Objective
The objectives reached by ACISA can be condensed in the following items:
- the development of an analytic tool that covers all the biomass chain to integrate new energy crops into an existing regional energy system;
- the inclusion in the integration analysis, as energy outputs, of the electricity and heat production but also the liquid biofuels generation;
- the assistance to the decision-making process presenting the best solution of integration from a triple perspective (economic, environmental and energetic);
- the developing of two real case studies in Italy and Greece showing the tool possibilities that at the same time has served as a validation of the tool;
- the dissemination of the ACISA potentialities in a dedicated Web server using it also as the main communication system with future end-users;
- the improvement of the potentials of a GIS to carry out integration studies of biomass energy considering its spatial dimension;
- the improvement of the knowledge about multidisciplinary approaches to integrate biomass energy in Europe and;
- the contribution to the development of biomass in its different ways (solid and liquid) in order to achieve the goals proposed by the EU in its White Paper on Renewables.
Technical results: The Spatial Decision-Making System constructed by ACISA is composed by different models that cover the whole bioenergy chain and run simultaneously in a integrated model and are controlled from a GIS- software environment. These models are as follows:
- a clear and standard process for generating GIS-based productivity maps for every energy crop involved in the analysis has been developed;
- a model used in the financial analysis of projects which examines the viability of energy biomass crops cultivated in marginal or set aside lands, or replacing existing conventional plantations. It estimates the production cost of biomass at farm gate for different locations, and examines the attractiveness of investing the farmer's land in biomass production;
- a transportation and crop storage model to determine biomass transformation plant's operation and profitability. Transport model counts on georeferenced digital cartographic information like land unit maps, road network, and a Digital Elevation Model. The methods of crop storage included in the storage model are concrete tower silos, bunker silos, silage bags, and bales. It is able to estimate the most cost-efficient storage system depending on every energy crop characteristics and the transformation plant technical and operational requirements;
- a conversion model for heat/electricity production which analyzes fixed bed plus steam turbine, fluidized bed plus steam turbine, fluidized bed plus gas turbine and CHP technologies. The Combined Heat and Power model (CHP) includes both relationship between heat and electricity load and power plant and CHP technologies and co-firing of biomass. The analysis of CHP technologies includes the steam turbine CHP systems, the gas turbine CHP systems, the reciprocating internal combustion engine CHP systems, the combined cycle CHP systems, the fuel cell cogeneration systems and the Stirling engine cogeneration systems;
- a biodiesel conversion/transformation model which shows the sunflower and rapeseed data and forecasts the possible fitting in of other oleaginous crops;
- a bioethanol model which applies relevant process technology. This model quantifies bioethanol production from available feedstock, obtains the production cost of bioethanol, and derives financial analysis for long-term operation of a bioethanol plant;
- an environmental model which simulates real C-fluxes of land use options, but also includes the effects of land use strategies as C sinks and/or sources with respect to relevant Kyoto Protocol Articles, assessment of additional emissions of fuel chains (SO2, NOx, dust etc.), biofuels and energy crops. The Environmental Model consists of two different parts: ENVION Model and Land Use Change Model (LUC). Environmental burdens such as greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O) of energy systems with energy crops and fossil fuels have been calculated and compared with the ENVION model. The Land Use Change (LUC) model focused on a specific part of environmental influences: the carbon stock change of land units when changing e.g. from agricultural cultivation to short rotation forestry;
- a meso-economic impacts evaluation model using Input-Output tables of inter-sectoral transactions in the economy when available. A methodology of regionalisation of national tables has been developed and then the adjustment of a standard IO table to accommodate the impact analysis specific to bio-energy projects has been detailed;
- a multi-criteria decision making procedure which consist of identifying the alternatives and the various criteria, evaluating each alternative on each criteria, making pair wise comparison between each couple of alternatives, constructing preference relations on each dimension (criteria), aggregating the criteria or the preference relations, producing an "overall preference relation", and finally the exploitation of the results of the aggregation;
- an integrated model controlled from a GIS-software environment which can be consulted through the Web. For that, an interface between the integrated model and GIS software controlling the operation of the system has been developed;
- a Database to support the models which is entirely designed to introduce the necessary data that each model demands. This database has been prepared with default data for the real case studies. Microsoft Accessã was selected to administer all the information due to its compatibility, user-friendly, and manageable characteristics.
Conclusions: Renewable energy sources, and more specifically energy from biomass resources play an important role in terms of C02 emissions and job creation. The RE White Paper, by 2010, foresees an additional use of energy crops of 45 Mtep, therefore the use of the deliverables of ACISA will aid the promotion of these energy sources which equate to the movement 42,000 M s in direct investments, and a reduction of CO2 of approximately 125 million tonnes/year. To achieve significantly this objective there are one million of hectares of arable land remain as set aside land and they could be used for biomass production. Given that it may make a major contribution to the security of supplies, biomass has become a major factor in energy, environmental and agricultural policies. Although progress has been made, this has not been enough given the potential of biomass and the available technologies. It is necessary to disseminate knowledge and information more widely within the European Union and to launch promotion campaigns stressing the energy, environmental and economic aspects of this technology. The results of ACISA will facilitate the achievement of this objective since it has identified, in numerous occasions, a lack of tools like the one developed in this project which allows to know the actual biomass potential in an specific area along with economic, environmental and decision analysis. This resulting tool is a complete, versatile and robust integrated software package that analyses the regional integration of energy crops in the EU. Each of the models that integrates the tool has its own user manual explaining the respective methodology, information flows and inputs and outputs. The software package has been satisfactorily validated in two ways: through a scientific consultation and through the analysis of two different cases studies. It is available in the Web site (http://www.acisaserver.com) thus analysis of the integration of energy crops in certain regions of Europe can be performed on line (if necessary information is provided).
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Data not availableCall for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
Madrid
Spain