giuseppe Pulighe & Guido Bonati & Stefano Fabiani & Tommaso Barsali & Flavio Lupia & Silvia Vanino & Pasquale Nino & Pasquale Arca & Pier Paolo Roggero, 2016. "Assessment of the Agronomic Feasibility of Bioenergy Crop Cultivation on Marginal and Polluted Land: A GIS-Based Suitability Study from the Sulcis Area, Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Calliope Panoutsou & David Chiaramonti, 2020. "Socio-Economic Opportunities from Miscanthus Cultivation in Marginal Land for Bioenergy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, May.
    4. Jianliang Wang & Yuru Yang & Yongmei Bentley & Xu Geng & Xiaojie Liu, 2018. "Sustainability Assessment of Bioenergy from a Global Perspective: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Idiano D’Adamo & Piergiuseppe Morone & Donald Huisingh, 2021. "Bioenergy: A Sustainable Shift," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-5, September.
    2. Adam Wąs & Piotr Sulewski & Nataliia Gerasymchuk & Ludmila Stepasyuk & Vitaliy Krupin & Zoia Titenko & Kinga Pogodzińska, 2022. "The Potential of Ukrainian Agriculture’s Biomass to Generate Renewable Energy in the Context of Climate and Political Challenges—The Case of the Kyiv Region," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-16, September.

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