Publication - Northern Ireland Potential of cropping for liquid biofuels in Northern Ireland

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Publications : Agriculture : Crops for Liquid Biofuels and Biogas : Liquid Biofuels and Biogas



Potential of cropping for liquid biofuels in Northern Ireland

D.L. Easson, V.B. Woods and E.G.A. Forbes (2004), AFBI Hillsborough, Large Park, Hillsborough, Co. Down, Northern Ireland BT26 6DR

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Executive Summary

In this report, the implications of an EU Directive setting indicative standards that 2% of the energy content of liquid fuels for transport are to be from biofuels by the end of 2005, and 5.75% by 2010, and the UK government implementation plan for 0.3%, 2% and 5% by the end of 2005, 2010 and 2020 respectively are considered. The current size of the market for liquid biofuels in Northern Ireland was established and an allowance was made for the likely trends in fuel use up to 2020. Calculations were based on the figures for automotive diesel, which does not include gas oil used in tractors, construction machinery, trains and marine vessels. It was also recognised that a substantial proportion of diesel used in Northern Ireland is purchased in, or smuggled from, the Republic of Ireland, but no allowance for this was made in the calculations.

The conclusions drawn from this report were:

• The size of the market for biofuels to meet the transport fuel obligations set by the EU and the UK government would create a significant market for bioethanol and biodiesel in Northern Ireland.
• The total size of the biodiesel market will be unclear until guidance is provided on whether gas oil used in tractors, trains, construction machines and marine vessels is included and whether account should be taken of fuel purchased in, or smuggled from, the Republic of Ireland.
• There are no fundamental climatic constraints limiting the growing of OSR or winter wheat in Northern Ireland and both crops have been grown successfully for many years, with yields similar to those obtained in England.
• The introduction of a greater diversity of arable cropping into Northern Ireland and a reduction in grass monoculture is environmentally desirable, although a greater adoption of winter cropping is less acceptable than spring cropping.
• Growing biofuel crops on the 3,500 ha of set-aside in Northern Ireland would provide a way of initiating the adoption of biofuel cropping without significantly changing the current arable cropping pattern.
• Providing that suitably sized processing facilities can be constructed for bioethanol production, even the maximum increase in the wheat area of 6,500 ha could be achieved without a significant change in the overall area of arable cropping in Northern Ireland, if part of the crop is grown on set-aside.
• The growing of OSR would be likely to displace other break crops such as peas and beans.
• Processing OSR and wheat for biofuel would generate significant quantities of high protein animal feedstuffs which could meet the need for quality assured GM-free locally sourced protein feed, which the displaced peas and beans were also being grown for.
• The production of biodiesel is more suited to farm-scale production than bioethanol and consideration should be given to establishing a pilot plant if those already operating in Northern Ireland for the conversion of waste vegetable oils are not suitable.
• Any increase in the area of wheat could be matched by an increase in the area of OSR, to enable a suitable rotation to be maintained and providing the crop area to meet part of the biodiesel target, although not all of it.
• Increasing the area of OSR in Northern Ireland to over 5,000 ha for the 2% target in 2010, and about 15,000 ha to meet the 5% target in 2020 would represent a more significant change in arable cropping than the growing of wheat for ethanol.
• The rotational requirement of OSR to be grown no more frequently than 1 year in 3 (preferably 1 year in 5) means that it must be associated with twice its own area of cereals. In practice, therefore, only a gradual change towards such targets could be expected with the area of winter wheat and winter barley increasing in step with that of OSR.
• The increasing demand for OSR in Europe generated by the biofuel policies of EU governments is leading to increased prices for OSR. Even without the development of biofuel processing in Northern Ireland, it is likely that the area of OSR being grown in Northern Ireland will rise.
• Small-scale oilseed crushing facilities recently installed in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland demonstrate that the need to install such facilities should not be considered an obstacle to progressing the production of biofuel in Northern Ireland.
• The conversion of the diesel engines in fleet vehicles such as buses would allow the use of unrefined vegetable oil now being produced in Northern Ireland (capacity 500 tonne/ annum) without conversion to biodiesel.
• The interest of Citybus, Ulsterbus and Northern Ireland Railways in using biofuel should be exploited as a means of promoting the use of biofuel from local sources in Northern Ireland.
• If higher targets are set for biodiesel to take account of gas oil and cross border fuel movement, then very much higher acreages of biodiesel would be required. Ultimately, the EU restriction on the ploughing up of more than 10% of permanent grassland would limit the area of land in Northern Ireland, which could be brought into arable cultivation.
• An increase in the area of arable cropping in Northern Ireland would be likely to benefit local stock farmers who will in future, have difficulty disposing of animal manures in compliance with NVZ regulations.
• While municipal sewage sludge can be used on land for industrial crops and this provides an income to the grower, this may not be possible on wheat and OSR, which have animal feed by-products.
• Consideration should be given to conducting research to develop an arable rotation for annual industrial crops (e.g. biofuels, fibre crops, other biomass crops, pharmaceutical crops), which could allow for the use of low inputs, maximisation of use of organic manures and municipal sewage sludge and the adoption of other aspects of integrated crop management.
• The possibility of growing crops for biofuels represents a valuable opportunity to diversify the rural economy of Northern Ireland and generate new income into agriculture. It may not be feasible to fully meet the targets from crops grown in Northern Ireland, but in moving part of the way towards that goal significant benefits could be gained. At a time when markets for traditional agricultural products are becoming more difficult, opportunities to develop biofuel and industrial crops should not be missed, and given that opportunity arable farmers in Northern Ireland could undoubtedly rise to the challenge.

Table of contents

1 Executive Summary
2 Introduction
3 Section A

3.1 The potential market for biofuels in Northern Ireland
3.1.1 The Directive
3.1.2 UK Implementation Plan of the EU Directive
3.1.3 Background to transport fuels in the UK
3.1.4 Current liquid transport fuel use in Northern Ireland
3.1.5 Trends in transport fuel use
3.2 Overview of current world liquid biofuel production
3.2.1 Biodiesel
3.2.2 Bioethanol
3.2.3 Energy conversion efficiency of biofuels
3.3 Discussion of the potential market for biofuels in Northern Ireland
3.4 The UK Government Consultation Documents

4 Section B

4.1 The potential to meet future biofuel requirements from crops grown in NI
4.1.1 Biodiesel 4.1.2 Area of oilseed rape to meet Northern Ireland biofuel targets
4.1.3 Agricultural impact of changes in the oilseed rape area in NI
4.1.4 Factors likely to affect the uptake of oilseed rape in Northern Ireland
4.1.5 Conclusions - Biodiesel
4.2 Bioethanol
4.2.1 Estimate of wheat area to meet biofuel targets
4.2.2 Effect of wheat biofuel area on arable cropping in Northern Ireland
4.2.3 Environmental implications
4.2.4 Scale of processing facilities
4.2.5 Bioethanol from potatoes
4.2.6 Conclusions - Ethanol

5 Discussion

5.1 The potential market
5.2 Growing crops to meet the biofuel obligations in Northern Ireland

6 Conclusions

7 References

8 Appendices

Appendix 1 - Definitions of liquid transport
Appendix 2 - Conversion factors used
Appendix 3 - Details of crushing facility for oilseed rape in Co. Wexford
Appendix 4 - NI biofuel targets based on energy content rather than volume