Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production1 Renewable energy from biomass in Estonia: current status and outlook Andres Koppel, Katrin Heinsoo Estonian Agricultural University

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production2 1. Background- why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.1. Estonian energy balance 1.2. Land resources 2. Renewable energy in Estonian strategy documents 3. Existing competence 3.1. Estimation of biofuel potential 3.2. Energy crops. Short rotation forests (SRF) Network of SRF test plantations Productivity studies Waste utilisation Ongoing projects related to SRF 3.3. Technologies 3.4. Support systems and know-how development 4. Outlook Overview

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production3 1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.1. Structure of primary energy production, import and export in Estonia (x 10 3 TJ) Source: Statistical Office of Estonia Notes Production oil shale peat 6,25,53,54 firewood, chips 7,9620,724,24 Import ,12 coal 9,42,71,6 oil shale 2212,58,9 gas 52,124,627,86 fuel oil 73,418,53,6 diesel oil, gasoline 5413,536,27 Export 33,911,619,93 oil shale 2,11,10,9 peat 0,30,52,45 oil-shale oil 0,85,86,4 electricity 30,53,67,1 firewood 00,52,95

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production4 1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.1. Structure of energy production, import and export in Estonia (x 10 3 TJ) 1. Energy production dropped rapidly and stabilised 2. Import decreased 3. Export is slowly growing 4. Production of renewables (fuelwood) increased 3 times

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production5 5. Firewood export is growing fast, most of peat exported 6. Gas import growing 7. Petrol and diesel oil import growing 1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.1.Structure of energy production, import and export in Estonia (x 10 3 TJ)

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production6 Conclusions from the statistical data: Domestic traditional renewable sources of energy almost exhausted Prices of firewood and woodchips are rising fast Forest resource? Wood fuel incl. forest residues: potential will decrease almost twice by 2030 (Muiste et al, 2004) 1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.1.Structure of energy production, import and export in Estonia (x 10 3 TJ)

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production7 Current situation: Possibility that recently reconstructed wood- fired- boilers will be converted to natural gas Interest of heat producers to initiate the biomass energy programme 1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.1.Structure of energy production, import and export in Estonia (x 10 3 TJ)

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production8 1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.2.Structure of agricultural land use in Estonia (th ha) Source: Statistical Office of Estonia 1.Rapid decline in arable land use: 611 th ha! 2.Exception: rapeseed ( ) change Field crops total1106,6495,4-611,2 Cereals423, ,1 Legumes0,44,33,9 Industrial crops4,750,645,9 Vegetables and greens5,13,4-1,7 Potatoes46,316-30,3 Forage crops627160,1-466,9

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production9 1. How much abandoned? –MoA (2003): 442 th ha –Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board (2005): 270 th ha 2. More important – how to exploit? ?? 1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.2.Structure of agricultural land use in Estonia (th ha)

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production10 1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? How to exploit this resource? 1. Let the nature rule! Approx % of abandoned areas - natural forestation 2. Afforestation programmes Approx. 700 ha of hybrid poplar established. Expertise exists 3. Energy crops = Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production  Rapeseed (rapidly expanding – th ha)  Short rotation forests (experimental plots since 1993, first commercial plantations established in 2005) – extensive expertise exists, difficulties emerge for practical implementation (legal etc)  Other energy crops – ? Expertise almost missing

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production11 2. Renewable energy in Estonian strategy documents Estonian Long-Term Energy Development Plan 2015 (adopted by Parliament )  Stabilised energy consumption on the level of 2003  The share of renewable electricity should grow to 5.1% by 2010 (wind, co-generation)  Emphasis on renewable liquid biofuels, especially biodiesel  Solid biofuels? - weakly represented in the document Statement, that the export is growing and therefore the resources of domestic biofuel are exhausted For further development of biomass plantations economic calculations are needed

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production12 3. Existing competence 1. Evaluation of the biofuel potential 2. Energy crops 3. Technologies  Combustion  Field machinery 4. Support system and development of know-how  Legislation  Organisational support  Economic support system  Steering

