Biofuel Offers a Solution to the World’s Renewable Energy Crisis

by Barclay Ballard (The New Economy) Solar cells and wind farms are commonly referenced in the fight against climate change, but there is another, often overlooked, form of energy production that is already playing a sizable role. Bioenergy, which includes both biomass and biofuel, has been adopted by governments around the world as a viable method for generating carbon-neutral power, at least until the reliability and cost of other renewables improves.

A green delusion
Of late, bioenergy has come under attack, both for pulling investment away from other green technologies and for not being low-carbon. In October last year, more than 100 organisations from across the world signed a joint declaration arguing against the expansion of bioenergy projects, referred to as the ‘Biomass Delusion’.

Recent developments in the field of bioenergy, however, have provided renewed hope that it can play a role in a green future. Last year, the US Department of Energy committed $80m of investment to bioenergy research and development, with the aim of producing more affordable and sustainable non-food dedicated energy crops.

In order to bring everyone onside, bioenergy proponents will have to convincingly argue that burning biomass, or converting it into ethanol, is not a net contributor to carbon emissions and that crops for energy can be grown on a mass scale without negatively impacting food security.

However, recent developments suggest that bioenergy and food crops can be grown in parallel rather than in competition.

Scientists at the University of Illinois are looking at ways of creating bioenergy-suitable crops that can be grown on the type of marginal land that is unsuitable for agricultural cultivation. In particular, they are investigating whether hybrid strains of elephant grass can be bred that will produce enough biomass to make them a viable fuel source even in low-temperature environments.

Last year, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study found that high biomass sorghum can be grown in water-stressed conditions and still produce significant yields – as much as 10 tons per acre. Other researchers are looking at growing the tamanu plant, another bioenergy crop, on peatland that is unsuitable for any other purpose. These developments show how bioenergy can make better use of the planet’s resources rather than being just another drain on them.

Seeds of doubt
A criticism often levelled at proponents of bioenergy is that it is not actually carbon neutral.

“With woody feedstock, it does take a while for carbon to be sequestered, but that isn’t the case with a perennial feedstock or a plant like miscanthus. Because the plant is harvested every year, the harvested biomass only contains the carbon that was sequestered over the past year, not over the past several years. In addition, we only harvest the above-ground part of the plant. So with a system like miscanthus, you have a real opportunity to achieve negative CO2 emissions.”

Distinguishing between the different forms of bioenergy is important if businesses and governments are to approve projects that truly grant environmental benefits. It is essential that the issues raised by bioenergy opponents are considered, but they shouldn’t dominate the dialogue. If bioenergy projects avoid using productive forests for combustion, they can ensure that forest carbon stocks at least remain stable. Effective forest management can ensure that bioenergy does not have a detrimental impact on the atmosphere or woodland ecology.

What’s more, there are other benefits of bioenergy crops that aren’t always considered. The roots left in the soil by perennial grasses, for instance, help improve soil dynamics in a way that food crops do not.

Moreover, if scientists can grow bioenergy plants on land that was previously considered useless, then the economic benefits for communities in these areas could be huge, opening up new agricultural revenue streams. Farmers in locations susceptible to drought may find that bioenergy crops provide more reliable harvests than those dedicated to food.

If bioenergy is to play a greater role in the energy make-up of the future, it needs to greatly increase its scale and sophistication. Scientists and agribusinesses will play their part, but so too must politicians, who should put the right regulatory frameworks in place to ensure that bioenergy has a positive effect on communities both locally and globally. READ MORE