Where AD plants wildly grow: The spatio-temporal diffusion of agricultural biogas production in the Czech Republic

Abstract

There is fundamental agreement about the environmental benefits of renewable energy technologies, but unintended consequences arising from their deployment are frequent sources of conflicts. The Czech Republic has committed itself to supply 13.5% of its electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020. High state incentives for renewable energies have been provided to achieve this target, however critical questions can be asked about the appropriateness of the design of the supporting frameworks which caused a boom in photo-voltaic (PV) installations on agricultural land, as well as a boom in the installation of agricultural anaerobic digestion (AD) plants fueled by dedicated energy crops. This paper analyses the diffusion of agricultural AD plants in the Czech Republic, focusing especially on locational characteristics in relation to the quality of agricultural land, agricultural and population census data. Statistical analysis of those spatial datasets show that agricultural AD plants are mostly located in less favourable agricultural areas, in regions having recently experienced a reduction in cattle breeding, and in regions with significant increases of sowing areas of green maize. These findings suggests shortcomings in the supporting policy for AD plants in the Czech Republic, resulting in unintended environmental consequences, and missed opportunities to enhance energy self-sufficiency and resilience in the countryside.

The geography of urban agriculture: New trends and challenges

“…Thus, rural spaces are increasingly designed around alternative agricultural and various new industrial, 1 Closer look at the concept of peri-urban multifunctional farms has been at the website of Wageningen University, see: https:// www.wur.nl/en/newsarticle/Animation-on-strategies-for-Urban-agriculture-revenue-models-1.htm commercial, tourism and leisure activities, which have driven changes in rural identities and lifestyles (Frantál and Martinát, 2013;Frantál, Pasqualleti and Van der Horst, 2014;Martinát et al, 2016;Lange et al, 2013). Not surprisingly, these trends and challenges became the core subject of previous Special Issues of Moravian Geographical Reports (e.g.…”

The role of energy policy in agricultural biogas energy production in Visegrad countries

“…Therefore, statistical data and corresponding methodological and general information were obtained from following authorities: Agricultural Market Agency in Poland (AMA), Energy Regulatory Office in Poland (ERO), the Local Data Bank from the Central Statistical Office in Poland (LDB CSO), the official European Funds Portal (EFP), Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (SOSR), Regulatory Office for Network Industries in Slovakia (RONI) and Eurostat. Information on development and current state of agricultural biogas use in Hungary was drawn from studies by Fazekas et al (2013) and Tihányi et al (2012), and in Czech Republic by , Martinát et al (2013a), Martinát et al (2013b) and data by Czech biogas association (CzBA 2016). Data acquisition was followed by their harmonization, and subsequent aggregation and interpretation.…”

“…406/2000 were adopted already in 2000 to regulate state and business conditions in electro energetics, gas industry and heating industry, ensure that the producers of electricity from renewable sources shall be preferentially connected to the transmission system and to regulate effective and considerate consumption of energy and energy sources (cf. Martinát et al, 2013a). This was followed by Act on the Promotion of Use of Renewable Sources (Act No.…”

“…Energy production from agricultural biogas meets this condition because this kind of biogas is obtained in the process of methane fermentation of organic substrates originating from the agri-food sector, including energy crops and agricultural production waste (Bożym, et al, 2015;Martinát, et al, 2016). Since majority of substrates for agricultural biogas production originates from agricultural activities, establishment of ABPs provides an opportunity for multifunctional agriculture development.…”

The Future of Traditional Landscapes: Discussions and Visions

“…Consequently, it has to be stated that the term 'traditional landscape' is dangerous in its suggestion of a dichotomy of traditional versus modern landscapes [5], in which the idea of a millennia-long slow development stands against perception of a very fast modern transformation, especially with the recent introduction of renewable energy development [14][15][16][17], with some bad examples ( Figure 4). This contrast is often loaded with values, as the old landscape is described (not without reason, although also some 'traditional landscapes' were in fact rather uniform) as ecologically rich and as aesthetically attractive, but also (less justified) as stable and as the result of a long and gradual development.…”