Environmental cost of biomass transportation: an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions during haulage of energy crops.

摘要

Defra's previous Energy Crops Scheme required that energy crops were grown within certain limits from end use, to ensure that emissions from haulage of the material do not undermine savings at end use. Using a road transportation emissions model, this study assesses the impacts of haulage and form of energy crop feedstock on carbon dioxide emissions. Results show that wood pellets can be transported over twice the distance chips are transported without increasing overall emissions in the supply chain. However, taking account of emissions from the pelleting operation, pellets have to be transported over large distances (c. >174 miles) before any benefits in reduction of emissions are realised. The higher reduction in emissions from use of pellets at end use as compared to chips compensates for emissions from pelleting such that limiting the distance over which pellets are transported is not justified.