FARM MANAGEMENT FOR BIOMASS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

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MODULE 2 FARM MANAGEMENT FOR BIOMASS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

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MODULE 2 REMARK

This module consists of two parts:

• The first part, including 20 slides, covers themes related to the EU policy and general issues about renewable energies. At the end of the first part it will be a set of ten questions. For each question there are three answers, just one of them correct. If all your answers are right you pass the test, otherwise you will repeat the sequence till the test is completed without mistakes.

• The second part, including 30 slides, contains details on use on farm of renewable energy sources (RES).

• As for the first part, at its end there will be ten multiple choice questions. If all your answers will be correct, the system will allow to print a Certificate corresponding to the 3rd Level.

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MODULE 2 INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Module • The threat from increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG)

has become a serious issue for all governments in the world. If trends continue, atmospheric changes due to human activities could alter our planet's life-support systems.

• That was the background of a treaty called The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), "the centerpiece of global efforts to combat global warming" at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 1992. The convention's objective is "the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (man-made) interference with the climate system."

• Kyoto Protocols started to regulate international agreements to reduce GHG emissions.

• Renewable Energy Sources (RES) can be effective solutions to cope threats due to pollution from conventional non-renewable energies.

• Agriculture can largely contribute to shift energy consumption to RES.

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• Introduction to the Training Module

• Part I – Basic Knowledge - EQF Level 2

Different Kind of Energy – Renewable Energy Sources – European Energy Policies and International Agreements – Challenges of EU Energy Policies – EU Energy Flagship Initiatives – Climate Change Package - Renewable Energy Sources and Agriculture

• Set of 10 multiple questions

• Part II – Detailed Knowledge – EQF Level 3

Farm Use of Renewable Energy sources – Kind of Agro-energies – On Farm Production and Use of Biomas – On Farm Production and Use of Biogas – Solar Energy – Wind Energy - Conclusions

• Set of 10 multiple questions

• Certificate


Table of contents

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The main themes explained in the Module 2 are:

• The role of renewable energy sources to achieve the EU goals in terms of supply mix security and energy demand on one hand and reduction of greenhouse emissions on the other hand.

• Relevant policy and legal framework for the Renewable Energy Sources and role that the European Union aims at playing in the world to face challenges in the energy sector currently and in the future by expanding the use of RES.

• European agriculture potential to help achieve targets in terms of expanding RES use and tackle climate change. Flagship initiatives to achieve ambitious goals. Expectations and objectives in the medium term (by 2020).

• Farm use of renewable energy sources.

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MODULE 2 PART I – LEVEL 2

The conventional energy sources are:

• Fossil fuels: coal, oil, gas are all of limited amounts and they cannot be replaced.

• Nuclear fuels: there are limited amounts of uranium for nuclear fission reactors, even if the most advanced technologies allow to reprocess the used fuel.

• It is difficult to estimate today how long these not renewable fuels will last, but all of them cause problems in terms of economic and environmental sustainability. Pollution due to emissions for fossil fuels and storage of treated radioactive waste for nuclear fuels are the main problems. Risks of accidents or consequences of earthquakes for nuclear plants are also possible threats.

• Promoting the use of renewable energy sources is important both to the reduction of the EU's dependence on foreign energy imports and in meeting targets to combat global warming.

Conventional energy

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Renewable energy

• Renewable Energy is any sustainable energy source that comes from natural environment and can be renewed.

• It exists perpetually and in abundance in the environment;

• It is inexhaustible and ready to be harnessed;

• It is a clean alternative to fossil fuels;

• Energy that is derived from natural process that are replenished constantly – as defined by the Renewable energy working paper of the International Energy Agency ( http://www.iea.org/ )

http://www.iea.org/

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Renewable energy sources in the framework of the EU policies

• RES play a key role in achieving the EU goals in terms of energy supply and demand and for climate change

• Benefits are expected from clear, ambitious and binding RES targets

• RES can trigger a dynamic growth in the foreseeable future

• RES are expected to make economic growth more sustainable

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• Share of renewable energies in gross final energy consumption by country (2012, for EU countries Member States and Turkey)

Renewable energy sources: work in progress in the EU

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EU energy policies meet three challenges

1. How to get a secure energy supply, predictable and at affordable prices

2. How to have a more eco-friendly energy policy

3. How to share the above mentioned objectives within EU Member States

White Paper on EU Energy Policy– 1995

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Issues on challenge n. 1

• In the EU there is a strong dependence on fossil fuels, that is why the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) were founded to create a single and stable energy market in Europe.

