BioMatNet Item: FAIR-CT97-3947 - BWCW: Biomass short rotation willow coppice fertilized with nutrient from municipal wastewater

FAIR-CT97-3947
BWCW: Biomass short rotation willow coppice fertilized with nutrient from municipal wastewater

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	Type of Project	Shared Cost
	Contract No	FAIR-CT97-3947
	Total Cost	1,465,000 ECU
	EC Contribution	1,200,000 ECU
	Start Date	01/05/1998
	Duration	50 months

Biomass short rotation willow coppice fertilized with nutrient from municipal wastewater (BWCW)

Objectives

This proposal concerns an integrated investigation to provide an EU-wide scientific basis for growing willow coppice for bioenergy production using municipal wastewater rich in plant nutrients as a substitute for commercial fertilisers. This would also result in a simultaneous sanitary, safe, economically feasible and environmentally acceptable disposal of the wastewater in the willow plantations. This would reduce possible pollution of rivers, underground and coastal water pollution. The specific objectives are:

to study growth and biomass productivity of short rotation willow coppice for energy use (mainly combustion) grown under irrigation with municipal wastewater
to determine the most suitable irrigation rates of wastewater aiming at environmentally safe wastewater disposal and maximising biomass production
to monitor leaching of minerals to deeper soil layers and to assess which irrigation rates are suitable to eliminate underground water pollution
to follow the uptake of certain minerals into the various plant components as well as their retention in the various soil layers
to investigate the effect of the willow/wastewater irrigation system on landscape, sanitary implications, pests and diseases
to evaluate the economy of the system in terms of purification of wastewater and production of biomass on farmland
to develop a recycling and environmentally friendly system for purifying wastewater and increasing the efficiency of willow production through substitution of commercial fertilisers with the nutrients from the wastewater

Technical Approach

Experimental fields will be established in four European countries, from both the south and the north. The fields will be located in the vicinity of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. In Sweden the experimental field will be located at Roma, on the isle of Gotland, in France at Villeneuve d'Ascq, in Northern Ireland at Armagh and in Greece at Larisa (central Greece). Each trial will cover about 5 hectare and will be planted with one variety of willow. These will be studied for their growth and biomass productivity under four irrigation treatments with wastewater. These treatments include different wastewater irrigation rates in comparison with pure water irrigation. During the course of the project data on growth and biomass productivity will be obtained, enabling the effects of the various treatments on productivity to be assessed. In addition, detailed determinations of stem mineral concentrations will be made. The effect of the various treatments on mineral composition of the harvested stems will be assessed. The effects of the various treatments on soil and underground waters will be determined during the whole course of the project. Soil and underground water analysis will be correlated with irrigation wastewater mineral composition and rates. A number of wastewater analyses, concerning the most important nutrient elements, will be carried out during the course of the project. Soil nitrogen profile analysis will be carried out at regular intervals and a detailed soil analysis will be carried out at the beginning and at the end of the project. Some pathogens will also be investigated.

Expected Results

The results of the project should help establish the economics of growing willow coppice irrigated with wastewater. It will provide data concerning both biomass production and value-added throughput the chain. It will also provide information concerning socio-economical factors and the environmental impact of the application of the wastewater treatment in the vicinity of municipal waste treatment plant.

Contacts

Coordinator

Stig LARSSON / Nilsson-Ehle Laboratory Svaloef Weibull AB / SWEDEN

EC Scientific Officer

Adelmo MOREALE / European Commission DG VI Agriculture BELGIUM

Participant