Bioenergy Based on Forestry and Agriculture Resources: Ecological, Technical and Economic Potential in Minnesota and Norway

Main objectives:To provide information for improving the decision basis regarding future

investments in bioenergy projects based on forestry and agricultural resources in Minnesota and Norway, with emphasis on ecological, technical and economic aspects.

The project has the following sub-goals:

S1:To analysis existing bioenergy projects with respect to:1.1 The use of crop resources1.2 Costs of:

Harvesting Transport to millMill operationEnergy transfer to customer

1.2 Environmental impacts (resource stock change, net climate gas emission, impacts on recreation , wildlife , biodiversity, etc) 1.3 Major challenges/bottlenecks met

S2. Analysis (ex ante) of the future potential of bioenergy based on agriculture and forestry resources

2.1 Future crop resource availability over time (system analysis based on dynamic bio-economic modelling)

– Management options

– Competition from other users (other industries, recreation , wildlife, etc,)

– Net climate gas emissions

– Major challenges and how they could be met

2.2 Identification of ”realistic” bioenergy production technological options (biofuels, hydrogen, combined production of energy and chemicals, etc)

2.3 Impact analysis: ”Trade off”- information for decision makers for various sections in the value chain (costs, benefits, risks).

S3. Analyse how various policy means influence the potential for bioenergy production

Suggested ways of cooperation:

• Post doc positions

• Ph.D scholarships

• Common Ph.D courses/research meeting (one each year, suggestions 2005: Bioeconomic modelling with focus on bioenergy)

• Sabbatical exchanges