Energy Crops Make a Good Investment, Say European Analysts
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Energy crops have an important role to play when it comes to reducing greenhouse gases, meeting the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol and helping to fight the impacts of climate change, say representatives from the NNFCC in the U.K. – the Centre for Renewable Fuel, Energy and Materias.
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Energy crops, says the organization, have many incentives that make them more utile than other biomass crops. For example, in Europe, energy crops can earn their growers renewable obligation certificate tariffs.
Energy crops can be burned for energy, or combined with waste and manure in an anaerobic digester in order to generate gas. For farmers, using energy crops is also a good way to generate energy on the farm or for use by the local community. What’s more, they have the potential for diversification.
When used for burning, energy crops should have high yields and it is important to ensure that they have consistent levels of dry matter. In order to be economically effective, energy crops should be low-cost and have low fertilizer costs. Two popular options for energy crops at the moment are willow and miscanthus.
Willow is grown in the spring from cuttings. It should be harvested every three years in cycles. Generally the first yield is about 25 to 30 tonnes per hectare, with yields increasing over subsequent years.
Miscanthus is also grown in the spring, but real growth doesn’t occur until after the first year. The crop can then be harvested in its second year, when average yields will usually be between 7 and 8 tonnes per hectare. The yield typically increases to as much as 12 to 14 tonnes per hectare.
Although the initial outlay for the crop is high when it comes to planting, the long-term viability of the crop (up to 20 years) makes it quite reasonable if it is possible to commit to the land over a long term. If the maximum yield is maintained, the crop can be quite profitable.
For anaerobic digestion, a few alternative crops make a good alternative, including crops like high sugar grass, sunflowers and maize, among others.
