2. AEBIOM – Sustainability, 25 October 2017
Annex VI: default GHG emissions calculations for solid and gaseous biomass
Jacopo Giuntoli
AEBIOM – Sustainability, 25 October 2017

3. Agenda Context within RED-Recast Methodology key points
Default Values for operators
Examples for solid biomass pathways
Examples for gaseous biomass pathways

4. PROPOSAL: Recast of Renewable Energy Directive
Article 26:
Sustainability criteria for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels.
Compliance needed to count towards renewable energy target and be eligible for financial support.
CAPACITY threshold for biomass plants producing power and/or heat:
Solid biomass  >20 MW (thermal input)
Gaseous biomass  >0.5 MW** (el. output)

5. Sustainability criteria
PROPOSAL: EU bioenergy sustainability framework (article 26)
Sustainability criteria for same feedstock independent of final use
End use performance criteria for biofuels, biomass and biogas
agriculture biomass – kept/streamlined existing sustainability criteria (e.g. no-go areas) (full harmonization)
agri
Sustainability criteria
forest biomass – new risk-based criteria on biodiversity and carbon management (minimum requirement, Member States can go beyond)
forest
biofuels/bioliquid - GHG savings increased to 70% for new installations
heat and electricity from biomass (20 MWfuel) and biogas (0.5 MWel) - new GHG saving requirement: 80% for new plants in 2021 (85% in 2026)
GHG
The key elements of the revised EU bioenergy sustainability criteria include
1. Feedstock based sustainability criteria
We proposed updated sustainability criteria for the production of the raw material, e.g. agriculture and forestry, and for end-use performance of the bioenergy (i.e. biofuels, and heat and power). This is to ensure that biomass producers are subject to the same sustainability criteria independently of the final use of the material they produce.
Accordingly, the current RED sustainability criteria will apply to agriculture biomass, independent of its final use for production of biofuels, heat and power.
2. New sustainability criteria for forest biomass
We propose to introduce new sustainability criteria for forest biomass (again independent of their final use in the energy sector). These requirements aim at:
Avoiding the risk of unsustainable production of forest biomass
Ensuring proper LULUCF accounting in the country of biomass production
Differently from the criteria for agriculture biomass, the forest biomass criteria are applied through a two-step approach (also known as risk-based approach), i.e. compliance must be demonstrated only at national/subnational level. If this is available, compliance should then be demonstrated at the forest holding level. In this way, compliance is simplified for low-risk biomass, and unnecessary administrative burden for economic operators is avoided.
3. End use performance criteria on GHG savings
Biofuels: new installation (entering into operation in 2021) should deliver 70% fewer GHG emissions than fossil fuels.
Biomass and biogas: New installations producing heat and/or power from biomass, and new biogas plants (entering into operation in 2021) should deliver 80% fewer GHG emissions than fossil fuels. This criterion applies only to large scale plants (20 MW for biomass and 0.5 MW for biogas).
4.  End use performance criterion on cogeneration
Electricity from biomass produced in new installations can count against the EU RES target and be eligible for support only if it is produced with cogeneration technology
This criterion only to new and large scale electricity plants (above 20 MW fuel capacity) entering into operation three years after the adoption of the directive existing support schemes are safeguarded
 An exception exists in case security of electricity supply concerns, which should be notified and approved to the Commission
performance criteria
End-use
Cogeneration requirement for all new bioelectricity plants (20 MWfuel), 3-year transition period + exceptions for security of supply.
efficiency

6. Annex VI: Methodology key points
Three GHG are considered: CO2, CH4 and N2O. GWP factors from IPCC AR4.
Allocation of emissions to power and heat produced simultaneously in CHP plants is based on exergy content.
Anaerobic digestion of manure is considered as an improved agricultural management technique and the avoided emissions of CH4 and N2O from the management of the raw manure are considered as a credit to the bioenergy pathway.
CH4 and N2O emissions from the combustion of solid biomass and biogas are included in the calculations.
For the calculation of default values for solid biomass pathways, emissions from processing, from transport and from the fuel in use are increased by 20% in comparison to the typical values. In the case of biogas, considering that: biogas can be used in the three energy sectors (transport, heating and cooling and electricity), the impact of transport emissions is very limited, and that biogas plant technologies and efficiencies are highly variable, the approach is kept consistent with other transport biofuels and an increment of 40% in emissions from processing (including upgrading) is applied to the typical values [SWD(2014) Box 3].

