Estimating indirect land use impacts from by-products utilization

Jun 2008

Aim of this project part is providing an indication of the effects utilization of by-products from biofuels production can have on global land use and on land use changes. Potential influences on land use changes may also influence net GHG emissions, in case deforestation or other forms of changing natural habitats into crop land are avoided. In order to demonstrate the relevance we broadly translated avoided land use in potential GHG emission avoidance due to avoiding land use change.
The analysis focuses on the utilization of by-products from so-called first generation biofuels production technologies as feed. This application avoids cultivation of primary feed crops such as soy, wheat and corn and thus reduces area requirement for cultivation of these crops and the GHG emissions related to crop cultivation and crop processing. Reduction in area requirement might also mean avoiding creation of extra agricultural area by transforming natural areas. This would avoid GHG emissions related to land use change.
The by-products could alternatively be utilized as fuel or, in the future, as feedstock for second generation biofuels. By-products utilization as fuel will avoid fossil fuel consumption and related GHG emissions.
The analysis is a follow up of the E4Tech scenario analysis.
In chapter 2 the amounts of by-products to be taken into account are estimated.
In chapter 3 the amounts of primary feed crops that are likely to be replaced by the considered amounts of by-products is estimated.

By: H. Croezen, F. Brouwer (CE Delft)

 
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