Bioenergy Crops

The Search for Sustainable Energy

Sustainable and secure energy sources are essential if we are to maintain or improve our living standards. At the same time, we need to mitigate climate change by reducing our use of fossil fuels and increasing our reliance on renewable energy sources.

In Europe, the Renewable Energy Directive sets ambitious binding targets for all Member States, with the aim that 20% of the EU's energy requirements will come from renewable energy by 2020. For the transport sector, it sets a minimum target of 10% for each Member State.

Bioenergy

One form of renewable energy is bioenergy: energy made available from materials derived from biological sources. It is a key component of the UK government's plans for meeting the requirements of the Renewable Energy Directive.

Under the UK Biomass Strategy (2007), the aim is to have 1 million hectares (17% of total UK arable land) dedicated to growing energy feedstocks, of which 350,000 hectares would be committed to energy crops.

Bioenergy feedstocks are used for co-firing with coal in power stations, in local combined heat and power plants, and in the production of biofuels. The latter is expected to become increasingly important as so-called "second generation" biofuels, derived from the cellulose in plant biomass, becomes viable. The Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) requires suppliers of fossil fuels to ensure that a specified percentage of the road fuels they supply in the UK is made up of renewable fuels and requires them to submit reports on the carbon and sustainability.

CEH runs a large-scale field experiment providing evidence on the sustainability of bioenergy crops

Key Research Issues

CEH's research on the sustainability of bioenergy feedstocks focuses on the following key issues:

• Carbon sequestration: how much carbon is held in the soils and what is its rate of turnover?
• Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs): what are the short-term and long-term rates of the emissions of GHGs, for example carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)?
• Water: what are the rates of water loss from bioenergy crops and how do these affect water resources?
• Biodiversity: what is the biodiversity, both in the crop itself and the surrounding landscape?
• Volatile Organic Compounds: what are the rates of emissions and how do these affect atmospheric chemistry and human health?

Land Use and Climate Change

These key issues must be considered in the context of the land use change, both directly (what differences are there compared with the land use that preceded the energy crop?) and indirectly (what differences have occurred if the land use that preceded the energy crop has migrated to another location and replaced a different land use?). It is also important to consider the impact of a changing climate, for example changes in temperature and rainfall on the crop growth and soil microbial activity.

CEH Expertise

Although there is an evidence base for crops that are grown for food, such as wheat, maize and soya, there is currently a lack of evidence for crops that are grown specifically for the production of energy, so-called biomass crops. CEH's expertise and experience in integrated, multi-disciplinary environmental science means that it is uniquely well placed to carry out research into the sustainability of bioenergy feedstocks, using measurements, analysis and modelling. We play an essential role in increasing understanding of the issues.

Discover more about CEH's bioenergy crops research: how it delivers impact to business and policy, key research projects, monitoring and experimental facilities, key partnerships and opportunities for working with CEH.