ARF25 - Species, soil type, and
management interactions on profitability and properties of biomass for
pellet production
OMAFRA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and GreenField
Ethanol (formerly Commercial Alcohols Inc.) jointly funded this
project in 2008 through the Alternative Renewable Fuels "Plus"
Research and Development Fund.
Lead researcher
Dr.
Bill Deen, Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph
Objectives
- Evaluate grass species across varied soil types and management
systems for suitability for biomass production: establishment
feasibility, stand persistence, time to maximum stand yield potential,
standability, yield.
- Identify species, soil types and management practices that correlate
with improved physical, chemical and energy properties of pellets.
Evaluate amendments to the biomass and biomass blends that could
improve pellet properties.
- Determine ash suitability as a soil amendment and potential
to be marketed as a certified organic fertilizer
- Assess net energy and profitability of biomass production relative
to other land uses.
Expected benefits
Locally grown and combusted biomass feed stocks are a rural initiative
where the biomass is consumed in the immediate area it is grown,
consequently much of the benefit stays within the community. Densification
of the biomass allows for export to more distant markets, such as
those emerging in the Far East and Europe.
Relative to conventional wood boilers, pellet boilers could reduce
emissions, operating costs, reduce infrastructure costs, reduce
maintenance, storability, ease in handling and increase combustion
efficiency.
Results
Our research indicated the following:
Winter hardiness
- Establishment varied among varieties within species and among
locations
- Winter tolerance varied across species, varieties and locations,
e.g. whereas some miscanthus varieties showed low incidence of
winterkill, other varieties had significant winterkill.
- Switchgrass and big bluestem winter survival was good at Simcoe
but reduced at Elora.
Yield and Stand Persistance
- Increases in N-fertilizer rate had no significant effect on
stand persistence (lodging and kinking); lodging and kinking were
minimal at 0Nkg/ha
- Yields were significantly affected by main and interaction effects
of treatments imposed, e.g. miscanthus yields were higher in Elora
than in Ridgetown, and switchgrass consistently produced higher
biomass yield than big blue stem.
- Yearly increases in biomass yields were observed in Miscanthus
stands in Elora and Ridgetown for both fall and spring harvests;
however, changes in switchgrass and big bluestem yields were negative
for the fall harvests but positive in the spring harvests in both
locations.
Ash Content
- On average, ash content was 1.5 times greater in switchgrass
than in miscanthus.
- Delayed spring harvest significantly reduced ash content and
ash chemical composition compared to fall harvest.
Net Energy and Profitability
- The gross calorific value for miscanthus was greater than that
of switchgrass.
- Cost of miscanthus as an energy source was primarily below the
average prices over the past few years of both coal and natural
gas.
Related information
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