Methodology of analysis of biomass potential using GIS in the Czech Republic.

HAVLICKOVA, K., WEGER, J., SEDIVA, J.: Methodology of analysis of biomass potential using GIS in the Czech Republic. Acta univ. agric. et silvic. Mendel. Brun., 2010, LVIII, No. 5, pp. 161–170 This article deals with the issue of a methodology for and analyzing biomass potential in the Czech Republic using a geographic information system. The biomass sources considered include cereal and rape straw, permanent grasslands and forest residuals. The process of assessing biomass potential from agricultural soils is based on assigning yields of individual biomass sources according to the production soil-ecological units (BPEJ) which were created for better agricultural planning in the Czech and Slovak Republics. The analysis of energy crop suitability is based on the evaluation of crop yields related to individual BPEJ’s respectively to its component the main soil climate units (HPKJ). To ascertain the production potential of residual biomass (straw) from conventional agriculture, the wheat (grain) yield related to HPKJ was multiplied by the straw coeffi cient. The yield of the permanent grasslands in the main soil climate units was also multiplied by the coeffi cient of dry matter. The me thodo lo gy for the analysis of biomass potential for forest land is based on forest management plans that describe the composition of all forest stands. Data from these forest management plans can be used to determine in detail the potential of the forest biomass in individual periods according to the plan for silvacultural treatment and major harvest of the wood. This detailed analysis is suitable only on the municipality level. On a higher government level, the forest management plan can be used to calculate a coeffi cient that determines the average yield from biomass in the form of forest residuals and in relation to the forest size for specifi c areas or levels of analysis. The energy potential of residual biomass is around 136 PJ from present area of conventional agriculture in the Czech Republic. Biomass consumption in animal production and harvest loses were deducted from this calculation. biomass potential, soil-ecological units, forest residuals, permanent grasslands, straw Today, biomass energy continues to be the main source of energy in many developing nations, particularly in its traditional forms, providing on avera ge 35% of the energy needs of three-guarters of the worlds’ population. Biomass covers between 60 and 90% of energy demand in the poorest developing countries. However, modern biomass energy applications are increasing rapidly both in the industrial and developing countries, so that they now account for 20–25% of total biomass energy use. For example, the United States obtains about 4% and Finland and Sweden 20% of their primary energy from biomass (Calle et al., 2007). Biomass features strongly in virtually all the major global energy supply scenarios, as biomass resources are potentially the world largest and most sustainable energy source. The annual bioenergy potential is about 2900 EJ (approximately 1700 EJ from forests, 850 EJ from grasslands and 350 EJ from agricultural areas) (Hall and Rao, 1999). In theory, at least, energy farming in current agricultural land alone could contribute over 800 EJ without aff ecting the worlds’ food supply (Faaij et al., 2002). Biomass is the most important renewable energy source (RES) in the conditions of the Czech Republic and contributes about 82% to the total RES contribution to the primary energy sources (74 PJ of 91 PJ in the year 2007). Solid biomass utilization grows since beginning of last decades as the result of the two factors: continuously increasing prices of electricity as well as natural gas and state support of biomass utilization in power generation (Fig. 1). 162 K. Havlickova, J. Weger, J. Sediva Power generation based on biomass utilization reached almost 1 TWhe (968 GWhe) in the year 2007. Signifi cant part of solid biomass was consumed by households for space heating, cooking a hot water preparation – 46.6 PJ (app. 3 million tones) in the same year. It is expected that signifi cant part of currently used coal will be substituted by biomass during this decade. Liquid bioefuels consumption and biogas contribution is signifi cantly lower compared with the contribution of solid biomass (Fig. 2). Utilization of solid biofuels (biomass pellets and briquettes) is almost negligible at the moment – 54 000 tones of briquettes and 16 000 tones of pellets (MPO, 2008). Sources of biomass Biomass is the decisive RES in long-run (horizon 2020–2050) in the condition of the Czech Republic. But easily available sources of residual biomass (namely residuals from wood processing industry) are already utilized to the major extent. It is not possible to meet future needs for biomass without rapid development of biomass planting for energy purposes on agriculture land. Long-run perspective of RES utilization (Fig. 3) was published in the year 2008 (MPO, 2008). As mentioned above, sources of relatively cheap biomass are already utilized to the signifi cant extent, namely wood residuals from wood and paper industry. Sources of additional biomass are especially: 0 10 20 30 40 5