Volume 3, Issue 4
Open Access

Bioenergy production potential of global biomass plantations under environmental and agricultural constraints

TIM BERINGER

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany

International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Bundesstr. 53, 20146 Hamburg, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
WOLFGANG LUCHT

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany

Department of Geography, Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
SIBYLL SCHAPHOFF

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 07 January 2011
Citations: 249
Tim Beringer, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany, tel. +49 331 288 2643, fax +49 331 288 2695, e‐mail: beringer@pik‐potsdam.de

Abstract

We estimate the global bioenergy potential from dedicated biomass plantations in the 21st century under a range of sustainability requirements to safeguard food production, biodiversity and terrestrial carbon storage. We use a process‐based model of the land biosphere to simulate rainfed and irrigated biomass yields driven by data from different climate models and combine these simulations with a scenario‐based assessment of future land availability for energy crops. The resulting spatial patterns of large‐scale lignocellulosic energy crop cultivation are then investigated with regard to their impacts on land and water resources. Calculated bioenergy potentials are in the lower range of previous assessments but the combination of all biomass sources may still provide between 130 and 270 EJ yr−1 in 2050, equivalent to 15–25% of the World's future energy demand. Energy crops account for 20–60% of the total potential depending on land availability and share of irrigated area. However, a full exploitation of these potentials will further increase the pressure on natural ecosystems with a doubling of current land use change and irrigation water demand. Despite the consideration of sustainability constraints on future agricultural expansion the large‐scale cultivation of energy crops is a threat to many areas that have already been fragmented and degraded, are rich in biodiversity and provide habitat for many endangered and endemic species.

Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 249

  • Using a Taguchi DOE to investigate factors and interactions affecting germination in Miscanthus sinensis, Scientific Reports, 10.1038/s41598-020-58322-x, 10, 1, (2020).
  • Land suitability for energy crops under scenarios of climate change and land‐use, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12697, 12, 8, (648-665), (2020).
  • Wheat Crop Modelling for Higher Production, Systems Modeling, 10.1007/978-981-15-4728-7, (179-202), (2020).
  • PopFor: A new model for estimating poplar yields, Biomass and Bioenergy, 10.1016/j.biombioe.2020.105470, 134, (105470), (2020).
  • Biomass for energy: A review on supply chain management models, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 10.1016/j.rser.2019.109658, 120, (109658), (2020).
  • CO2-cofeeding catalytic pyrolysis of macadamia nutshell, Journal of CO2 Utilization, 10.1016/j.jcou.2019.12.001, 37, (97-105), (2020).
  • Land management and climate change determine second‐generation bioenergy potential of the US Northern Great Plains, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12686, 12, 7, (491-509), (2020).
  • Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS): Finding the win–wins for energy, negative emissions and ecosystem services—size matters, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12695, 12, 8, (586-604), (2020).
  • Comparison of cool and warm season perennial grasses for biomass yield, quality, and energy balance in two contrasting semiarid environments, Biomass and Bioenergy, 10.1016/j.biombioe.2020.105627, 139, (105627), (2020).
  • Sustainable bioenergy production, Recent Developments in Bioenergy Research, 10.1016/B978-0-12-819597-0.00019-2, (363-391), (2020).
  • The effect of sewage sludge fertilization on the biomass yield of giant miscanthus and the energy balance of the production process, Energy, 10.1016/j.energy.2020.118189, 206, (118189), (2020).
  • Risk assessment for influenza D in Europe, EFSA Supporting Publications, 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1853, 17, 6, (2020).
  • Avian influenza overview February – May 2020, EFSA Journal, 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6194, 18, 6, (2020).
  • Outcome of the consultation with Member States and EFSA on the basic substance application for approval of willow stem infusion to be used in plant protection as a plant growth regulator, EFSA Supporting Publications, 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1872, 17, 6, (2020).
  • Pest survey card on Phyllosticta citricarpa, EFSA Supporting Publications, 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1863, 17, 6, (2020).
  • Monitoring and tackling genetic selection in the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida, EFSA Supporting Publications, 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1874, 17, 6, (2020).
  • Guidelines for statistically sound and risk‐based surveys of Xylella fastidiosa, EFSA Supporting Publications, 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1873, 17, 6, (2020).
  • Large‐scale transcriptome profiles reveal robust 20‐signatures metabolic prediction models and novel role of G6PC in clear cell renal cell carcinoma, Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 10.1111/jcmm.15536, 24, 16, (9012-9027), (2020).
  • Pest survey card on Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, EFSA Supporting Publications, 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1878, 17, 6, (2020).
  • Pest survey card on Pomacea spp., EFSA Supporting Publications, 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1877, 17, 6, (2020).
  • Outcome of the consultation with Member States, the applicant and EFSA on the pesticide risk assessment for lambda‐cyhalothrin in light of confirmatory data, EFSA Supporting Publications, 10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1883, 17, 6, (2020).
  • Merging the margins for beneficial biofuels, Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 10.1016/B978-0-444-64309-4.00007-6, (163-178), (2020).
  • Isolation, in vitro study, and stem cell markers for type A spermatogonia in a Characiformes species, Molecular Reproduction and Development, 10.1002/mrd.23394, 87, 7, (783-799), (2020).
  • , Sustainability Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa I, undefined, (51), (2020).
  • Assessing the potential impacts of bioenergy cropping on a population of the ground-breeding bird Alauda arvensis: a case study from southern Germany, Landscape Research, 10.1080/01426397.2020.1808963, (1), (2020).
  • First process-based simulations of climate change impacts on global tea production indicate large effects in the World’s major producer countries, Environmental Research Letters, 10.1088/1748-9326/ab649b, 15, 3, (034023), (2020).
  • An economic evaluation on welfare distribution and carbon sequestration under competitive pyrolysis technologies, Energy Exploration & Exploitation, 10.1177/0144598719900279, (014459871990027), (2020).
  • JULES-BE: representation of bioenergy crops and harvesting in the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator vn5.1, Geoscientific Model Development, 10.5194/gmd-13-1123-2020, 13, 3, (1123-1136), (2020).
  • Ecosystem Service Benefits and Trade-Offs—Selecting Tree Species in Denmark for Bioenergy Production, Forests, 10.3390/f11030277, 11, 3, (277), (2020).
  • Efficient Estimation of Biomass from Residual Agroforestry, ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 10.3390/ijgi9010021, 9, 1, (21), (2020).
  • Impacts of enhanced weathering on biomass production for negative emission technologies and soil hydrology, Biogeosciences, 10.5194/bg-17-2107-2020, 17, 7, (2107-2133), (2020).
  • Mapping the yields of lignocellulosic bioenergy crops from observations at the global scale, Earth System Science Data, 10.5194/essd-12-789-2020, 12, 2, (789-804), (2020).
  • Production, activation, and applications of biochar in recent times, Biochar, 10.1007/s42773-020-00047-1, (2020).
  • Invasiveness of biofuel crops: implications for energy research and policy in Botswana, South African Geographical Journal, 10.1080/03736245.2020.1768583, (1-23), (2020).
  • Dual effects of S‐adenosyl‐methyonine on PC12 cells exposed to the dopaminergic neurotoxin MPP+, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 10.1111/jphp.13323, 0, 0, (2020).
  • Modeling large-scale biometeorological indices to monitor agricultural-growing areas: applications in the fruit circuit region, São Paulo, Brazil, International Journal of Biometeorology, 10.1007/s00484-020-01996-9, (2020).
  • Ecological impacts and limits of biomass use: a critical review, Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 10.1007/s10098-020-01911-1, (2020).
  • Can biomass supply meet the demands of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)?, Global Change Biology, 10.1111/gcb.15296, 0, 0, (2020).
  • Sorghum biomass production in the continental United States and its potential impacts on soil organic carbon and nitrous oxide emissions, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12736, 0, 0, (2020).
  • The climate change mitigation potential of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-020-0885-y, (2020).
  • Innovative Options for Energy Provision, Energy from Organic Materials (Biomass), 10.1007/978-1-4939-7813-7, (1413-1419), (2019).
  • Prospect of China's renewable energy development from pyrolysis and biochar applications under climate change, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 10.1016/j.rser.2019.109343, 114, (109343), (2019).
  • Role of Compositional Analysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Efficient Biofuel Production, New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 10.1016/B978-0-444-64223-3.00003-5, (29-43), (2019).
  • Towards the implementation of sustainable biofuel production systems, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 10.1016/j.rser.2019.03.005, 107, (250-263), (2019).
  • Future Role of Bioenergy, The Role of Bioenergy in the Bioeconomy, 10.1016/B978-0-12-813056-8.00010-8, (435-547), (2019).
  • Pathways to a Resource-Efficient and Low-Carbon Europe, Ecological Economics, 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.07.014, 155, (88-104), (2019).
  • Imperfect Markets and the Properties of Macro-economic-environmental Models as Tools for Policy Evaluation, Ecological Economics, 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.06.017, 155, (80-87), (2019).
  • Land in the EU for perennial biomass crops from freed-up agricultural land: A sensitivity analysis considering yields, diet, market liberalization and world food prices, Land Use Policy, 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.11.023, 82, (292-306), (2019).
  • Economics and policy of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage, 10.1016/B978-0-12-816229-3.00013-2, (257-271), (2019).
  • Assessment of the potential and distribution of an energy crop at 1-km resolution from 2010 to 2100 in China – The case of sweet sorghum, Applied Energy, 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.01.214, 239, (395-407), (2019).
  • Biochar use in global forests: opportunities and challenges, Global Change and Forest Soils, 10.1016/B978-0-444-63998-1.00017-3, (427-453), (2019).
  • Biomass Resources, Worldwide, Energy from Organic Materials (Biomass), 10.1007/978-1-4939-7813-7, (299-350), (2019).
  • Global relative species loss due to first‐generation biofuel production for the transport sector, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12597, 11, 6, (763-772), (2019).
  • Global advanced bioenergy potential under environmental protection policies and societal transformation measures, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12614, 11, 9, (1041-1055), (2019).
  • Biomass production and energy balance of Miscanthus over a period of 11 years: A case study in a large‐scale farm in Poland, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12625, 11, 10, (1187-1201), (2019).
  • Natural climate solutions versus bioenergy: Can carbon benefits of natural succession compete with bioenergy from short rotation coppice?, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12626, 11, 11, (1283-1297), (2019).
  • The battle for biomass: A systematic review of food-feed-fuel competition, Global Food Security, 10.1016/j.gfs.2019.100330, (100330), (2019).
  • Roles of Climate Change and Increasing CO2 in Driving Changes of Net Primary Productivity in China Simulated Using a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model, Sustainability, 10.3390/su11154176, 11, 15, (4176), (2019).
  • Reviews and syntheses: influences of landscape structure and land uses on local to regional climate and air quality, Biogeosciences, 10.5194/bg-16-2369-2019, 16, 11, (2369-2408), (2019).
  • Sustainable Valorization of Animal Manure and Recycled Polyester: Co-pyrolysis Synergy, Sustainability, 10.3390/su11082280, 11, 8, (2280), (2019).
  • Short Rotation Wood Crops in Latin American: A Review on Status and Potential Uses as Biofuel, Energies, 10.3390/en12040705, 12, 4, (705), (2019).
  • Potential for pellet manufacturing with wood waste from construction in Costa Rica, Waste Management & Research, 10.1177/0734242X19893022, (0734242X1989302), (2019).
  • Deliberate enhancement of rainfall using desert plantations, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.1904754116, (201904754), (2019).
  • Biomass co-pyrolysis: Effects of blending three different biomasses on oil yield and quality, Waste Management & Research, 10.1177/0734242X19860895, (0734242X1986089), (2019).
  • Modeling forest plantations for carbon uptake with the LPJmL dynamic global vegetation model, Earth System Dynamics, 10.5194/esd-10-617-2019, 10, 4, (617-630), (2019).
  • Freshwater requirements of large-scale bioenergy plantations for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, Environmental Research Letters, 10.1088/1748-9326/ab2b4b, 14, 8, (084001), (2019).
  • Applying a Sustainable Development Lens to Global Biomass Potentials, Sustainability, 10.3390/su11185078, 11, 18, (5078), (2019).
