A GIS Approach to Locate a Small Size Biomass Plant Powered by Olive Pruning and to Estimate Supply Chain Costs

Abstract

<jats:p>The valorization of agricultural residues plays a fundamental role in renewable energy production. Particularly, the management of olive orchards in Lazio region generates a considerable amount of biomass that is currently unexploited, but it could represent a valid source of solid biofuel for energy production in the Lazio region (Italy). Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) approach entirely based on open source software, five suitable areas (A, B, C, D and E) have been selected as eligible for hosting and feeding a 1 MWe power plant. Harvesting and transportation costs were also calculated. The harvesting operation costs were EUR 96.79 Mgfm−1 in A, while they ranged from EUR 49.83 Mgfm−1 (E) up to EUR 56.51 Mgfm−1 (D) for the other sub-areas. Sub-area A showed also higher transport costs, EUR 21.55 Mgfm−1 while the same value ranged from EUR 14.75 Mgfm−1 (E) to EUR 16.59 Mgfm−1 (B) in the other sub-areas. However harvesting costs resulted higher than those reported in the literature, mainly due to the low pruning yield per surface unit, an aspect which is directly related to the olive grove’s management in the region where annual pruning is the usual practice. Future developments of the present study should encompass the social and environmental aspects of residual biomass supply chains herein proposed.</jats:p>

Assessment of the Working Performance of an Innovative Prototype to Harvest Hemp Seed in Two Different Conditions of Terrain Slope

“…Focusing on seed loss, MS showed significantly higher values than FS, both regarding seed loss per natural dehiscence and seed loss directly related to harvesting operation. Such results were somehow expected, considering that several studies highlighted the significant influence of slope on the performance of agriculture machinery [28,29]. In this specific case, the difference in HSL can be related to the fact that MS hemp plants were shorter than in FS.…”

Mechanical Harvesting of Camelina: Work Productivity, Costs and Seed Loss Evaluation

“…Although the possibility to cultivate camelina on marginal lands can make its supply chain ethically acceptable, costs of harvesting and logistic must be investigated to make the camelina cropping economically sustainable too. Most of the costs related to the production of biodiesel are related to the feedstock [44] and the development of new technologies in the agriculture sector can lower them significantly, particularly at the harvesting stage [45]. Camelina seeds can be mechanically harvested to keep costs lower, by using a combine harvester equipped with cereal header [46].…”

Assessing the Camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) Seed Harvesting Using a Combine Harvester: A Case-Study on the Assessment of Work Performance and Seed Loss

“…On the other hand, one of the main issues in camelina cultivation is the high costs of the supply chain [30]. Indeed, the higher percentage of costs for biodiesel production are related to the feedstock [31] and optimizing harvesting operation can lead to a substantial decrease of such costs [32].…”