Browsing by Person "Wagner, Moritz"

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Agrivoltaics: The environmental impacts of combining food crop cultivation and solar energy generation
(2023) Wagner, Moritz; Lask, Jan; Kiesel, Andreas; Lewandowski, Iris; Weselek, Axel; Högy, Petra; Trommsdorff, Max; Schnaiker, Marc-André; Bauerle, Andrea
The demand for food and renewable energy is increasing significantly, whereas the availability of land for agricultural use is declining. Agrivoltaic systems (AVS), which combine agricultural production with solar energy generation on the same area, are a promising opportunity with the potential to satisfy this demand while avoiding land-use conflicts. In the current study, a Consequential Life-Cycle Assessment (CLCA) was conducted to holistically assess the environmental consequences arising from a shift from single-use agriculture to AVS in Germany. The results of the study show that the environmental consequences of the installation of overhead AVS on agricultural land are positive and reduce the impacts in 15 of the 16 analysed impact categories especially for climate change, eutrophication and fossil resource use, as well as in the single score assessment, mainly due to the substitution of the marginal energy mix. It was demonstrated that, under certain conditions, AVS can contribute to the extension of renewable energy production resources without reducing food production resources. These include maintaining the agricultural yields underneath the photovoltaic (PV) modules, seeking synergies between solar energy generation and crop production and minimising the loss of good agricultural land.
Methodological approaches for assessing the environmental performance of perennial crop-based value chains
(2017) Wagner, Moritz; Lewandowski, Iris
In a developing bioeconomy, the demand for biomass for industrial purposes is expected to increase significantly. This demand needs to be met in a sustainable way and without compromising food security. With this goal in mind, resource-efficient lignocellulosic crops, such as perennial energy grasses, are often cited as a biomass source with low negative impacts on the environment. Under European conditions, miscanthus is the leading perennial energy grass because of its high biomass and energy yield potential. It is a C4 plant, which achieves dry matter biomass yields of up to 20 Mg ha−1 yr−1 when harvested in later winter, and up to 30 Mg ha−1 yr−1 when harvested green in October. Currently the main utilization route of miscanthus is direct combustion for heat generation, but the biomass can also be used for various other applications, such as biofuels and insulation material. Several studies have analysed the environmental performance of perennial crop-based value chains, but most of these only assessed the Global Warming Potential (GWP). However, the GWP alone is not an adequate indicator for the holistic assessment of the environmental performance of such value chains. In addition, these studies often used generic data and applied varying assumptions, which makes a comparison of different value chains difficult. The main goal of this thesis is to draw up recommendations for future assessments of the environmental performance of perennial crop-based value chains. For this purpose, five research objectives were formulated: 1) to identify the key parameters influencing the environmental performance of perennial crop-based value chains; 2) to analyse which impact categories are most relevant when assessing the environmental performance; 3) to assess the differences between various perennial-crop based value chains; 4) to assess the environmental performance of the utilization of marginal land to grow perennial crops for industrial purposes; and 5) to analyse and compare the environmental performance of annual and perennial crops in the example value chain ‘biogas production’. To achieve these research objectives, the environmental performance of several perennial crop-based value chains was analysed in various impact categories applying the same underlying assumptions and using field data obtained under ceteris paribus conditions. The analysis was carried out using the globally recognised Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, which is standardized by two ISO norms (14040/44). The results revealed that biomass yield is one of the most important parameters influencing the environmental performance of perennial crop-based value chains. An increase in yield of 50%, for instance, leads to an increase in carbon mitigation potential in a comparable range (46%). Furthermore, the marked influence on the environmental impact mitigation potential of both fertilizer-induced emissions and selection of the reference system was demonstrated. For example, if the reference system is changed from light fuel oil to natural gas, the substituting by heat generated from the combustion of miscanthus biomass increases the net impact in the category ‘particulate matter formation’ by 220%. The relevance of different impact categories was analysed for various perennial crop-based value chains using a normalisation approach. The results clearly indicated that a holistic assessment of the environmental performance of perennial crop-based value chains should at least include the impact categories ‘marine ecotoxicity’, ‘human toxicity’, ‘agricultural land occupation’, ‘freshwater eutrophication’ and ‘freshwater ecotoxicity’. In future assessments, it is recommended to include the impacts of land-use on both biodiversity (using species richness as an indicator) and soil quality (using SOM as an indicator). The comparison of the environmental performance of different perennial crop-based value chains revealed clear environmental advantages of the cascade use of biomass. An example is the production of miscanthus-based insulation material, which is first used as a building material and then incinerated to generate heat and electricity. The results also demonstrate that, despite low biomass yield on marginal land, miscanthus-based value chains have a substantial environmental impact mitigation potential when substituting a fossil-based reference system. Furthermore, the comparison of annual and perennials crops as biogas substrates showed that perennial crops, and in particular miscanthus, have a considerably better environmental performance in the impact categories ‘climate change’ (up to -73%), ‘fossil fuel depletion’ (up to -79%), ‘freshwater eutrophication’ (up to -69%), ‘marine eutrophication’ (up to -67%), and ‘terrestrial acidification’ (up to -26%). In all four studies included in this thesis, it was observed that the data used for the biomass cultivation in particular, such as yield and fertilizer-induced emissions, have a considerable influence on the environmental performance. This data is highly site- and crop-specific and is strongly dependent on the agricultural management system applied. Based on the results of this thesis, the common practice of using generic data in assessments of the environmental performance of perennial crop-based value chains should be rejected. In order to obtain realistic results, the use of site- and crop-specific data is highly recommended.