• From the White Paper: An Energy Policy for the European Union. COM (95) 682 final, 13 December 1995: “ensure the welfare of citizens and the proper functioning of the economy, the constant physical availability of energy products on the market, at an affordable price to all consumers while respecting the environment and sustainable development”

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• The energy problem is strictly connected to climate changes (in the Amsterdam Treaty there is mention to energy matter in the Environment specifications –October 2nd 1997)

• On the international scenario, EU shows a particular sensitivity to environmental issues and this is one of the cornerstone of the EU foreign policy.

• The Greenhouse Gases (GHG) that contribute to global warming and climate change have therefore to be controlled and reduced.

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• The international competition within the energy consumption market is increasing, as a consequence of new rising economies (BRICS), new technologies of fossil fuel extraction (shale-gas by fracking) and economic uncertain trends in Europe, with destabilizing effects on energy security.

• National policies in the EU Member are often not coherent with the fixed objectives in terms of increasing use of renewable energy sources, so it was decided to target general objectives to be reached and determine specific targets for each country.

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European energy policy and international agreements

• The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), which commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.

• The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 18 November 2004, after 55 Parties to the Convention have ratified it, including enough industrialized countries — who have specific targets — to encompass 55% of that group’s carbon dioxide emissions in 1990.

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The Kyoto Protocol• The Kyoto Protocol was the result of the "Third Conference

of the Parties" (COP-3) in December of 1997. It represents the first time that negotiators have adopted binding emission reduction targets and timetables for Annex I countries (developed nations plus economies in transition). In other words, 38 industrialized countries agreed to reduce their collective emissions of six greenhouse gases by at least 5% below 1990 levels by 2008-2012.

• Once 55 countries "including a sufficient number of Annex I countries representing 55 percent of total Annex I CO2 emissions in 1990" ratified it, the Protocol's emissions commitments would go into effect. It was released for signature in March 1998 and 71 countries had signed it by January 1999.

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• The European Union and its at that time 15 Member States were jointly responsible under the Kyoto Protocol's compliance mechanism for fulfilling the commitment to reduce their collective GHG emissions in the 2008-2012 period to 8% below 1990 levels.

• The concerned 15 Member States were Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Effects of the Kyoto Protocol on the European Union

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• The EU must exploit its position as the world's second largest energy market and as world leader in demand management and in the promotion of renewable energy sources.

Energy efficiency

Renewable energy

Emissions reduction

Energy and Cilmate Change Package

http://www.google.ro/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http://www.volker-quaschning.de/datserv/kyoto/index_e.php&ei=pYmsVLbfGIarU67bgCg&bvm=bv.83134100,d.d24&psig=AFQjCNFCrEcmTDwQaoxL41F0hzLAkV0zNQ&ust=1420679969594671

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Flagship initiatives

• Refocusing R&D and innovation policy on major challenges for our society like climate change, energy and resource efficiency, health and demographic change.

• Renewable energy and climate change package, known as “Europe 2020”, several regulatory instruments aim to achieves ambitious goals for sustainable development.

• Hydro-electricity accounts for the most compared to other renewable energy sources, such as solar energy (photovoltaic and heating), biomass (for heating, electricity and biofuel), wind energy etc., because of being produced and supplied since many years, but other RES are becoming more and more popular and supported by governmental initiatives and modern technologies.

http://www.google.ro/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http://www.volker-quaschning.de/datserv/kyoto/index_e.php&ei=pYmsVLbfGIarU67bgCg&bvm=bv.83134100,d.d24&psig=AFQjCNFCrEcmTDwQaoxL41F0hzLAkV0zNQ&ust=1420679969594671

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Renewable Energy and climate change package

• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: EU has adopted a binding target of 20% reduction by 2020 compared to emissions in 1990

• Increasing renewable energy consumption in Europe: Europe has engaged in this area to reach a 20% share of renewable in their energy consumption, sharing the commitment of the 27 MS.

• Increasing energy efficiency: the EU has set for all of the Member States the goal of 20% reduction in consumption of energy in 2020

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Meeting the EU “20-20-20” goals by 2020

• The ongoing report on the “20-20-20” road map for the 3 goals in the EU shows a delay for the energy consumption reduction.