  • Pyrogenic carbon capture and storage, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12553, 11, 4, (573-591), (2018).
  • How is biodiversity protection influencing the potential for bioenergy feedstock production on grasslands?, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12568, 11, 3, (517-538), (2018).
  • Biomass and Bioenergy, Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Ecosystems, 10.1007/978-3-319-92318-5, (261-299), (2018).
  • Productivity and biomass characteristics of selected poplar ( Populus spp.) cultivars under the climatic conditions of northern Poland, Biomass and Bioenergy, 10.1016/j.biombioe.2018.02.002, 111, (46-51), (2018).
  • A global yield dataset for major lignocellulosic bioenergy crops based on field measurements, Scientific Data, 10.1038/sdata.2018.169, 5, 1, (2018).
  • Nutrient optimization of tree growth alters structure and function of boreal soil food webs, Forest Ecology and Management, 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.06.034, 428, (46-56), (2018).
  • The Effects of Carbon Dioxide Removal on the Carbon Cycle, Current Climate Change Reports, 10.1007/s40641-018-0104-3, 4, 3, (250-265), (2018).
  • Challenges to the use of BECCS as a keystone technology in pursuit of 1.5⁰C, Global Sustainability, 10.1017/sus.2018.3, 1, (2018).
  • Biogas in the transport sector—actor and policy analysis focusing on the demand side in the Stockholm region, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.10.010, 129, (70-80), (2018).
  • Biomass-based negative emissions difficult to reconcile with planetary boundaries, Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-017-0064-y, 8, 2, (151-155), (2018).
  • Review of the Impacts on Water of Land-Use Changes Induced by Non-food Biomass Production, Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 30, 10.1007/978-3-319-96289-4_5, (127-147), (2018).
  • Producing Policy-relevant Science by Enhancing Robustness and Model Integration for the Assessment of Global Environmental Change, Environmental Modelling & Software, 10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.05.010, (2018).
  • Negative emissions—Part 2: Costs, potentials and side effects, Environmental Research Letters, 10.1088/1748-9326/aabf9f, 13, 6, (063002), (2018).
  • Environmental impact assessment of perennial crops cultivation on marginal soils in the Mediterranean Region, Biomass and Bioenergy, 10.1016/j.biombioe.2017.04.005, 111, (174-186), (2018).
  • Global Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production and Associated Resource Decoupling: 2010–2050, Environmental Science & Technology, 10.1021/acs.est.7b04665, 52, 3, (1208-1215), (2018).
  • Economic and Ecological Analysis of Bioenergy and Steps in Starting a New Business, Entrepreneurship and Business Development in the Renewable Energy Sector, 10.4018/978-1-5225-3625-3.ch005, (160-199), (2018).
  • Perennial Energy Crops on Drained Peatlands in Finland, Biosynthetic Technology and Environmental Challenges, 10.1007/978-981-10-7434-9_14, (233-241), (2018).
  • Land use options for staying within the Planetary Boundaries – Synergies and trade-offs between global and local sustainability goals, Global Environmental Change, 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2018.02.004, 49, (73-84), (2018).
  • The Use of MODIS Images to Quantify the Energy Balance in Different Agroecosystems in Brazil, Multi-purposeful Application of Geospatial Data, 10.5772/intechopen.69713, (2018).
  • Biomass Resources, Worldwide, Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, 10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6, (1-53), (2018).
  • Balancing trade-offs between ecosystem services in Germany’s forests under climate change, Environmental Research Letters, 10.1088/1748-9326/aab4e5, 13, 4, (045012), (2018).
  • Production of Energy Crops in Heavy Metals Contaminated Land: Opportunities and Risks, Land Allocation for Biomass Crops, 10.1007/978-3-319-74536-7, (83-102), (2018).
  • Influence of Storing Miscanthus x gigantheus on Its Mechanical and Energetic Properties, Renewable Energy Sources: Engineering, Technology, Innovation, 10.1007/978-3-319-72371-6_64, (651-660), (2018).
  • Constraints on biomass energy deployment in mitigation pathways: the case of water scarcity, Environmental Research Letters, 10.1088/1748-9326/aabcd7, 13, 5, (054011), (2018).
  • Biomass and Bioenergy: Current State, Bioreactors for Microbial Biomass and Energy Conversion, 10.1007/978-981-10-7677-0_1, (3-37), (2018).
  • The Supply of Biomass for Bioenergy Systems, Biomass Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), 10.1002/9781119237716, (17-46), (2018).
  • Development and Tests of a Combined Filter for NOx, Particulates, and SO2 Reduction, Chemical Engineering & Technology, 10.1002/ceat.201800110, 41, 11, (2150-2158), (2018).
  • Biogeochemical potential of biomass pyrolysis systems for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, Environmental Research Letters, 10.1088/1748-9326/aabb0e, 13, 4, (044036), (2018).
  • Recycling of Organic Wastes to Soil and Its Effect on Soil Organic Carbon Status, The Future of Soil Carbon, 10.1016/B978-0-12-811687-6.00007-9, (195-214), (2018).
  • Biomass production in plantations: Land constraints increase dependency on irrigation water, GCB Bioenergy, 10.1111/gcbb.12530, 10, 9, (628-644), (2018).
  • Multi-decade, multi-sensor time-series modelling—based on geostatistical concepts—to predict broad groups of crops, Remote Sensing of Environment, 10.1016/j.rse.2018.06.046, 216, (183-200), (2018).
  • LPJmL4 – a dynamic global vegetation model with managed land – Part 1: Model description, Geoscientific Model Development, 10.5194/gmd-11-1343-2018, 11, 4, (1343-1375), (2018).
  • Ethanol production from xylose is highly increased by the Kluyveromyces marxianus mutant 17694-DH1, Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 10.1007/s00449-018-2014-0, (2018).
  • See more

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.