Perennial biomass cropping and use: Shaping the policy ecosystem in European countries
(2023) Clifton‐Brown, John; Hastings, Astley; von Cossel, Moritz; Murphy‐Bokern, Donal; McCalmont, Jon; Whitaker, Jeanette; Alexopoulou, Efi; Amaducci, Stefano; Andronic, Larisa; Ashman, Christopher; Awty‐Carroll, Danny; Bhatia, Rakesh; Breuer, Lutz; Cosentino, Salvatore; Cracroft‐Eley, William; Donnison, Iain; Elbersen, Berien; Ferrarini, Andrea; Ford, Judith; Greef, Jörg; Ingram, Julie; Lewandowski, Iris; Magenau, Elena; Mos, Michal; Petrick, Martin; Pogrzeba, Marta; Robson, Paul; Rowe, Rebecca L.; Sandu, Anatolii; Schwarz, Kai‐Uwe; Scordia, Danilo; Scurlock, Jonathan; Shepherd, Anita; Thornton, Judith; Trindade, Luisa M.; Vetter, Sylvia; Wagner, Moritz; Wu, Pei‐Chen; Yamada, Toshihiko; Kiesel, Andreas
Demand for sustainably produced biomass is expected to increase with the need to provide renewable commodities, improve resource security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with COP26 commitments. Studies have demonstrated additional environmental benefits of using perennial biomass crops (PBCs), when produced appropriately, as a feedstock for the growing bioeconomy, including utilisation for bioenergy (with or without carbon capture and storage). PBCs can potentially contribute to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) (2023–27) objectives provided they are carefully integrated into farming systems and landscapes. Despite significant research and development (R&D) investment over decades in herbaceous and coppiced woody PBCs, deployment has largely stagnated due to social, economic and policy uncertainties. This paper identifies the challenges in creating policies that are acceptable to all actors. Development will need to be informed by measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas emissions reductions and other environmental, economic and social metrics. It discusses interlinked issues that must be considered in the expansion of PBC production: (i) available land; (ii) yield potential; (iii) integration into farming systems; (iv) R&D requirements; (v) utilisation options; and (vi) market systems and the socio‐economic environment. It makes policy recommendations that would enable greater PBC deployment: (1) incentivise farmers and land managers through specific policy measures, including carbon pricing, to allocate their less productive and less profitable land for uses which deliver demonstrable greenhouse gas reductions; (2) enable greenhouse gas mitigation markets to develop and offer secure contracts for commercial developers of verifiable low‐carbon bioenergy and bioproducts; (3) support innovation in biomass utilisation value chains; and (4) continue long‐term, strategic R&D and education for positive environmental, economic and social sustainability impacts.
Social assessment of miscanthus cultivation in Croatia: Assessing farmers' preferences and willingness to cultivate the crop
(2023) Marting Vidaurre, Nirvana A.; Jurišić, Vanja; Bieling, Claudia; Magenau, Elena; Wagner, Moritz; Kiesel, Andreas; Lewandowski, Iris
Social aspects of miscanthus cultivation have been investigated in a limited way in the scientific literature. Adopting existing frameworks for social life‐cycle assessment enables assessments to include numerous social aspects; however, the relevance of these aspects depends on the local context. This study aims to identify the most relevant social aspects from the farmers' perspective using a previously proposed framework for the assessment of the stakeholder ‘farmer’. It is based on a case study for miscanthus production in Sisak Moslavina in Croatia. The existence of abandoned lands in Croatia presents an opportunity for the cultivation of miscanthus as a potential source of biomass for the production of bio‐based materials and fuels. The study seeks to assess the feasibility of cultivating miscanthus in the region, taking into account potential challenges and opportunities, as well as farmers' willingness to adopt the crop, and to understand the reasons behind land abandonment. We conducted a survey among 44 farmers in the region and used a scoring method to identify the most relevant social aspects. The aspects most valued by the farmers were health and safety, access to water, land consolidation and rights, income and local employment, and food security. Responses to the question of whether they would adopt the crop highlight the importance of an established market, good trading conditions and profitability of cultivation. The survey also enabled an understanding of farmers' preferences with respect to the production conditions of crops. The farmers regarded the provision of subsidies as one of the main factors that render a crop attractive. Opportunities for the adoption of the miscanthus cultivation include high yields and low input requirements. Barriers include land conflicts and land availability. Despite the opportunities for miscanthus development in the region, there are important challenges to consider for successful implementation of the crop.