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Energy consumption and promotion of renewable energy

• To increase the use of renewable energy sources, the EU two following directives, under the “Energy-Climate package”:

• Directive RES (Dir. 2009/28/EC): it promotes the use of energy from renewable sources by requiring Member States to increase the gross final consumption percentage of renewable energy up to 20% by 2020.

HOW: through binding national targets based on the state-of-the-art and impact, for example 10% in Malta, 49% in Sweden, and 17% for Italy.

• Directive Biofuels: the European Union sets as its objective to bring at least 10% of the fuel used for transport in each country will have to come from renewable sources (biofuels, hydrogen, electricity, "green", etc.).

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2020 Targets for each EU Member State in Renewable Energy

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2020 Green House Gas Emissions Targets (2020 vs 2005)

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Summarising : Renewable Energy….

• plays a key role in achieving the EU goals in terms of supply security and demand for energy and climate change

• benefits from clear, ambitious and binding targets

• can expect dynamic growth in the foreseeable future

• makes economy sustainable making cleaner the planet

• reduces human footprint on the earth

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Renewable energy and Agriculture

The role of agriculture is considered very important in order to achieve the 20/20/20 target in terms of

• reduction of the GHG emissions, contributing to the goals of international agreements and EU targets;

• capacity of shifting energy use to Renewable Energy Sources;

• contrast to climate change effects;

• energy efficiency improvement also by contributing to reduce the energy consumption in 2020

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• Agriculture suffers because of pollution from other sectors (urban, industrial and transport wastes and emissions, acid rains, radioactivity, etc.), but it also produces pollution: pesticides, slurry from fertilizers, methane gas from livestock breeding, carbon dioxide from energy use, plastic packages, etc.. can have a negative impact on water, soil and air.

• In any economic and social sector changes are requested in energy use and waste saving and recycling to cut off GHG emissions.

• Producers and consumers are informed on importance of having behaviours consisting with reduction of pollution and emissions.

• Based on international agreements the European Union has started a road map in compliance with the 20-20-20 objectives for 2020.

• The Common Agricultural Policy 2014-2020 has included in its main objectives, as i.e. “greening measures”, environmental friendly behaviours and reduction of farming impact on the environment.

Renewable energy and Agriculture

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Question 1

• Which of the here below is a renewable energy source?

A. Fossil fuel

B. Solar energy

C. Nuclear fuel

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Question 2

• What of these sentences is not right?

A. RES are an environment friendly alternative to fossil fuels…………….

B. RES can foster a dynamic growth in the foreseeable future..................

C. RES can not make economic growth more sustainable………………...

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Question 3

• Which of these is not a renewable energy source?

A. Natural gas ……………………...

B. Wind power ……………………...

C. Solar energy ……………………...

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Question 4

• Which sentence is not right?

A. The energy problem is strictly connected to climate change..

B. Targets were fixed for each EU Member State to decrease GHG emissions……………………………………………………………...

C. GHG can not be reduced by increasing Renewable Energy Sources..........................................................................................

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Question 5

• Why Energy and climate packages is well knows as “20-20-20 target”?

A. Reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases: EU has adopted as binding target 20% reduction by 2020 compared to 1990 emissions ……………………......................................

B. Increasing renewable energy consumption and energy saving: 20% in the EU Member States by 2020…………….

C. All of the above mentioned measures …………………….....

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Question 6

• The European Directive referred to targeted renewable energy source consumption is:

A. Directive 2000/13/EC..............................................................................

B. Directive 2009/28/EC ………………………………………………………..

C. Council Directives 2007/834/EC and 2008/889/EC…………………….

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Question 7

• If we continue to use fossil fuels at the current rate, they will run out. If they run out, which of these products shall we still be able to produce?

A. Petrol ………………………………………………………………………….

B. Plastics …………………………………………………………………….…

C. Electricity ……………………………………………………………….……

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Question 8

• Which of the here below renewable energy sources accounts for the most electricity generation in the Europe Union?

A. Hydro-electricity ……………...………………………………....…..…

B. Solar electricity…………………………………………………….……

C. Wind electricity…………………………………………………………

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An international agreement is intended to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases, which can contribute to global warming and climate change. This is known as

A. Kyoto Protocol …………….....…………………………………………

B. Lisbon Treaty ……………....……………………………………………

C. Europa 2020 ……………...........................................................…….

Question 9

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Agriculture is engaged to reduce to reduce in Europe global emissions of greenhouse gases, which can contribute to global warming and climate change. This engagement has been

A. Not foreseen in the Common Agricultural Policy………...……..

B. Stressed under the so called “greening” for CAP 2014-2020…

C. Postponed after the 2020 …………….....…………………………..

Question 10

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SOLUTIONS

1) b2) c3) a4) c5) c6) b7) c8) a9) a10) b

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MODULE 2 PART II – LEVEL 3

On farm use of Renewable Energy SourcesThe role of agriculture is strategic to increase use of renewable energy sources (RES), save energy and reduce conventional energy consumption from fossil fuels. Furthermore to produce RES can let save money and provide interesting income from energy selling.

• Renewable energy and farming are therefore a winning combination. Wind, solar, and biomass energy can be harvested forever, providing farmers with a long-term source of income. Renewable energy can be used on the farm to replace other fuels or sold as a "cash crop."

• Biomass energy is produced from plants and organic wastes. Crops grown for energy could be produced in large quantities. While corn is currently the most widely used energy crop, native prairie grasses or fast-growing trees such as poplar and willow are likely to become popular in the future. These perennial crops require less maintenance and fewer inputs than do annual row crops, so they are cheaper and more sustainable to produce.

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• Farmers are mostly energy consumers but can also play the role of energy producers

• as consumers, farmers are used to set energy inputs in the agricultural chain (fossil fuels and lubricants, fertilizers and energy from the electric system)

• farming crop residues, pruning from trees, animal waste and other kind of scraps, generally called biomass, can be used by the farmer either for compost or for energy

• as energy producers farmers can contribute to decrease the agricultural foot print and produce agro-energy from biomass as well as from water, wind and solar energy.

Energy in agriculture

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It is common to use kerosene, diesel or propane to power generators and tractors in farming. While these systems can provide power where needed, they can cause some significant drawbacks, including:

•fuel has to be transported, picked up from a petrol station and carried to the generator’s location, which may be quite a distance over some challenging roads;

•noise from generators and fumes from fuel emissions can disturb livestock;

•fuel consumption is a severe bill for the farmer and, in case of bad functioning, spills can contaminate the soil;

•generators require a significant maintenance time/cost and, like all mechanical systems, they break down and need to replace parts that are sometimes not soon available.

Use of conventional fuels for power and possible inconveniences

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Environmental Sustainability(Energy from land resources and

reduction of CO2 emissions)

Agronomic sustainability

(Nitrates Directive91/676/EEC)

Economic Sustainability(income support

thanks to the incentives andfor sale on the market)

Economic and Social Development (diversify business activity, new jobs and the

development of the area)

Agro-energy

Agro-energy and sustainable farming

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Raw materials that can be used are different according to their origin:

•crop production,

•livestock production,

•logging company,

•food residues from agro-tourism

•biomass from management of public parks and gardens

and according to typology:

•crops residues,

•livestock waste

•pruning and wooden biomass,

•byproducts from food laboratories and kitchen.

Kind of biomass for agro-energy

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Kind of agro-energy from biomassRegardless of typologies of raw materials, residues and transformation processes, three kind agro-energies can be available

• electricity

• heat

• biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas)

The different forms of energy can be produced separately or combined.

NOTE: The identification of the final product is very important because the agro-energy policy provide incentives not for the production of agricultural biomass, but for bio-energetic products.

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Statistics on use of biomass in Europe• Renewables represent 24,2% (798,7 TWh) of EU gross electricity

generation. 18,7% of this renewable electricity comes from biomass. EU is the biggest world pellet producer (50% of total production)

Source AEBIOM European Biomass Association Annual Report 2014

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Agro-energies: BIOMASS/1

Farmers can produce different kind of raw materials as biomass for energy:

• biomass from annual plant species (sorghum, maize, kenaf)

• biomass from pluriannual species (thistle, miscanthus, reed, poplar, black locust)

• biomass from pruning residues.

This raw material can be then transformed, through a thermochemical conversion, in fuels (bio-oil, coal, gas, fuel gas) or heat, which in turn can generate electricity.

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Agro-energies: BIOMASS/2• Farmers can produce the same raw materials (corn, sorghum,

grasses, sugar beet), to be transformed in energy by biological conversion (fermentation and digestion) to obtain ethanol or fuel gas.

• Farmers can also produce seed oil (sunflower, rapeseed, safflower, soybean) and, through a process of physic-chemical conversion (squeezing or esterification), get fuel oil or biodiesel. The fuel oil can be transformed into electricity or heat.

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Bio-Energy by kind of process: chemical, biological and physical

Thermochemical conversion

Organic conversion

Physico-chemical conversion

Annual crops: sorghum, corn, kenaf, etcPluriannual crops Forest species, thistle, miscanthus, reed, etc.Sort rotation forestry: poplar, black locust-tree, etc.Agro-industrial residues (wine chain, olive oil chain)

Corn, graminaceous plantsSugar beet, sugar cane, sweet sorghumAgroindustrial waste (dairy byproduct, vinasses, olive pomaceLivestock effluent

Sunflower, rapeseed, safflower, soybean, oil palm, etc

pyrolysis

gasification

Digestion

Fermentation

Squeezing out

combustion

Esterification

heat

electric energy

biofuels(bioethanol)

biofuels(biomethane)

electric energy

Heat

Biofuels(biodiesel)

Eletric energy

heat

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News on use of raw materials for agro-energy

• The last trends on the use of raw materials for agro-energy have shifted from mostly intensive dedicated crops to food and livestock waste, scrap and crop chopping, logging residues, etc. Farmers’ associations, environment experts and agriculture policy makers have re-oriented the intensive use of crops for energy to sustainable use of waste and residues, maintaining the essential food function of arable lands.

• Also solar energy and photovoltaic plants, as well as energy windmills, have been reconsidered in coherence with plans aimed at protecting rural landscapes, natural sites and traditional heritage.

• Waste recycling has been considered on the last papers of the European institutions more sustainable than growing energy crops with consequent wide reduction of food cultivations.

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Biogas

Biogas refers generally to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. It can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste or food waste. Main benefits are:

• Versatile source of renewable energy: providing electricity and heat

• Reduction of harmful methane emissions

• CO2 neutrality

• Environmental friendly way of preserving resources

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• Digester is fed a mixture of water and waste called a slurry

• Daily, fresh slurry is added, displacing previous days load that bacteria have started to digest

• First, digestible organic matter is broken down by acid-producing bacteria

• By-products are then broken down by methane-producing bacteria

Anaerobic Digestion in a Biodigester

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Anaerobic Digesters…

• Enable large livestock operations and food processors to deal with a social problem

• Are management intensive

• Economic feasibility usually rests on reducing an expense (for disposal of waste, etc.), and substitution of the gas produced for purchased fuel and/or use of the gas to generate electricity

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Diagram of a Biogas Energy Plant

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• User friendly process control systems

• Control of individual plant components and documentation of the control parameters

• Remote access to the control system

Biogas Plant Main Features

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Anaerobic Digestion Products

• Digestate, that is the material remaining after the anaerobic digestion of a biodegradable feedstock. It is produced by acido-genesis and methano-genesis, with different process characteristics;

• Biogas, that is a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. It can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste or food waste.

Anaerobic digestion produces two main products:

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Dedicated Crops

Digestate

Livestock Waste

Scrap By-products

Average area 1-1,5 km

1-1,5 km

1 MW Biogas Plant Model

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Digestate

Products By-products

ScrapSewage

Small Farms and Central Plant

• Small farms, having size not allowing a single plant, can share as a consortium or cooperative a centralized plant.

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Small is beautiful: the new wave of small size plants

Farmers, above all those of them with a property in areas far from other farms, are also interested in the very last years to small-medium size plants offered on the market, providing solutions for low energy needs

•200-300 kW within 0,5-0,7 km

•50-100 kW within 0,2-0,5 km

•35 kW ……. already on the market

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Biomethane is a new opportunity

• Biomethane is obtained from the biogas purified from carbon dioxide (CO2) and other impurities it contains.

• Biomethane is similar to methane and may be placed in the pipeline or be used directly as a fuel.

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Agro-energy, multifunctional farms and Common Agricultural Policy • Since the years ‘80s farmers started to valorise farm houses for tourism

stays in rural areas and offer traditional food, didactic activities and services for leisure time. This kind of duties, different of the traditional agricultural production and called “multifunctional activities”, are considered such as an integration of farmer’s income and linked to a new economic, social and environmental vision of sustainable farming.

• In this framework, from the beginning of years 2000’s started the European Common Agricultural Policy reform, not based anymore on fibre and food production support, but on de-coupling measures for more competitive, innovative and sustainable farming. This new support system has also provided incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and favour renewable energy sources. Also the new CAP 2014-2020 stresses the same objectives by the so called “greening”, consisting in maintaining grassland, rotating cultivations and reducing intensive crops. Agro-energy can be therefore the friendly card for more environmental farming, also by using crop residues and scrap as well as livestock waste and by-products.

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Common Agricultural Policy and Greening Regulations • Regulation EU n. 1307/2013 establishing the rules for direct payments to

farmers under support schemes within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy

• Delegate Regulation supplementing Regulation EU n. 1307/2013

• Delegate Regulation supplementing Regulation EU n. 1306/2013.

The three basic elements of greening are:1. diversifying cultivation, by growing at least two crop, where the arable area of the farm exceeds 10 ha, and at least three crops where it exceeds 30 ha, and limiting the main crop to 75% of the arable area and the two main crops to 95% of the area.2. maintaining permanent grassland (at national or regional or farm level)3. maintaining at least 5% of the arable area of farms larger than 15 ha as ecological focus areas (field margins, hedges, trees, fallow land, landscape features, biotopes, buffer strips, afforested area)

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Agro-energy integration in a farmAgro-energy production is supposed not to substitute food crops, but, as well as for other kind of multifunctional activities, to be integrated in the farm business plan. Benefits for farmers consist mainly of:

• energy cost saving up to possible extra-income from agro-energy selling;

• use and valorisation of farm waste and residues;

• improve farm environmental performance in compliance with the Green Direct Payment (“greening”)

• reduction of greenhouse gases from farming.

This integration has been represented in official documents of the European Commission (source DG Agriculture and Rural Development Dec. 2013)

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Decision approach to integrate agro-energy in a farmAgro-energy is to be considered an opportunity of saving on energy bill, adding an extra-income to farm balance and contributing to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. These combined effects have to be estimated through a business-plan including an excel tool allowing to calculate:

• xsl matrix supporting data entry of fixed and variable costs for energy production;

• xsl matrix supporting data entry of planned investments for energy production;

• xsl matrix with expected incomes from energy production;

• xsl matrix with investment payback and break-even point;

• integration of the final results in the general business-plan including farm assets, loan costs and profit and loss balance.

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COSTANTThe farmer sets a constant in the project: a) the power to be installed;or,b) the actual availability of biomass in the farm.

VARIABLEStarting from the constant (power or biomass) the farmer must :a) find the biomass needed for the functioning of the installationor,b) build a plant having regard to the actual availability of biomass in the farm. Risk levels are different.

Strategy A

BIOMASS

ENERGY ENTREPRENEUR

POWER PLANT

Strategy B

BIOMASS

POWER PLANT

TRANSFORMER ENTREPRENEUR

RISK LEVEL

HIGH LOW

KIND OF ENTERPRISE

Decision according to kind of agro-energy enterprise

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• Biofuels (short term for “biomass fuels”) are liquid fuels that substitute conventional petroleum products such as gasoline or diesel.

• They include ethanol and biodiesel (green oil products) made from agricultural crops and residues, or other kind of plant-based biomass.

• Ethanol, currently produced from fermented sugary crops, such as corn, sugarcane, or sweet sorghum can be used as fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is more usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Biodiesel, produced from oils or fats, using transesterification can also be used as a pure fuel, but it is usually used as a diesel additive to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles.

Commodities for producing biofuels

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• Sources for ethanol production include: wood, wood waste, paper, corn stover, sugar cane bagasse, rice and wheat straw, switchgrass, etc.

• Biodiesel is made from oil-seed crops such as soybean, corn, sunflower, cottonseed and canola.

• Soon, new technologies will be economically viable for converting plant fiber to ethanol. A portion of the agricultural and forestry residues (stalks, leaves, branches) which are presently burned or left in the field may therefore be harvested for biofuel production.

Use of biomass for biofuels and new technologies

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• For many agriculture needs, the alternative is solar energy. Modern, well-designed, simple-to-maintain solar systems can provide the energy that is needed, where it is needed, and when it is needed. These are systems that have been tested and proven around the world to be cost-effective and reliable, and they’re already raising levels of agricultural productivity worldwide.

• Implementation of solar energy for heating is also easily available, clean and cost saving.

Solar energy

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Two types of solar systems

• In general, there are two kinds of solar systems – those that convert solar energy to D.C. power and those that convert solar energy to heat. Both of these solutions have many applications in agricultural settings, making life easier and helping to increase farm productivity.

• Classic use for heating is that for greenhouse cultivations, permitting to produce early or late fruit and vegetables.

• Photovoltaic panels are the most widespread tools for solar electric energy but with a specific recommendation to be placed in locations not disturbing environmental and rural landscapes.

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Solar-electricity generated by photovoltaic panels• Solar-generated electricity is also called photovoltaic (PV in short).

Photovoltaic energy is produced by solar cells that convert sunlight to DC (Direct Current Converter) electricity . The solar cells in a PV module are made of semiconductor materials. When sun light radiates the cell, electrons are emitted by the atoms in form of energy. Electrical conductors placed in correspondence of the positive and negative poles of the material allow the electrons to be captured as D.C. current. This electricity can be used on the spot to power a load, such as a water pump, or it can be stored and put on circulation in the electric plants and grids. For this production the energy company pays a price higher than ordinary price, because of State incentives mostly linked to Kyoto Protocol objectives.

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Wind energy power

• Finally, other renewable energy sources can also be used in agriculture. Small wind systems can provide power that can be used directly or stored in batteries. These systems are very reliable in areas that get enough consistent wind. The systems can be very cost-effective and reliable for many power needs on farms and ranches, but the critical point is due to landscape impact and noise under conditions of strong winds.

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CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNT

• The agro-energies are not a homogeneous sector, but a mix of processes, products, sectors, technologies, whose benefits and impacts are completely different.

• There are many possibilities: use of livestock effluents; use of dedicated crops; photovoltaic on the roofs of farm buildings; photovoltaic parks on cultivable soils.

• A specific and careful evaluation is required to understand benefits and impacts of different business decisions.

• A first advice can be given by the farmers' unions, but then it is better to be supported by specialized associations and companies (www.aiel.cia.it)

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Question 1

What are biodiesel fuels made from?

A. Leaves ……………………………………………………

B. Corn and other seeds containing bioethanol ………….…

C. Animal and vegetable fats …………………………………

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Question 2

Agro-energies can offer to farmers good opportunities for:

A. Agronomic sustainability …………….............................................. B. Economic sustainability ……………………………………………….

C. Agronomic and economic sustainability……………………………

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Question 3

The biggest world pellet producer is:

A. Europe……………………………………………………..

B. United States of America ……………………………….

C. Japan……………………………………………………….

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Question 4

Choose the right sentence from the following:

A. Agro-energy is just a kind of energy like from fossil fuels………

B. Agro-energy is not economically sustainable……………………...

C. Agro-energy is linked to Nitrates Directive91/676/EEC …………..

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Question 5

What kind of agro-energy can provided from different raw materials?

A. Agro-energy is supposed to be produced just as biofuels………

B. Agro-energy can provide heat, electricity and biofuels…..……...

C. Agro-energy can strongly damage environment by GHG………...

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Question 6

Choose the right answer of the following

A. Biomass can be only obtained from specific crops…………………...

B. Biomass is produced just for heating………………………..…….........

C. Biomass can be produced from crops as well as waste and scraps

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Question 7


A. Bio-energy can be only obtained from organic conversion….............

B. Bio-energy can be obtained from organic, thermochemical and physical conversion…………………………………………………………..

C. Bio-energy can be only obtained from thermochemical conversion..

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Question 8


A. Only big bio-energy plants are available for big companies...............

B. A business plan to take a decision on agro-energy investments is not useful………………………………………………………………..…………..

C. Different size bio-energy plants are available and a business plan is necessary to take the decision for the right investment……………....

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Question 9

What is biomethane?

A. Biomethane is obtained from the biogas purified from carbon dioxide (CO2) and other impurities it contains……………………

B. Biomethane is produced as a result of chemical transformation of fossil fuels…………………………………………………….………

C. Biomethane is a gas from a mixtures of biofuels and crop residues…………………………………………………………. ………

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Question 10

How do photovoltaic cells work?

A. Photovoltaic cells transform directly heating in electricity………

B. Photovoltaic cells get solar energy that is transformed in electricity by small circuits contained in each panel……...………

C. Photovoltaic energy is produced by solar cells that convert sunlight to DC (Direct Current Converter) electricity………………

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SOLUTIONS

1)b2)c3)a4)c5)b6)c7)b8)c9)a10)c

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MODULE 2 LEVEL 3 CERTIFICATE

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

FARM MANAGEMENT FOR BIOMASS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES