1. Delivering Sustainable Bioenergy Presentation by Sarah Young Land Use Consultants 17th April 2007

2. Outline of presentation
What is bioenergy?
How much energy is currently produced from bioenergy?
What is the scale of the opportunity?
Can bioenergy really contribute towards reducing CO2?
What are the environmental impacts of bioenergy production?

3. 1. What is bioenergy?
Bioenergy is the inclusive term for all forms of biomass and biofuels
Biomass: refers to the use of biodegradable matter as a source of renewable heat or electricity
Biofuels: are renewable transport fuels including:
Bioethanol
Biodiesel
Biogas
Biobutanol

4. What are the main sources of bioenergy?
Bioenergy (in the form of biomass or biofuels) can be generated from four principle sources:
Woodfuels e.g. short rotation coppice (SRC) and short rotation forestry (SRF), forest residues and low grade timber
Perennial grass crops e.g. miscanthus
Conventional annual crops e.g. sugar beet, cereal crops, sorghum, oil seed rape, linseed and sunflowers
Waste e.g. cow and pig slurry, poultry litter and wood waste
SRC plantation
Miscanthus
Oilseed rape

5. 2. How much energy is currently produced from bioenergy?

6. 3. What is the scale of the opportunity?
The Government suggests that bioenergy could provide:
5-6% of the UK’s electricity supply by 2020 (currently1.5%)
7% of the heat market by 2015 (currently 1%)
5% of the UK’s transport fuel demands by 2010 (currently 0.25%)
Woodfuel strategy for England suggests there is the potential to use an extra 2 million tonnes of wood from existing woodland alone
Resource map of Forestry residues in GB

7. How will this be realised?
Straw, waste wood and woodfuel have the greatest immediate potential to contribute to renewable heat and power
Short rotation coppice and miscanthus offer significant potential in the longer term but this will require a significant change in land-use
In the medium to long term, the development of new conversion technologies will favour the more carbon-efficient multi-annual crops (woodfuels, SRC and miscanthus) and reduce the demand for oilseed rape and wheat as biofuels

8. Existing bioenergy use
Wood Based Fuels
Perennial Grasses
Waste
Conventional Crops
Electricity and Heat
Transport

9. but with second generation biofuels…..
Wood Based Fuels
Perennial Grasses
Waste
Conventional Crops
Electricity and Heat
Transport

10. 4. Can biomass really contribute towards reducing CO2?
Electricity Generation
% of green house gas savings versus fossil fuel reference
Grid Electricity
Electricity from miscanthus
84%
Electricity from SRC woodchip
Electricity from forest residue
86%
Electricity from straw
59%
Small Scale Heating
Oil fired heating boiler -
Combustion of woodchip
93%
Source: Defra from: Carbon and energy balances for a range of biofuels options, Sheffield Hallam University (2003); and WTW evaluation for production of ethanol from wheat, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, (2004),

11. Can biofuels really contribute towards reducing CO2?
Transport Fuels
% saving in GHG versus fossil fuel reference
Source: Sheffield Hallam Univ. (2003) & Low CVP (2004)
Source: E4tech (May 2006)
Diesel (ultra low sulphur)
Biodiesel (from oil seed rape)
53%
38 -57%
Biodiesel from recycled vegetable oil
85% -
Second generation diesel
94%
Petrol (ultra low sulphur)
Ethanol from wheat grains
49-67%
7-77%
Ethanol from sugar beet
54%
32-64%
Ethanol from wheat straw

12. Conclusions on carbon savings
Carbon savings are difficult to predict as they are affected by agricultural practice, production, processing methods and transportation of the feedstock
The most carbon efficient conversion technologies are those that produce heat or CHP directly from the energy crop rather than those that produce electricity
Superior carbon savings can be achieved from second generation biofuels produced from biomass
In addition, the estimated yield per hectare from second generation feedstock is at least three times greater than that of rapeseed biomass

13. 5. What are the environmental impacts of bioenergy?
Range of impacts both positive and negative that arise from use of bioenergy
Focus on:
Wood based fuels:
short rotation coppice (SRC)
short rotation forestry (SRF)
forest residues and low grade timber
Not covering…..
Perennial grass crops
Conventional annual crops
Waste

14. What is short rotation coppice?
Densely planted, high yielding varieties of either willow or popular
Harvested on average every 2-5 years
Expected lifespan of years (corresponding to around 6 harvests)
Shoots usually harvested during the winter as chips, short billets or as whole stems
Yields from SRC at first harvest range from 7-12 tonnes dry weight/ha/yr

15. What are the environmental impacts of SRC?
Threats
Opportunities
Landscape
change in landscape character
obscure landscape features
add structural diversity
restore and reinstate boundary features
Biodiversity
displace open farmland bird species
damage sensitive wetland habitats
increase abundance/diversity ground flora farmland bird species and invertebrates
provide habitat for small mammals
buffer woodlands and vulnerable habitats
Water
high water requirements
improve water quality
tackle nitrate pollution problems
treat wastewater
Soil
soil compaction
reduce soil erosion and sedimentation problems
Archaeology
damage archaeological sites and deposits

16. Management recommendations for SRC
Do: Benefits:
use mixed species biodiversity, landscape
incorporate headlands, rides & open spaces biodiversity, landscape
locate to minimise transport reduce CO2
coppice cyclically biodiversity, landscape
limit use of fertiliser, herbicides & pesticides biodiversity, water quality
Don’t: Impacts:
establish large monoculture blocks biodiversity, landscape
replace land of high value for biodiversity biodiversity
plant in low rainfall areas or on waterlogged soils biodiversity
block recreational access well-being
plant on sites of archaeological interest heritage

17. What is short rotation forestry?
Cultivation of fast-growing trees that reach their economically optimum size between 8-20 years old
When felled - replaced by new planting or regenerate from stumps as coppice
Varieties may include native species such as alder, ash, birch, poplar, sycamore (cultivars), and non-native species such as eucalyptus and southern beech (nothofagus)

18. What are the environmental impacts of SRF?
Threats
Opportunities
Landscape
non native species - impact on landscape character
inappropriate in some open landscapes
creation of new native broadleaved woodland
expansion of existing woodland
Biodiversity
trees with dense canopies – discourage ground feeding birds
displace birds adapted to open habitats
increase biodiversity if native species used
understorey vegetation can provide habitat for invertebrate and mammal species
increase abundance/diversity woodland birds
Water
non-native species- high water requirements
lower inputs required – reduce nitrate pollution
Soil
soil compaction during harvesting
stabilising impact - reduce soil erosion
Archaeology
root growth - damage archaeological sites and deposits

19. Management recommendations for SRF
Do: Benefits:
incorporate 10-20% of open space biodiversity, landscape
leave some areas to mature to old age biodiversity
maximise diversity of woodland structure biodiversity, landscape
harvest cyclically biodiversity, landscape
use UK Woodland Assurance Standard biodiversity, water quality
Don’t: Impacts:
plant in sensitive open landscapes biodiversity, landscape
use non-native species biodiversity
use exceptionally heavy equipment soil structure, water
harvest forests on high carbon soils release CO2
plant on sites of archaeological interest heritage

20. What are forest residues and low grade timber?
Forest residues - harvesting residues (i.e. lop and top or brash) and small roundwood (i.e. small stems of no commercial value)
Low grade timber - poor quality final crop and wood from unmanaged coppice
Demand for woodfuel for bioenergy has the potential to create an economic rationale for the re-introduction of traditional sustainable woodland management

21. What are the environmental impacts of forest residues and LGT?
Threats
Opportunities
Landscape
visual impact of new access tracks
perception of rapid changes to landscape
diversification of age structure of woodlands (reduce storm damage)
restoration of historic coppiced landscapes
Biodiversity
depletion of nutrients
deprivation of food and habitat for small invertebrates, invertebrates, fungi and bats etc
inadequate regeneration following cutting due to deer
diversification of woodland structure
increase in edge and ride habitats
increase in ground flora by reduction in shadiness
thinning or felling of Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS)
restoration of neglected coppice woodlands
removal of invasive scrub and trees
removal of rhododendron and other invasive species from open habitats

22. What are the environmental impacts of forest residues and LGT?
Threats
Opportunities
Water
increased runoff and impaired water quality
increased sedimentation of water courses
Soil
damage to woodland soils
increased susceptibility to soil erosion after harvesting
counter 20th century increase in nitrogen and potassium levels in soils
establishment ground cover – reduce soil erosion
Archaeology
heavy machinery and creation of woodland tracks - damage to archaeological sites
reduced risk of windblow disturbing remains

23. Management recommendations for forest residues and LGT
Do: Benefits:
adapt extraction rate to suit soil/ biodiversity biodiversity, soils
undertake checks for protected species biodiversity
increase structural diversity of woodland biodiversity, landscape
leave some forest brash/ cut wood biodiversity, soil & water
use UK Woodland Assurance Standard biodiversity, water quality
Don’t: Impacts:
use exceptionally heavy harvesting equipment soil structure, water
extract deadwood biodiversity
whole tree harvest on sensitive sites biodiversity, soil

24. Conclusions
Production of bioenergy from wood sources – offers real potential to reduce greenhouse gases and deliver substantial environmental benefits
however ……
Risk of placing environmental pressure on our limited natural resources
To realise opportunities, it is crucial that bioenergy is produced sustainably. We must ensure that we:
- deliver real carbon savings
- avoid sensitive sites
- place particular emphasis on securing the future management of semi-natural woodland
- use high environmental standards to maximise environmental benefits