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Bioenergy farming using woody crops. A review

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Abstract

The global energy consumption was 540 EJ in 2010, representing an increase of about 80 % from 1980. Energy demand is predicted to grow more than 50 % by 2025. Fossil fuels will supply about 75 % of the future energy demand in 2030–2050 if there are no significant technological innovations or carbon emission constraints. This will induce in a substantial increase of CO2 atmospheric concentration and, in turn, adverse climatic impacts. A solution to this issue is to replace fossil fuels by renewable fuels such as biomass. For instance cultivated woody biomass shows many advantages such as allowing multiple harvests without having to re-plant. Poplar, eucalyptus, salix, paulownia and black locust are common examples of woody biomass. Here we review the current situation and future tendency of renewable energy focusing on solid biomass in Europe and Spain. We also discuss the potential production for short-rotation plantations in the bioenergy sector and existing constraints for the implantation in Spain in a sustainable context. Countries with low biomass resources and high targets for renewable electricity may have to depend on imported solid biomass, whereas countries with wide solid biomass resources benefit from international markets. The expansion of short-rotation plantations is much lower than expected in some countries such as Spain.

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Abbreviations

Mtep:

Million-ton equivalent of petroleum

EJ yr−1 :

ExaJoules per year (prefix exa = ×1018)

Mtoe:

Megatonnes of oil equivalent

Mt:

Megatonnes

MW:

MegaWatt

MWh:

MegaWatt hour

PJ:

PetaJoules (prefix peta = ×1015)

TWh:

TeraWatt hour (prefix tera = ×1012)

Tg:

Teragrammes

GJ ha−1 :

GigaJoules per hectare (prefix giga = ×10)

twb h−1 :

Tonnes wet basis per hour

tDM :

Tonnes of dry matter

gt ha−1 :

Green tonnes per hectare

gt SMH−1 :

Green tonnes per schedules machine hour

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Acknowledgements

This publication was sponsored by the following European project: “European regions fostering innovation for sustainable production and efficient use of woody biomass (ROKWOOD)”, FP7-REGIONS-2012-2013-1, Grant Agreement No. 319956.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth and Life Institute—Environmental Sciences (ELI-e), Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2, L7.05.02, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Carmen Rocío Rodríguez Pleguezuelo & Charles Bielders

  2. IFAPA Centro “Las Torres-Tomejil”, Carretera Sevilla-Cazalla Km 12,2, 41200, Alcalá del Río, Sevilla, Spain

    Víctor Hugo Durán Zuazo & Francisco PereaTorres

  3. Sociedad Andaluza de Valorización de la Biomasa, c/Isaac Newton 4, 41092, Sevilla, Spain

    Juan Antonio Jiménez Bocanegra

  4. IFAPA Centro “Camino de Purchil”, Apdo. 2027, 18080, Granada, Spain

    José Ramón Francia Martínez

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  1. Carmen Rocío Rodríguez Pleguezuelo
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  2. Víctor Hugo Durán Zuazo
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Correspondence to Víctor Hugo Durán Zuazo.

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Pleguezuelo, C.R.R., Zuazo, V.H.D., Bielders, C. et al. Bioenergy farming using woody crops. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 35, 95–119 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-014-0262-1

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