Publications Renewable Energy & Sustainable Agriculture - The Impact of Perennial Grass Research

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Bioenergy Workshop Report

This workshop was held in October 2000 under Key Action 5 of the Fifth Framework Quality of Life Programme to discuss the impact of research on Perennial Grass in relation to bioenergy. As indicated in the preface to the report:

In the previous Fourth Framework Programme bioenergy was a major research line over three specific programmes FAIR, JOULE and THERMIE where 100 research demonstration and network projects were launched (see the Biomass and Bioenergy - Catalogue of Contracts). The total EU contribution to this research effort was over 100 MEuro, of which 20% was spent by the FAIR programme. The FAIR programme concentrated its research upon the integrated production and processing chain with a special emphasis upon the production of new crops, and conversion technologies of the crops and other agro-industrial waste streams to heat and power. Amongst the FAIR project portfolio are seven shared cost projects dealing with the agronomy and introduction of perennial grasses such as Miscanthus, Giant Reed, and Switchgrass as a source of fuels and other industrial products.

Perennial grasses are a unique form of fuel supply and are quite different from regular crops. They have a rotation period of 10 to 15 years and hardly require tillage with harvesting taking place in early spring using conventional equipment. They are environmentally benign, can contribute to interesting landscape designs, and the whole use of the crop allows for energy and other industrial uses.

These projects have now finished and the Commission held this specific workshop in order to present the results to a wider audience composed of scientists and representatives from farming, industrial, and policy-making organisations. The workshop took place place on the 20^th October with a morning session dedicated to a technical presentation of the projects and the work completed over the past four years. In the afternoon the non-technical barriers to the development of these crops was discussed. These included issues such as policy aspects in agriculture, taxation, energy, and research.

The workshop was especially relevant in the light of recent EU commitments to derive 12% of our energy sources from renewable sources by the year 2010. There is no doubt that bioenergy can contribute significantly to this amount with perennial grasses being an important raw material source. This is reflected in some of the models developed, which demonstrate that by converting only 10% of our arable land to the production of these grasses for energy purposes we could reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by 6%.

The FAIR programme has been instrumental through its funding in laying down the research baseline to allow for their market introduction. This workshop thus served as a means to access progress so far and to identify the remaining research challenges and policy barriers.

The content of the report is reflected in the THE WORKSHOP AGENDA which was as follows:

Chairman: Dr Finn Rexen - Danish Directorate for Development in food agriculture and fisheries

Rapporteur: Dr Christian - Rothamsted Experimental Station

Opening

DG Research European Commission: Introduction to workshop and description of EU support policies for Renewable Energies.

Agricultural aspects.

Dr Lewandowski - Universität Hohenheim, Dr Christian - Rothamsted Experimental Station and Dr Elbersen - ATO-DLO, Perennial grasses overview.

Dr Rheinhart - Institut für Energie und Umweltforschung Heidelberg, Dr Hanegraaf - Centrum voor Landbouw and Milieu Stichting Utrecht, Comparison of individual energy grasses and short rotation coppice.

Dr Elbersen - ATO-DLO, Multi-functional uses of perennial grass.

Environmental aspects.

Dr D Powlson - Rothamsted Experimental Station, Energy crops & Climate change. Other environmental benefits and land use change scenarios.

Industrial aspects.

Mr J Hewson - Energy Power Resources Ltd Bristol, Generating electricity from grass and straw.

Mr Bengt Andersson - Svalöf weibull AB, Prospects for breeding and supply of plant material.

Socio-economic aspects.

Dr K. Richards - ETSU AEA Technology, Social and economic benefits of energy crops.

Synopsis of morning session by the Chairman.

Afternoon discussion. Discussion of points arising from the morning session under direction of the Chairman with the objective of identifying research needs, socio-economic impacts, outlets, prospects and policy support.