Green Carbon in a sustainable way for developing countries
Dr. Willie Smits, Masarang Foundation Smart energy for a sustainable future Session on “Future Energy Supply” BASF, Ludwigshafen, March 10th-2015
Vinod Khosla
"What is needed is something that replaces base-load coal technology. Unless technology does that, it's not competitive.”
"Today's unimaginable is tomorrow's conventional wisdom."
Today’s Presentation
• Assessing the true potential of biomass based energy with special focus on sugar palms
• Looking at sustainability issues in triple P terms for reforestation in developing nations
• Practical example of a large scale commercial operation based upon these approaches
Biomass Based Energy
• The 1% photosynthesis efficiency theory • The photosynthesis process is influenced by:
– Light intensity – CO2 concentration – Temperature
• Other factors determining plant productivity: – Method of photosynthesis (eg. C3 vs C4) – Water and nutrient availability – Pests and diseases
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Plant Infrastructure Investment Harvestable Plant Production
Productivity of Corn in Temperate Zones
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Plant Infrastructure Investment Harvestable Plant Production
Productivity of Corn in Tropical Zones
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Plant Infrastructure Investment Harvestable Plant Production
Productivity of a Sugar Palm Forest
Inefficient Monocultures
Kumelembuai, North Sulawesi, Indonesia Mixed sugar palm forest on steep slopes.
Bamboo
Food/ Energy/
Medicines Fodder Bamboo
Sugar Palms
Fruit Trees
Furniture Wood
Fuel Wood
Construction Timber
Spices
Temperate vs Tropics Temperate Zones Tropics
Photosynthesis Seasonal growth Year round growth Low sunlight intensity High sunlight intensity C4 less efficient C4 optimal
Agriculture vs Forest Corn or Sugar Cane Sugar Palm
Photosynthesis Wasting light/energy Optimal light utilization Nutrients Depleting resources Natural recycling Pesticides Long lasting, dangerous No pesticide need at all
The Green Belt of the World
Zone of Maximum Productivity (Most Solar Radiation/Rainfall)
and zone with most available land and most people in need
Sugar Palm Biomass Based Energy
• The 1% photosynthesis efficiency theory • The photosynthesis process is influenced by:
– Light intensity – CO2 concentration – Temperature
Other factors determining plant productivity: Method of photosynthesis (eg. C3 vs C4) Water and nutrient availability Pests and diseases LAI (Leaf Area Index) Harvest Index Energy conversion efficiency
How is the 1% efficiency calculated?
Wh=S* εi* εc*η
in which Wh = Harvested Yield
S = Total solar energy
εi = Interception efficiency
εc = Conversion efficiency
η = Partitioning efficiency (Harvest Index)
The case of the Sugar Palm
εi = Interception efficiency
interception efficiency depends upon the speed of canopy closure, plant canopy size and plant architecture.
• Once a forest canopy is present, a fully developed photosynthetic apparatus is always present (no more growing investment phase like with agricultural crops)
• With a high LAI (>6.5 for sugar palm vs. 3.0 for most trees and crops) and more efficient light capture, combined with special leaf arrangement εi is very high
Sugar palm forest
Many years of field experiments
The case of the Sugar Palm
εi = Interception efficiency
interception efficiency depends upon the speed of canopy closure, plant canopy size and architecture.
εc = Conversion efficiency
Conversion efficiency depends upon the method of photosynthesis (C3/C4) and respiration rates
• Sugar palms have C4 photosynthesis • Respiration is extremely low due to absence of
maintenance growth after start of production
Combining the positive aspects of trees and energy crops like corn
Once fully grown & flowering all energy goes to to the fruit
For new harvestable fruit new leaves need to form
Hapaxanthic male inflorescences
The case of the Sugar Palm
εi = Interception efficiency interception efficiency depends upon the speed of canopy closure, plant canopy size and architecture.
εc = Conversion efficiency
Conversion efficiency depends upon the method of photosynthesis (C3/C4) and respiration rates
The harvest index indicates how much of the plant material can be converted to utilizable energy
η = Partitioning efficiency (Harvest Index)
For the best corn this is about 55% of the above ground biomass, so η being 0.55, with little room for improvement.
η = Partitioning efficiency (Harvest Index)
• A sugar palm can produce many times the harvestable biomass compared to its own dry weight infrastructure
5 Inflorescences
16 Liter/day
12% Sugar Content
200 Tapping Days
1920 Total Sugar (kg)
160 Leaf biomass
280 Stem biomass
105 Root biomass
135 Fruit biomass
680 Total Mass (kg)
Note: For an individual tree the tapping takes place over almost three years and with a life span of 10 years η is only slightly higher but as forest much more!
