Estimation of the Required Bio-Fuels Substituting Petroleum-Based Fuels in Road-Transportation in the Island of Crete, Greece and Their Climate Change Impacts | Chapter 4 | Contemporary Perspective on Science, Technology and Research Vol. 4

Climate change consists of the most important global environmental problem in our era and its mitigation requires the elimination of the fossil fuels use in all sectors. Transportation consumes large amounts of fossil fuels and has a high share in carbon emissions. According to the current EU policies the conventional vehicles using petrol-based fuels should substitute by 2030 at least 14% of their fuels with bio-fuels including bio-ethanol and bio-diesel. The vehicles in the island of Crete, Greece currently use conventional fuels. The present study investigates the feasibility of substituting 14% of their petrol-based fuels with bio-fuels that could be produced locally. The consumption of gasoline and diesel oil during 2021 in Crete was estimated at 309,766 tons while their carbon emissions at 1,005,182 tnCO2. The required bio-ethanol substituting 14% of the gasoline currently used is estimated at 33,475 tons/year while the bio-diesel substituting the diesel oil at 28,260 tons/year. The annual carbon emission savings due to substitution of conventional fuels with bio-fuels are calculated in the range of 57,207 tnCO2 to 68,105 tnCO2. The land required for the cultivation of the crops producing the abovementioned quantities of bio-fuels corresponds at 4.33% of the total island’s area. The cultivation of energy crops in Crete for bio-fuels production is not foreseen in the future and the required bio-fuels to meet the EU quota should be imported from other territories. It is foreseen that the future de-carbonization in vehicles’ transportation in Crete should be achieved with the electrification of the transportation sector using green electricity generated locally by the abundant solar and wind energy resources.

Author(s) Details:

John Vourdoubas,
107B El. Venizelou Str., 73132, Chania, Crete, Greece.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CPSTR-V4/article/view/13137

SWOT Analysis of Perennial vs Annual Energy Crops: A Case Study in Greece | chapter 3 | New Approaches in Engineering Research Vol. 3

 The EU bio-based economy requires a steady supply of biomass for a variety of applications, including pharmaceuticals, food, feed, bio-based materials, and bioenergy. In order to reduce competition for land, the yielding potential of energy crops (annual and perennial) must be as high as possible. Several perennial and annual energy crops have been cultivated for biofuel production in Europe over the last two decades. The main advantage of annual energy crops is that their agronomic management can be easily adapted from more traditional cultivation practices because they fit into current (rotation) farming systems. Perennial energy crops, on the other hand, are being specifically developed. The purpose of this paper is to compare some annual and perennial energy crops using the SWOT Analysis to determine the most socioeconomically and environmentally suitable crops for biofuel production in Greece and the Mediterranean region. Our research focuses on three perennial energy crops: Miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus), Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and four annual energy crops: Sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), Rapeseed (Brassica napus), and Sorghum (Panicum virgatum) (Sorghum bicolor). The SWOT analysis reveals that the three perennial energy crops under consideration are an excellent alternative choice for marginal lands, especially because they do not require annual installation. They have high biomass yields, low crop costs (cardoon, switchgrass), and a diverse range of end uses. They are especially beneficial to the environment because they require few chemicals (cardoon), have a high energy content, and can be used for soil remediation (miscanthus) and phytoextraction of harmful or polluting substances. Some, however, have a high initial installation cost (miscanthus, switchgrass) and some are potentially invasive species (miscanthus, cardoon), while almost all mature. On the other hand, among the four annual energy crops are some well-known and well-accepted plants (sunflower, rapeseed) as well as some less common ones (kenaf, sorghum as an energy crop). They can be included in existing rotation farming schemes, and the majority of them, like winter cereals, can be grown using techniques that farmers are already familiar with (rapeseed). They present an environmentally friendly alternative crop choice in lands with limited or moderate water availability (sunflower, kenaf), with high yields and a wide range of potential uses, suitable for both small farmer cooperatives and large-scale farming. The best energy crop, whether annual or perennial, will be determined by a variety of socioeconomic and environmental factors.

Author (s) Details

Dr. Annoula Paschalidou
Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, 193 Pantazidou Street, 68 200, Orestiada, Greece.

Dr. Michael Tsatiris
Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, 193 Pantazidou Street, 68 200, Orestiada, Greece.

View Book :-  https://stm.bookpi.org/NAER-V3/article/view/1850