The state and the perspectives of the eco-energy infrastructure development in Biała Podlaska County (Poland). Part II Estimation of solid biomass resources for energy purposes

Abstract

The paper estimates the possibility of obtaining solid biomass for energy purposes in the Biała Podlaska County (Lublin Voivodeship, Poland). The estimates were based on data on: forest area, orchards and tree stands, land use, crop structure, animal population, and marginal land area in the County. It was found that in most communes, there are great possibilities of obtaining biomass for energy purposes. The largest resource is straw (243,501 Mg per year), which should first be used in agriculture as animal litter and organic fertilizer. Only its surplus can be intended for the combustion and production of pellets and briquettes. In the County, large areas of poor quality land were inventoried, on which perennial energy plants with low requirements can be grown. Up to 113,595 Mg of biomass can be obtained there. The basic condition for the development of targeted energy crops is the emergence of a biomass market: installations that convert biomass into fuels or produce energy on a local scale and sell it to power plants. Currently, a commonly used resource is wood biomass from forests and wood processing, which is used as fuel in domestic boilers, as well as for the production of pellets and briquettes.

Solid Biomass Energy Potential as a Development Opportunity for Rural Communities

“…Managing crop residue is particularly important for biomass utilization and energy generation for solving environmental problems and using alternative energy sources. More importantly, the cereal production continuity ensures the permanent availability of straw resources, whose overproduction is caused by a decreasing number of farm animals with an increasing proportion of cereals in the structure of crops [20,22].…”

“…The biomass obtained by pruning fruit trees was often used in households, but this applies mainly to biomass from backyard gardens. The energy potential of the considerable amounts of waste from typical orchards is usually lost due to storing or burning it in the field [91], while it could be used as fuel [22]. Proper management of these resources may increase the effectiveness of biomass use in the future, as orchard biomass waste used for energy generation does not compete with food production [92], which may be the case with cereal straw or hay.…”

“…Apart from the considerable benefits of using the hay surplus, certain difficulties are connected with obtaining it. These resources are not often easily accessible (wetlands) and their quality varies, depending on the moisture and mineral content [22]. Since the commune of Goworowo is situated in two NATURE 2000 Special Bird Protection sites-Dolina Dolnej Narwi PLB140014 and Puszcza Biała PLB140007-the grassland in them has to be mowed to maintain the bird populations covered by the Birds Directive.…”

“…Kowalczyk-Juśko et al [22] determined the energy potential of the Bialski District in the southeast of Poland, where the energy potential of communes ranged from 7690 to 707,933 GJ y −1 . However, that study also included solid biomass residues from wood industry facilities.…”

“…Stolarski et al [21] determined the bioenergy potential of the countries bordering the Baltic Sea, including Poland. Smaller regions, i.e., districts, were dealt with by Kowalczyk-Juśko et al [22]. However, there were no detailed papers in the literature that provided a comprehensive methodology of the conducted studies or analyses of the biomass energy potential in individual communes considering their specific local conditions.…”