In addition
• From sugar palms we do not harvest organs and the output is sucrose, a very efficient energy carrier
• Sugar palms have very deep roots and need little water and can maintain photosynthesis where other trees experience a midday photosynthetic depression period
No removal of organs! Just tapping Water & Sugar
Sugar Palms add nutrients
to soil
All other biofuel crops remove nutrients
so always need fertilizer
Root system of a 3 year old sugar palm
Root system of a 1 year old sugar palm
Roots more than 6 meter deep!
Root length 9 m
The Basic Principle: Convert solar radiation energy into storable chemical energy
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
A Sweet Sustainable Solution : The Sugar Palm
Production:
Energy equivalent of 82 Barrels Oil per hectare/year !
Masarang
O2
O2
And by pumping up nutrients to the surface improving overall vegetation growth and overall carbon storage
Differences in Energy yielded per hectare per year for various crops (tonnes biodiesel equivalent)
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4,0
6,0
8,0
10,0
12,0
14,0
Linen Rape Seed Soya Maize Sugar Beet Sugar Cane Cocos Oil Palm Jatropha Sugar Palm
Calculation for Sugar palm productivity:
Description Amount Unit Number of adult producing trees per hectare at any moment
70 Trees/ha
Daily production of sugary juice 13 Liters/day/tree
Sugar concentration in juice 11 Percent Sugar production per hectare per year
36,5 Ton/ha/yr
Ethanol production per hectare per year (0.52 conversion from sugar)
19 Ton/ha/yr
(Calculation based upon data compiled from various studies by dr.ir. Willie Smits)
Note: 19 ton of ethanol = 24.000 liters
27
Teguh Wikan Widodo, Elita R., and A. Asari Indonesian Center for Agricultural Engineering Research and Development (ICAERD)
Situgadung, Legok, Tromol Pos 2 Serpong, Tangerang, Banten 15310 Indonesia
Note: WUR, Technical University Berlin and Indonesian Sciences Institute all found much higher values…
Six independent assessments done November 2011
Oil Palm vs. Sugar Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
• Leading to carbon emissions • Leading to deforestation • 5 tons of biodiesel/ha/yr • Monoculture • Needs fertilizers/pesticides • Soil depletion • Watershed pollution • Rivers disrupted • Coral reefs affected • Few and poor jobs (0.11/ha/yr) • Mechanization under way • Causes many local conflicts
(Arenga pinnata)
• Carbon sequestration • Protecting forests • 19 tons of ethanol/ha/yr • Mixed forest/Biodiversity • No fertilizers/pesticides • Soil improvement • Improved water supplies • Rivers flow regular • No downstream problems • Many (2.14) all year round jobs • Non mechanizable • Brings communities together
Sustainability
Land Energy/ha Water Pesticide Species Food Labor Climate Planting Processing
Looking at the whole green carbon picture
High High Low No Diverse Security Permanent Carbon Once All Year Availability Demand Positive
Low Low High Yes Mono Conflict Seasonal Carbon Many X Seasonal Availability Demand Negative
Sugar Palm Palm Oil Sugar Cane Corn
Even after one year under water still producing!
3 months after fire
Surviving Fires
6 months after fire
Volcano resistant !!!
Sole Survivor…
By the way… 17th July, 2011
and October 12th, 2012
Built-in biological control through
symbiosis with ants
Physical and Biological Protection
Sugar palms need a mixed forest
All sugar palms from same mother tree and same age Only those closer to trees growing healthy and better
Palm that soon will produce
Producing Palm
Tapping is manual and labor intensive Palms have to be tapped twice a day.
Each day 1 mm is sliced off
After 40 minutes the 10-17% sugary juice reaches maximum dripping speed
After 12 hours the speed gets less
Other Sugar Palm Products: • Fruits • Fibers • Medicines • Sago (starch) • Palm Heart • Honey • Fuel wood • Timber • Scent material • Orchid media • Packing material • Etc., etc.
8 year old mixed Sugar Palm Forests protecting the steep Masarang slopes
The practical application
• The company manages almost half a million acres of severely degraded forest in East Kalimantan.
• After the closure of the wood industry many people became jobless, causing a lot of land pressure.
• In this area the company is establishing a giant zero waste system to produce fossil fuel replacements and various other sustainable products.
• All of this while creating sustainable jobs, food security, clean water provision and biodiversity protection
What about combining restoring forests, plus additional permanent carbon storage in soil and improved growth of the forest, with ethanol as well as fossil fuel coal replacements and production of drop in jet fuel from waste within 2 years from start…?
Dead Wood, Tree Stumps
& Roots
Biochar
Flow of Carbon, Energy & Nutrients
Mobile Adam Retort
Felling, cutting, debarking, chipping
Leaves/twigs/bark are spread to keep nutrients in forest
Heat
Chips Wood
Own Use in ITCI
Income Generation
Torrefaction Product Flows
Power for Forest Camp
Gasifier
Electricity
Heat for Drying,
Evaporation, Distillation
Villages Balikpapan
Export Pellets
Torrefaction Pellets
Own Need Electricity
LNG Fuel
Syngas for Jet-fuel
Nutrient Recovery
Classical Forestry
Short Rotation Short Rotation Short Rotation Short Rotation Short Rotation
Short Rotations 5-8 year (Timber Estates)
Long Rotations 35 year (Natural Forest Management)
Long Rotation
Mixed Recipes Long Rotation
Short Rotation Short Rotation Short Rotation Short Rotation Short Rotation
1 2 3
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 5 Year 4 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Cassava
Jobs in land preparation, planting, maintenance Tapping of palms Torrefaction
Materials
Palm Fruits
Animal Feed
Year 9 Year 10
Torrefaction Materials
Torrefaction Materials
Year 11 Year 12 Year 13 Year 15 Year 14 Year 16 Year 17 Year 18
Aren Wood
Maintenance
Torrefaction Materials
Rattan
Year 19 Year 20
Torrefaction Materials
Agathis Wood
Palm Fibres
Maintenance
Year 21 Year 22 Year 23 Year 25 Year 24
Sengong/ Jabon/dll
Aren Agathis
Resin Rattan & Resin
Capturing nutrients through cassava
Cassava Planting was started on 12 March 2013
21 Mei, 2013
70 days
23 Juni, 2013
> 2 meters high!
103 days
Food Tree Sugar Palm 23 June, 2013
103 days
Mr. Subrata
23 Juni, 2013
After only 100/300 days already energy and food security with 20 ton/ha and a new forest starting
After 223 days 100 ton/ha
How to start up the permanent
production cycle
Starch
Food/Fuel
Sugar/Wood
Wood/Biochar
Degraded Forests
Biochar
Torrefaction pellets
Other Products Year 1
Year 3-6
Year 7-10
Year 25
Diverse other non-timber income sources
• Bird nests • Forest Honey • Ornamentals • Nutrients • Rocks • Fish/Meat • Plant media • Starch
• Biochar • Carbon Credits • Damar/Resin • Medicines • Eco-Tourism • Electricity • Drinking Water • Etc.
Nutrients • Are key to high
productivity and sustainability
• For plants, animals and human health
• Are a big cost factor and scarce product
• Can become a valuable income
• ITCI can obtain them from various sources
Fertilizer Production
Mud
Ash
Rock
Guano
Peat
Shoots
Litter
From Forest
Mud
Azolla
Fish Waste
Night Soil
Sea Weed
Torr Nutr.
Sea Wood
From former wood Industry
Mg
Hair
Compost
Night Soil
Animal Manure
Jelly Fish
NPK
From Cities
Local needs
Vario
us R
ecip
es
Outside sales
Plus BioChar!
without fertilizer
with compost
with biochar & fertilizer
Left Cassava with compost Right with biochar and compost Without both virtually no growth! Above chillies
Significant improvements
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100,0
120,0
20. Feb 02. Mrz 12. Mrz 22. Mrz 01. Apr 11. Apr 21. Apr
Tomatoes with and without biochar
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200,0
400,0
600,0
800,0
1.000,0
16. Apr 21. Apr 26. Apr 01. Mai
Harvest with biochar Harvest with compost only
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10,0
20,0
30,0
40,0
50,0
60,0
70,0
20. Feb 02. Mrz 12. Mrz 22. Mrz 01. Apr 11. Apr 21. Apr
Corn with and without biochar
- 20,0 40,0 60,0 80,0
100,0 120,0 140,0 160,0 180,0 200,0
0 1 2 3 4
Harvest with biochar Harvest without biochar
+400%
+700%
Added Benefits
From smoke condensate:
– Wood vinegar (for compost, germination, as biodegradable herbicide)
– Wood tar (for preserving less durable wood and poles in ground)
CO2 Dynamics as influenced by the new ITCI Multi-System Silviculture
Forest
H2O
Biodiversity
• More biodiversity > C-store in forest
> fish and meat • Better forest
> rainfall > forest growth > C-store in forest
• More Biochar > 40 tons C stored/ha > tree growth/biomass > C-store in forest
> nutrient retention • Torrefaction pellets
> Fossil Fuel Reduction • Sugar Palm & Cassava > biofuels C savings > efficient protein
Biochar
40 tons CO2 stored per hectare & >biomass
Torrefaction Pellets
Fossil Fuel Need
Reductions
Products storing C in
wood
Wood
Food Water
So: “Money does grow on trees”
Forest Factory, Money Machine
From selling air, rain and sunlight!
Chances for Everyone
"There is still time and there are still opportunities to clear up the mess man has created."