7. Annex VI: Methodology key points
Default values for solid biomass pathways: emissions from processing, from transport and from the fuel in use are increased by 20% in comparison to the typical values. In the case of biogas an increment of 40% in emissions from processing (including upgrading) is applied to the typical values.
Co-digestion: A weighted average of the GHG emissions of single-substrate pathways based on the biogas potential of each substrate and can be applied to any arbitrary mixture of the three substrates assessed in this report.
GHG emissions are based on the LHV of the dry fraction of the biomass fuel. In order to calculate GHG savings, a standard conversion efficiency is applied: electrical efficiency =25%; thermal efficiency =85%.
FFC electricity = 183 gCO2 eq. / MJel. FFC heat = 80 gCO2 eq. / MJheat

8. Default values for operators
All calculations are meant to be transparent, reproducible and as flexible as possible.
Transparency: JRC Input Values Report & Database
Reproducibility: Biograce 1 + Biograce 2 tools
Flexibility of default values use:
Final energy conversion efficiency
Emissions allocation for co-generation
Biogas co-digestion formula
3 technology options for pellets + 6 options for biogas electricity + 4 options for biomethane

9. Default values: solid biomass
Natural Gas Boiler + Grid Electricity
Wood Chips Boiler + Grid Electricity
Wood Chips CHP
Process utilities
Logging residues
Short rotation forestry (Eucalyptus + Poplar)
Wood industry residues
Roundwood
Agricultural residues
Straw
Sugar Cane Bagasse
Palm kernel meal
Feedstocks
Chips
Bales
Pellets
Biomass Form
km by truck
500 – 2500 km by truck and bulk carrier
2500 – km by truck and bulk carrier
> km by train and bulk carrier
Transport
Woodchips from forest residues;
Woodchips from SRF (Eucalyptus + Poplar);
Woodchips from wood industry residues;
Woodchips from roundwood;
Wood pellets from forest residues;
Wood pellets from SRF (Eucalyptus + Poplar);
Wood pellets from wood industry residues;
Wood pellets from roundwood;
Agricultural residues with bulk density < 0.2 t/m3;
Agricultural residues with bulk density > 0.2 t/m3;
Straw pellets;
Bagasse pellets;
Palm kernel meal; 93
values

10. Processing alternatives
Default values: biogas and biomethane
Feedstocks
Wet Manure
Maize silage
Biowaste
On-site generation of power and heat
Open/closed storage of digestate
Biomethane upgrading:Off-gas combustion / release
Processing alternatives
Biogas for electricity from Manure;
Biogas for electricity from Maize silage;
Biogas for electricity from Biowaste;
Biomethane from Manure;
Biomethane from Maize silage;
Biomethane from Biowaste.
Electricity (& Heat)
Upgrading to biomethane
End-use 30
values

11. Available at: https://data.jrc.ec.europa.eu/collection/id- 0082
Database
Available at:
More than 120 pathways provided as default values
User-friendly interface for the calculation of custom default values.
Introduce the Index sheet;
Move to the Summary for solid and Biogas and highlight the feedstocks and technology options;
Move to visualizer to show that it is more user-friendly for quick visualization
GO TO EXCEL

12. Default GHG emissions vs. GHG savings
The default GHG emissions values are provided on the basis of 1 MJ of pellet / chip / biogas.
Default GHG savings are calculated applying a standard conversion efficiency (25% elec., 85% thermal).
Operators can apply their own conversion efficiency.

13. GHG savings: solid biomass
Go to summary and show difference between the default value on commodity basis and the GHG savings on final energy basis
Open calculator and show what happens with different efficiency by using the visualizer plus cogeneration Box 3 with 0% heat and 25% electricity and then changing the efficiency. GO TO
EXCEL

14. Default values: Key Parameters
The main parameters that influence the final GHG savings are:
Transport distance of the commodity
Go to the Transport scheme sheet
Go to the summary and show the differences with different transport schemes
Go to the TOOL sheet with calculation for wood pellets, mention that this is not meant to be changed but it can be used as a simple tool to understand the passages in the calculations. Biograce can be used to calculate emissions for each process.
GO TO EXCEL

15. