Abstract
While the demand for energy in Italy continues to increase, the European Union Directive 2009/28/EC has set a goal of obtaining 20 % of all energy from renewable sources by 2020. It is required both for efficient energy utilization and the development of renewable energy plants, including biomass. In this context, we consider the use of residues from forest maintenance, residues from livestock, the use of energy crops, the recovery of food waste, and the residuals from agro-industrial activities. At the same time, it is necessary to consider the consequent environmental impact. In this study, we applied these considerations to two specific areas in Italy, with different characteristics using the tool of environmental balance. This approach presents a substantial innovation for performing a quantitative analysis of the environmental impact. The specific-considered cases can also indicate a general methodology, useful for energy production compatibility planning.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amthor JS (2000) The McCree–de Wit–Penning de Vries–Thornley respiration paradigms, 30 years later. Ann Bot 86:1–20
Bare JC (2010) Life cycle impact assessment research developments and needs. Clean Technol Environ Policy 12:341–351
Blengini GA, Brizio E, Cibrario M, Genon G (2011) LCA of bioenergy chains in Piedmont (Italy): a case study to support public decision makers towards sustainability. Biomass Bioenergy 57:36–47
Borjesson P, Berglund M (2007) Environmental systems analysis of biogas systems—Part II: the environmental impact of replacing various reference systems. Biomass Bioenergy 31:326–344
Brandão M, Canals LM, Clift R (2011) Soil organic carbon changes in the cultivation of energy crops: implications for GHG balances and soil quality for use in LCA. Biomass Bioenergy 35:2323–2336
Buratti C, Fantozzi F (2010) Life cycle assessment of biomass production: development of a methodology to improve the environmental indicators and testing with fiber sorghum energy crop. Biomass Bioenergy 34:1513–1522
Cellura M, La Rocca V, Longo S, Mistretta M (2014) Energy and environmental impacts of energy related products (ErP): a case study of biomass-fuelled systems. J Clean Prod. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.12.059
Cherubini F (2010) GHG balances of bioenergy systems—overview of key steps in the production chain and methodological concerns. Renew Energy 35:1565–1573
Cobuloglu HI, Büyüktahtakın İE (2014) A mixed-integer optimization model for the economic and environmental analysis of biomass production. Biomass Bioenergy 67:8–23
Costa RC, Sodré JR (2010) Hydrous ethanol vs. gasoline ethanol blend engine performance and emissions. Fuel 89:287–293
Dincer I (1999) Environmental impacts of energy. Energy Policy 27:845–854
Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC. eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=Oj:L:2009:140:0016:0062:en:PDF. Accessed 9 Sep 2013
EEA Report (2013) EU bioenergy potential from a resource-efficiency perspective, 6/2013, ISSN 1725-9177. Publ Office Eur Union, Luxembourg, p 2013
ENEA (2009) Potential energetic biomasses census, research methodology, biomasses atlas on WEB-GIS, May 2009, only online (in Italian). www.enea.it/it/Ricerca_sviluppo/documenti/ricerca-di-sistema-elettrico/censimento-biomasse/rse167.pdf. Accessed 7 Feb 2013
European Environmental Agency (2007) EMEP/CORINAIR Emission Inventory Guidebook, December 2007, only online. www.eea.europa.eu/publications/EMEPCORINAIR5/. Accessed 7 Feb 2013
Gasola CM, Gabarrell X, Anton A, Rigola M, Carrasco J, Ciria P, Rieradevall J (2009) LCA of poplar bioenergy system compared with Brassica carinata energy crop and natural gas in regional scenario. Biomass Bioenergy 33:119–129
Genon G, Panepinto D, Viggiano F (2014) Energy from biomass: the potentialities, environmental aspects and technology. WIT Trans Ecol Environ 2:995–1006
Gnansounou E, Dauriat A, Villegas J, Panichelli L (2009) Life cycle assessment of biofuels: energy and greenhouse gas balance. Bioresour Technol 100:4919–4930
González-García S, Bonnesoeur V, Pizzi A, Feijoo G, Moreira MT (2014) Comparing environmental impacts of different forest management scenarios for maritime pine biomass production in France. J Clean Prod 64:356–367
GSE (Gestore Servizi Energetici—Energetic Service Authority, 2012, in Italian). http://www.gse.it/it/Gas%20e%20servizi%20energetici/Mix%20energetici%20e%20Offerte%20Verdi/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed 3 Sep 2013
Hanegraaf MC, Biewinga EE, Van Der Bijl G (1998) Assessing the ecological and economic sustainability of energy crops. Biomass Bioenergy 15:345–355
Igliński B, Piechota G, Buczkowski R (2014) Development of biomass in polish energy sector: an overview. Clean Technol Environ Policy. doi:10.1007/s10098-014-0820-x
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC (2007) Chapter 9: forestry, 2007, only online. www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg3/ar4-wg3-chapter9.pdf. Accessed 30 Aug 2013
ISTAT (2010) 6th Agriculture Census, Roma 2010 (in Italian). censimentoagricoltura.istat.it/. Accessed 7 Feb 2013
Jury C, Benetto E, Koster D, Schmitt B, Welfring J (2010) Life Cycle Assessment of biogas production by monofermentation of energy crops and injection into the natural gas grid. Biomass Bioenergy 34:54–66
Konrad C, Strittmatter J, Grunert A, Brule M, Roth M, Herter M, Göttlicher G, Biehl R, Bott A (2013) Regional energy concepts—based on alternative biomass cultivation for rural areas and its efficient energy usage. Int J Sustain Dev Plan 8:59–74
Lauri P, Havlìk P, Kindermann G, Forsell N, Böttcher H (2013) Woody biomass energy potential in 2050. Energy Policy. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2013.11.033
Lehtomaki A, Huttunen S, Rintala JA (2007) Laboratory investigations on co-digestion of energy crops and crop residues with cow manure for methane production: effect of crop to manure ratio. Resour Conserv Recycl 51:591–609
Ministerial Decree 15 March 2012—Italian Law on definition and qualification of regional objectives in the field of renewable energy sources (so-called Burden Sharing, in Italian). www.gazzettaufficiale.biz/atti/2012/20120078/12A03600.htm. Accessed 15 Sep 2013
Palliotti A, Silvestroni O (2007) Analysis of the processes of respiration in the epigeal organs of Vitis vinifera L. Quad Sci Vitic Enol 29:53–66 (in Italian)
Panepinto D, Genon G (2011) Environmental balance study for the construction of a biomass plant in a small town in Piedmont (Northern Italy). WIT Trans Ecol Environ 143:279–290
Panepinto D, Genon G (2012) Biomass thermal treatment: energy recovery, environmental compatibility and determination of external costs. Waste Biomass Valoriz 3:197–206
Panepinto D, Genon G, Brizio E, Russolillo D (2013) Production of green energy from co-digestion: perspectives for the Province of Cuneo, energetic balance and environmental sustainability. Clean Technol Environ Policy 15:1055–1062
Panepinto D, Viggiano F, Genon G (2014) The potential of biomass supply for energetic utilization in a small Italian region: Basilicata. Clean Technol Environ Policy 16:833–845
Panichnumsin P, Nopharatana A, Ahring B, Chaiprasert P (2010) Production of methane by co-digestion of cassava pulp with various concentrations of pig manure. Biomass Bioenergy 34:1117–1124
Poorter H, Remkes C, Lambers H (1990) Carbon and nitrogen economy of 24 wild species differing in relative growth rate. Plant Physiol 94(2):621–627
Poschl M, Ward S, Owende P (2010) Evaluation of energy efficiency of various biogas production and utilization pathways. Appl Energy 87:3305–3321
Prabhakar SVRK, Elder M (2009) Biofuels and resource use efficiency in developing Asia: back to basics. Appl Energy 86:30–36
Provincia di Torino (2007) Technical required for biomasses plants with thermal power higher than 350 kW, Torino 2007 (in Italian). http://www.fire-italia.it/forum/pellet/all_oltre_350.pdf. Accessed 7 Feb 2013
Renó MLG, Lora EES, Palacio JCE, Venturini OJ, Buchgeister V, Almazan O (2011) A LCA (life cycle assessment) of the methanol production from sugarcane bagasse. Energy 36:3716–3726
Rivera-Tinoco R, Bouallou C (2010) Using biomass as an energy source with low CO2 emissions. Clean Technol Environ Policy 12(2):171–175
Sadeghinezhad E, Kazi SN, Badarudin A, Oon CS, Zubir MNM, Mehrali M (2013) A comprehensive review of bio-diesel as alternative fuel for compression ignition engines. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 28:410–424
Sadeghinezhad E, Kazi SN, Badarudin A, Togun H, Zubir MNM, Oon CS, Gharehkhani S (2014a) Sustainability and environmental impact of ethanol as a biofuel. Rev Chem Eng 30:51–72
Sadeghinezhad E, Kazi SN, Sadeghinejad F, Badarudin A, Mehrali M, Sadri R, Safaei MR MR (2014b) A comprehensive literature review of bio-fuel performance in internal combustion engine and relevant costs involvement. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 30:29–44
Santomauro L (1975) Dynamics of air pollution from industrial plants. Calderini Publisher, Bologna (in Italian)
Sawangkeaw R, Teeravitud S, Piumsomboon P, Ngamprasertsith S (2012) Biofuel production from crude palm oil with supercritical alcohols: comparative LCA studies. Bioresour Technol 120:6–12
Schlamadinger B, Apps M, Bohlin F, Gustavsson L, Jungmeier G, Marland G, Pingoud K, Savolainen I (1997) Towards a standard methodology for greenhouse gas balances of bioenergy systems in comparison with fossil energy systems. Biomass Bioenergy 13:359–375
Serdar Yücesu H, Topgül T, Çinar C, Okur M (2006) Effect of ethanol–gasoline blends on engine performance and exhaust emissions in different compression ratios. Appl Therm Eng 26:2272–2278
Tyner WE, Taheripour F, Zhuang Q, Birur D, Baldos U (July 2010) Land use changes and consequent CO2 emissions due to US corn ethanol production: a comprehensive analysis, Final Report. Department of Agricultural Economics Purdue University
Viggiano F, Panepinto D, Genon G (2014a) Energy from biomass: a contribution to GHG limitation and sustainability of the local impact aspect. WIT Trans Ecol Environ 190(2):1023–1034
Viggiano F, Panepinto D, Genon G (2014b) The environmental compatibility of biomass plants: a methodological approach. WIT Trans Ecol Environ 181:201–212
Woodbank Communications (2014) Electricity generation from biofuels published on Electropaedia website. www.mpoweruk.com/biofuels.htm. Accessed 27 Aug 2014
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Panepinto, D., Viggiano, F. & Genon, G. Energy production from biomass and its relevance to urban planning and compatibility assessment: two applicative cases in Italy. Clean Techn Environ Policy 17, 1429–1442 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-014-0867-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-014-0867-8