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production13 3. Existing competence 3.1. Evaluation of the biofuel potential Extensive expertise in biofuels potential analysis exists, especially in wood fuel potential: Production of biomass fuels (2002) and their potential (TWh) in Estonia Data from Muiste et al, Sustainable balance of biofuels supply-demand in Estonia, Proc 2nd World Conf and Tech Exhibition on Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate Protection, Rome, vol 1, Need to develop energy crops

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production14 3. Existing competence 3.2. Energy crops Rapeseed production - common practice Short rotation forests (SRF): relatively long- time and extensive expertise (experiments since 1993) Hybrid poplars: expertise rapidly growing Expertise in other perspective crops (reed canary grass, hemp etc) almost lacking Totally lacking in crops for biogas production Evaluation: expertise unevenly distributed

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production15 Estonian SRF test plantations in Existing competence 3.2. Energy crops

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production16 Photo: July 2003, 2 months into 3rd rotation Productivity studies:  Fertilisation doubles growth. No good yield without nutrient supply!  Stable production over 3 rotation periods  Clone differences  Emphasis to diseases 3. Existing competence 3.2. Energy crops

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production17 3. Existing competence 3.2. Energy crops Productivity studies: Saare plantation

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production18 Municipal sludge almost doubled shoot productivity Sludge application did not cause nutrient leakage to groundwater Waste utilisation: municipal sludge disposal 3. Existing competence 3.2. Energy crops

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production19 Kambja prototype, S. Estonia: Wastewater produced by ca 1000 persons 9.1 ha Salix (+5.0 ha control) 1.6 ha Alnus + Populus Septic Biopond WINTER Additional bioponds Additional bioponds River Vegetation filter Salix, Populus triploides, Alnus SUMMER Pond Waste utilisation: Wastewater purification & energy production 3. Existing competence 3.2. Energy crops

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production20 Ongoing international projects related to SRF in EAU  LIFE ENVIRONMENT demonstration project “Sustainable wastewater purification in Estonian small municipalities” with 3 Estonian partners.  EC 6FW CRAFT project “Monitoring and Control System for Wastewater irrigated Energy plantations” with partners from 5 countries.  EC 6FW collective research project “Solutions for the safe application of wastewater and sludge for high efficient biomass production in Short-Rotation- Plantations” with partners from 9 countries  EC 6 FW co-ordination action project “Integrated European Network for Biomass Co-firing” with partners from 19 countries Existing competence 3.2. Energy crops

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production21  Solid biofuels: Weak in energy crop harvesting. Good in combustion technologies  Biogas: Good in landfill biogas utilisation, emerging in sludge biogas. Totally lacking in biogas from grasses/cereals 3. Existing competence 3.3. Technologies

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production22 3. Existing competence 3.4. Supporting and development systems  -Supporting systems Legislative basis is not ready (farmer - do not start SRF today! Eg- energy forest is neither forest nor agricultural crop) No support schemes exist No extension services exist  -Development of know-how. No systematically organised applied research today

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production23 4. Outlook  There is need for renewable bioenergy  Resources are available  Know-how mostly exists, but is scattered Estonian plan: Feasibility study  state bioenergy program How to go further? –have a plan –have a leader

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production24 4. Outlook Feasibility study “Analysis of the perspectives for Estonian bioenergy programme” (2005) commissioned by the Environmental Investment Centre Analysis of legislative background (Estonian, EU, incl. support schemes, environmental constraints) Results of the applied research: productivity, perspective cultures Analysis of technologies (incl. production, combustion) Economical feasibility calculation Suggestion of methods for land resource evaluation Suggestion of the organisational structure for the commercial production chain Aims

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production25 4. Outlook The next steps Leader : MoA has to take the lead and …. allocate resources How: From sporadic to planned and organised development Organisational framework: Estonian bioenergy programme

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production26 Thank you! Estonian Agricultural University: More information: Andres Koppel: Katrin Heinsoo: