Straw use and availability for second generation biofuels in England

• Published in: Biomass & bioenergy 2013-08, Vol.55, p.311-321
• Main Authors: Glithero, Neryssa J., Wilson, Paul, Ramsden, Stephen J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Bioenergy; Biological and medical sciences; Cereal straw; Farm Business Survey; Feedstock availability; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Hordeum vulgare; Miscanthus; Second generation biofuels; Triticum aestivum; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion
• ISSN: 0961-9534; 1873-2909
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2013.02.033

Meeting EU targets for renewable transport fuels by 2020 will necessitate a large increase in bioenergy feedstocks. Although deployment of first generation biofuels has been the major response to meeting these targets they are subject to wide debate on their sustainability leading to the development of second generation technologies which use lignocellulosic feedstocks. Second generation biofuel can be subdivided into those from dedicated bioenergy crops (DESGB), e.g. miscanthus, or those from co-products (CPSGB) such as cereal straw. Potential supply of cereal straw as a feedstock for CPSGB's is uncertain in England due to the difficulty in obtaining data and the uncertainty in current estimates. An on-farm survey of 249 farms (Cereal, General Cropping and Mixed) in England was performed and linked with Farm Business Survey data to estimate current straw use and potential straw availability. No significant correlations between harvested grain and straw yields were found for wheat and oilseed rape and only a weak correlation was observed for barley. In England there is a potential cereal straw supply of 5.27 Mt from arable farm types; 3.82 Mt are currently used and 1.45 Mt currently chopped and incorporated. If currently chopped and incorporated cereal straw from arable farm types was converted into bioethanol, this could represent 1.5% of the UK petrol consumption by energy equivalence. The variations in regional straw yields (t ha−1) have a great effect on the England supply of straw and the potential amount of bioethanol that can be produced. ► On-farm survey of English arable farms to determine cereal straw use and availability. ► Estimated 5.27 Mt of cereal straw from arable farms, of which 27.5% is incorporated. ► Incorporated cereal straw on arable farms could supply 1.5% of UK petrol consumption. ► Crop residue co-products offer potential as sustainable biofuel feedstock. ► East Midlands and East of England provide potential English biofuel feedstock supply.