Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production1 Renewable energy from biomass in Estonia: current status and outlook Andres

Tallinn, October 7, 2005

Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production

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Renewable energy from biomass in Estonia: current status and outlook

Andres Koppel, Katrin Heinsoo Estonian Agricultural University



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1. Background- why renewable energy in Estonia?1.1. Estonian energy balance1.2. 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. Technologies3.4. Support systems and know-how

development4. Outlook

Overview



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1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.1.Structure of primary energy production, import and export in Estonia (x 103TJ)Source: Statistical Office of Estonia

1990 1995 2003 Notes

Production 224 149 160 1

oil shale 210 122 132

peat 6,2 5,5 3,5 4

firewood, chips 7,96 20,7 24,2 4

Import 219 88 79,1 2

coal 9,4 2,7 1,6

oil shale 22 12,5 8,9

gas 52,1 24,6 27,8 6

fuel oil 73,4 18,5 3,6

diesel oil, gasoline 54 13,5 36,2 7

Export 33,9 11,6 19,9 3

oil shale 2,1 1,1 0,9

peat 0,3 0,5 2,4 5

oil-shale oil 0,8 5,8 6,4

electricity 30,5 3,6 7,1

firewood 0 0,5 2,9 5



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1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.1.Structure of energy production, import and export in Estonia (x 103TJ)

1. Energy production dropped rapidly and stabilised

2. Import decreased

3. Export is slowly growing

0

50

100

150

200

250

1990 1995 2003

Production

Import

Export

4. Production of renewables (fuelwood) increased 3 times

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1990 1995 2003

peat

fuelwood, chips



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5. Firewood export is growing fast, most of peat exported

6. Gas import growing

7. Petrol and diesel oil import growing

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1990

1995

2003




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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)




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Current situation:Possibility that recently reconstructed wood- fired- boilers will be converted to natural gasInterest of heat producers to initiate the biomass energy programme




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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 (2004 - 50.4)

1992 2004 change

Field crops total 1106,6 495,4 -611,2

Cereals 423,1 261 -162,1

Legumes 0,4 4,3 3,9

Industrial crops 4,7 50,6 45,9

Vegetables and greens 5,1 3,4 -1,7

Potatoes 46,3 16 -30,3

Forage crops 627 160,1 -466,9



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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?

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1992 2004 change

103 h

a

??

1. Why renewable energy in Estonia? 1.2.Structure of agricultural land use in Estonia (th ha)



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1. Why renewable energy in

Estonia? How to exploit this resource?

1. Let the nature rule!Approx. 10-15% of abandoned areas - natural forestation

2. Afforestation programmesApprox. 700 ha of hybrid poplar established. Expertise exists

3. Energy crops = Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production

Rapeseed (rapidly expanding – 2004 - 50 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



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2. Renewable energy in Estonian

strategy documents Estonian Long-Term Energy Development Plan 2015(adopted by Parliament 15.12.2004)

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



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3. Existing competence

1. Evaluation of the biofuel potential2. Energy crops3. Technologies

Combustion Field machinery

4. Support system and development of know-how

Legislation Organisational support Economic support system Steering



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3. Existing competence3.1. Evaluation of the biofuel

potential

Extensive expertise in biofuels potential analysis exists, especially in wood fuel potential: Energy

production 2002

Potential 2004

Potential 2030

Wood, wood residues 6,3 10,1 4,6Wood pellets, briquettes 1,1 1,2 1,2Black liquer 0,2 0,2 0,2Straw 0,5 0,9Energy crops 9,8 9,8Reed 0,6 0,6Biogas 0,4 0,4Food waste 0,1 0,1TOTAL 7,6 22,9 17,8

Production of biomass fuels (2002) and their potential (TWh) in Estonia

Data from Muiste et al, 2004. 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, 568-571

Need to develop energy crops



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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 growingExpertise in other perspective crops (reed canary grass, hemp etc) almost lackingTotally lacking in crops for biogas productionEvaluation: expertise unevenly distributed



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Estonian SRF test plantations in 2004


No Location Area (ha) Established in Studies 1 Tõravere 0.2 1993 Light use efficiency 2 Kambja 0.3 1993 Productivity 16 2003 Seasonal wastewater purification 3 Saare 0.6 1993 Productivity, fertilisation effect 4 Nõo 1.3 1994, 1995 Municipal sludge utilisation 0.4 2001 Clone selection 5 Aarike 0.18 1995 Wastewater purification 6 Vohnja 4.1 2003 Annual wastewater purification Kihlevere 1.45 2003 Freeflow wastewater purification

& constructed wetland 7 Väike-Maarja 0.2 1993 Wastewater purification



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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




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Average of 7 clones

Best clone

Control 5,2 8,7Fertilised 11,0 14,7Control 5,0 6,5Fertilised 7,4 10,9

Annual production (t ha-1

)

1st rotation period

2nd rotation period


Productivity studies: Saare plantation



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Municipal sludge almost doubled shoot productivitySludge application did not cause nutrient leakage to groundwater

Waste utilisation: municipal sludge disposal


05

10152025303540

01 07 12 21 83 90 95

Clone No

t ha-1

Control

Fertilised



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Kambja prototype, S. Estonia:Wastewater produced by ca 1000 persons9.1 ha Salix (+5.0 ha control)1.6 ha Alnus + Populus

Pump Outflow of wastewater

Wastewater pipes

Septic

Biopond

WINTER

Additional bioponds

Additional bioponds

River

Vegetation filter Salix, Populus triploides, Alnus

SUMMER

Pond

Waste utilisation: Wastewater purification & energy production




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Ongoing international projects related to SRF in EAU

LIFE ENVIRONMENT demonstration project “Sustainable wastewater purification in Estonian small municipalities” with 3 Estonian partners. www.zbi.ee/life

EC 6FW CRAFT project “Monitoring and Control System for Wastewater irrigated Energy plantations” with partners from 5 countries. www.wacosys.info

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. www.netbiocof.net




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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



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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



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4. Outlook

There is need for renewable bioenergy

Resources are availableKnow-how mostly exists, but is

scattered

Estonian plan: Feasibility study state bioenergy program

How to go further? – have a plan– have a leader



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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 culturesAnalysis of technologies (incl. production, combustion)Economical feasibility calculation Suggestion of methods for land resource evaluationSuggestion of the organisational structure for the commercial production chain

Aims



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4. Outlook

The next steps

Leader : MoA has to takethe lead and ….allocate resources

How: From sporadicto planned and organiseddevelopment

Organisational framework:

Estonian bioenergyprogramme



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Thank you!

Estonian Agricultural University: www.eau.ee

More information: www.zbi.ee/life/

Andres Koppel: [email protected] Heinsoo: [email protected]

Documents

Tallinn, October 7, 2005 Contribution of Agriculture to Energy Production1 Renewable energy from biomass in Estonia: current status and outlook Andres