|
This interdisciplinary project aims at developing new methods and processes for co-production of bioethanol, biogas and animal feed based on resources from organic agriculture and associated food processing, and suggests the outline of a medium-sized plant for co-production of biogas, bioethanol, and animal feed. The project will also design and test a new cropping system for biomass production to be used for bioenergy, while at the same time safeguarding soil quality. The project will analyze the effects of remains from bioenergy production on soil fertility, greenhouse gas emissions, survival of parasites and weed seeds in the manure as affected by bioenergy production. Corporate and socio-economic analysis of the co-production of biogas and bioethanol at different scales will be carried out.
Sub-projects within BIOCONCENS:
BIOCONCENS
BIOCONCENS - Strip Cropping
Duration
2006-2010
Participants
NRG programme (coordinator); Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University; Biological Institute, University of Copenhagen; National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University
Risø role
Within the ECO-programme activities are carried out to describe and quantify emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) in energy-cropping system amended with residues from bio-gas reactors. Measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are also included in order to evaluate C-balances and soil sequestration upon application of bio-gas residues. The field work is carried out at Højbakke experimental farm, University of Copenhagen. Field work is combined with laboratory experiments in order to characterize greenhouse gas emission potentials.
Resources:
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, DARCOF III (http://www.icrofs.org/Pages/Research/research_darcofIII.html)
Web:
http://www.icrofs.org/Pages/Research/darcofIII_bioconcens.html
Employees involved:
Per Ambus (Risø-ECO responsible and WP-leader), Mette Sustmann Carter (coordinator of field gas and soil sampling work; responsible for data synthesis), Kristian Albert (field work), Nina Thomsen (field and lab-work), Liselotte Meltofte (GC- and ion chromatograph analysis), Anja Nielsen (GC- and C,N analysis), Poul Sørensen (field work).
Options for student projects at graduate levels (speciale):
Greenhouse gas emissions in organic strip-intercropping systems. Strip-intercropping offers optimal resource utilization by the plants with reduced losses to the environment. The project will focus on the loss of nitrous oxide (N2O), a powerful greenhouse gas, usually emitted in large quantities from N-fertilized cropping systems. The objective is to compare N2O-losses in a resource optimized strip-intercropping system compared with a ‘conventional’ system and determine to which extent resource gradient develop across adjoining strips.
Decomposition of organic residues from biogas and –ethanol production and associated losses of greenhouse gases . The organic residues from bioenergy processing may constitute an important source of carbon, which needs to be brought back to the fields in order to reduce soil organic matter depletion. The project will investigate the degradability of degasified organic residues upon additions to soil and will asses the importance of residue recycling for soil quality. Storage and application of the residues may also provide conditions for non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, in particular CH4, which needs also to be assessed. |