Sustainable Production- Lecture 8- non food crops and bioplastics and biofuels

what are first egenartion biofuels

made from food crops- sugar cane, corn, wheat

what are second generation biofuels?

made from sustainable feedstock- miscanthus- waste and grass but needs new technologies for it to be incorporated, hard to harvest

what are third generation biofuels?

doesn’t need agricultural land- made from algae and cyanobacteria BUT needs energy and a lot of fertiliser

what is most biomass used for?

food and animal feed- 73%

types of non food crops

fibre crops- such as cotton and hemp- used in textiles and paper- nettles

carbohydrate crops- starch- potatoes, barley, wheat

advantages of bioplastics

• very durable- can be used in existing machinery

• can be made from renewable raw materials

• carbon is from photosynthesis

what ar the types of biomass energy?

solid fuels- heat and power

liquid fues- biodiesel and bioethanol

what companies are drivers for energy crop production?

• EU 2018 directive- 32% share of energy from renewables

• US advanced energy initiative-

what is used as a biodiesel in tropical and subtropical areas?

purging nut- makes a high oil production 2800litres in a hectare

what is the ideal biomass crop

• high outputs- high productivity, high efficiency, high harvest, long growing season, high photosynthesis

• low inputs- little fertiliser, little water, management of sieges

what is miscanthus?

• G2 biofuel

what ar the important characteristics of miscanthus?

• rhizomatous

• c4 photosynthesis- solar energy conservation

• long resistant stems

why grow miscanthus?

• high potential product, high nutrient use, high water use, high resource of genetic varieties, can be used in many ways- combustion and construction materials

why hasn’t miscanthus taken off in Ireland

• expensive to establish in Irish fields

• expensive if losses after planting

• optimum harvesting methods aren’t established yet

• no power station for combustion

• now purchase agreements

• alternatives are advertised better

types of bioplastics

• PLA- renewable sources- corn starch, starch, sugarcane-

• bio ased PET bio sourced ethylene glycol- sugarcane

• bio based PE- ethanol from renewable sources

• bio based PP- ethanol from renewable sources