Suchergebnisse

Objective: The objectives of the European Union (EU) policy agenda are to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and to decrease the dependence of EU member countries from fossil fuel sources. In order to achieve these policy objectives, in the last decades the number of biomass power plants has increased throughout the EU. This study analyzed the environmental impacts of the bioenergy systems at global and local level to support communication and information strategies to increase social acceptance and to reduce conflicts between stakeholders. The environmental impacts were estimated to a sample of biomass power plants in North Italy selected based on the size, feedstock and type (cogeneration or heating). The study aims to identify and evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the thermal energy production in biomass power plants using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Materials and methods: For each biomass district plant an LCA analysis was performed to: compare the environmental impacts associated with the production of the same functional unit, quantifying and valuating the environmental performance deriving from the production process life cycle, and highlighting the production phases with greater impact. Results: The results show an average climate change impact by biomass energy plant of 45.84 gCO2eq MJ1 and a range between 14.93 gCO2eq MJ1 and 90.70 gCO2eq MJ1. The results show that the size of the biomass energy plant (less than 1 MW or more than 1 MW) and the feedstock used (forest or sawmill woodchip) are two main variables that influence many categories of environmental impact. ; open

International audience ; Context: European Union policies for sustainable development converge towards the enhancement of forest resources. Hypothesis: enlargement of the range of wood products and increase in timber products usage can only be achieved if these products are more competitive than conventional.Aims: With respect to conifer timber, chestnut timber has competitive characteristics. However, chestnut timber has had very few opportunities for market development in the last decades. As result of its competitiveness margins, the laminated chestnut beams process has recently developed.For this product, a conventional market or competitiveness space has been established as well as its extension in relation to non-market characteristics.Methods: Market space has been defined by determining - the producer's reserve price limits, using the cost approach criteria; - the consumer's upper limit, using the market comparison approach; - the expansion of the upper limit for the non-market characteristics, the environmentally friendly consumer price, determined through interviews with a sample of responsible consumers.RResults Limits are: - the producer's reserve price is 752.68 €/m3 - the consumer's reserve price is 918.77 €/m3 - in the main regional market (Rome district), the environmentally friendly consumer's price is 1164.08 €/m3.Conclusion: Knowledge of the various market limits of chestnut timber allows producers to assess its competitive margins. Conservation over time of these margins, however, requires dedicated governance, as well as the adoption of a forest strategy aimed at promoting the timber production quality and a marketing plan to promote the knowledge of the characteristics of chestnut wood (market and non-market characteristics) and increase the number of responsible consumers.