ERI Research Open Day

1. ERI Research Open Day Grass as a source of biofuel Beatrice Smyth Biofuels Group, Environmental Research Institute Supervisors: Dr. Jerry Murphy & Dr. Brian Ó Gallachóir Wednesday, 29th April 2009

2. Outline • Current research • Biofuels • Grass as a biofuel • Energy, emissions, food vs fuel, health, vehicles • Summary • Publications

3. Current research • An evaluation of optimal biodiesel in a Northern European context • PhD student: Thanasit Thamsirisoj • Research Funding: HEA PRTLI Cycle 4 ERI • Gas as a transport fuel • PhD student: Beatrice Smyth • Research Funding: Bord Gáis Éireann • GreenGrass: Developing grass for biofuel • PhD student: Abdul-Sattar Nizami • Research Funding: DAFF Stimulus Fund • Biomethane from grass and residues • Post-docs: Dr Nicholas Korres & Dr Anoop Singh • Research Funding: EPA • 27 peer review papers in the last 5 years

4. Why biofuels? 70 years of gas 40 years of oil • Kyoto Protocol • Biofuels directive • The White Paper • >90% of energy is imported • transport is 99.8% dependent on oil Since 1750 atmospheric concentration of CO2 increased by >35%

5. Backlash against biofuels Biofuels Are Bad for Feeding People and Combating Climate Change Scientific America, 7th February 2008 Biofuels worse than fossil fuels for environment, say activists The Irish Independent, 15th April 2009 Ethanol Production Could Be Eco-Disaster, Brazil's Critics Say National Geographic News, 8th February 2007 When Renewable Energy Is Bad For The Environment Spiegel, 28th September 2006 Biofuels menace rainforests The Guardian, 17th August 2007 Biofuels make climate change worse, scientific study concludes The Independent, 8th February 2008

6. Good biofuels Proposal for a Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources {COM (2008) 30 final} • Article 15 (1): • The greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels are reduced by 35% compared to the alternative fossil fuel use; • Article 15 (2): • No damage is done to sensitive or important ecosystems.

7. What’s the alternative?

8. Energy from grass silage storage anaerobic digestion harvest cleaning & upgrading filling station compression & storage

9. CNG vehicles • 10 million vehicles worldwide • 1.75 million in Argentina • 580,000 in Italy • 70,000 in Germany Source: www.trendsetter-europe.org Source: www.allcarsreview.com Sweden: biomethane/natural gas mix in vehicle fuel

10. Manures, wastes and residues Linkoping, Sweden

11. Feedstock for Linkoping agricultural slurry 47,000t/a of slaughter waste blood and process water pumped in

12. Biogas treatment collection over digester scrubbing compression and storage

13. 65 buses, 10 waste collection lorries, 600 cars…

14. ……and a train Source: Linkoping photos from Svensk biogas, IEA Bioenergy Task 37 and personal

15. Is grass a good biofuel?

16. Land take Biofuels, and associated land area required, to substitute for fuel used by a typical Dublin bus (28,000 l of diesel/a, 1008GJ/a)

17. Energy balance Gross and net energy comparison of various crop systems

18. Greenhouse gas emissions {COM (2008) 30 final} Annex VIIDefault greenhouse gas emission saving • Target 35% • Wheat ethanol (process fuel not specified) 0% • Wheat ethanol (natural gas process fuel) 33% • Rape seed biodiesel 36% • Palm oil biodiesel 51% • Biogas (as compressed biomethane) 85%

19. Food vs fuel • Energy import dependency = ~90% (highest in EU) • Self-sufficiency in beef = 675% • Biggest beef export market is UK at 43% • UK has the potential to be self-sufficient in beef UK production and consumption of beef

20. Health • Air pollution is responsible for ~100,000 premature adult deaths in Europe each year (WHO, 2007) • 6% of total mortality is caused by air pollution, half of this from motorised traffic (Künzli et al, 2000) • Main benefits of CNG over diesel are lower PM, NOx and PAH emissions, and a reduction in genotoxicity • A London study found the most cost effective method of achieving air quality standard for PM10 was the use of alternative fuels, particularly switching from diesel to CNG (Mediavilla-Sahagún & ApSimon, 2003)

21. Energy potential • 3.4 million ha of pasture, silage and hay in Ireland • 10% of this would fuel: • 1.05 million cars • 55% of all passenger cars in Ireland

22. In summary, grass as a biofuel…. • Cleaner environment and healthier population • Indigenous renewable energy supply • Greater energy security • 10% grass => 55% cars

23. Publications • What is the energy balance of grass biomethane in temperate northern European climates? • Full life-cycle analysis, accepted for publication in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, impact factor 3.77 • How can we maximize the financial return from grass silage? • Economic analysis of energy from grass compared with conventional agriculture, in progress • A greenhouse gas analysis of the production of biomethane from grass • input to EPA project, which is underway • Energy from biogas and CNG: the benefits to public health • In collaboration with public health department • The logistics of the use of biomethane for transport • Future work involving GIS mapping

24. Thank youQuestions?