Potential Sources of Non-Traditional Biomass for Bioenergy - A Case Study from Ontario

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Objective(s)

The objective of this Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) project was to describe the role of non-traditional species for biomass production in Ontario particularly, with a more general outlook of the national situation. Non-traditional species suitable for growth in Ontario, their requirements, potential yields, energy production, combustion efficiency, and potential mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) was examined as part of this project. Research was primarily obtained from literature and applied to an Ontario context.

Specific project objectives included:

• Research, select, and describe suitable species as non-traditional biomass crops for Ontario.
• Develop land area values for each species using three different methods.
• Predict carbon values for root and soil pools via the development of a biological model using the dynamic modeling program STELLA.

Description

The development of energy crops for biomass production is currently a major focus of the renewable resources sector. Climate change impacts embody a strong motivation for evaluating biomass as a renewable and reliable source of energy for the reason that biomass displaces the use of fossil fuels in addition to sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). Traditional sources of forest and agricultural based biomass for energy production including plants and residues embrace a variety of forest and agricultural sector related activities. Little emphasis however, has been placed by Canadians on non-traditional sources of biomass for bioenergy production. This project consisted of identifying and describing potential species for non-traditional biomass production in Ontario, estimating available and suitable land area in the province, and predicting carbon storage values for land under biomass production.

Ten potential species for the production of non-traditional biomass in southern Ontario and also on a Canadian basis were of interest. Non-traditional types of raw biomass including seven herbaceous species were examined for their potential as energy crops in southern Ontario, both as producers of energy and as sinks for carbon. Three short rotation woody species including willow, alder, and poplar were also selected. Three methods were used to identify available land. The first method involved taking the amount of arable land already in production in Ontario and withdrawing a percentage from food crop production and placing it into energy crop production. The second method involved the use of the Canada Land Inventory system and was based on certain classes. Class 3 and 4 land was used as these classes describe marginal land that is still suitable for herbaceous crop growth. The third method involved the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to determine suitable land for each candidate species. Site characteristics were matched with species growth requirements. Once potential species were identified, their yields established, and the land area on which they could grow determined, computer models were designed to predict carbon sequestration potential within energy crop fields. These models were run for the lifespan of the species and used to predict carbon storage over time. STELLA software was also employed to develop a variety of scenarios for each species.

Significant Outcomes

This study demonstrated and quantified the role of non-traditional biomass species in reducing CO₂ emissions via a decrease in fossil fuel use as well as enhancing carbon storage. Research also revealed high biomass production for certain species in Ontario by making use of marginal land and converting a fraction of agricultural land into energy crops or short rotation forestry. Although these numbers will vary on a national level, depending on climatic region and soil type, there remains vast potential for this type of land use in Canada. Each species evaluated was identified to have certain benefits and drawbacks as a potential crop for biomass production for bioenergy. Further research within Canada needs to be undertaken to gain a more accurate view of the potential of these species.

Locations for Optimal Willow
Production Based on Soil Type in
Southern Ontario

Locations for Optimal Hemp
Production Based on Soil Type in
Southern Ontario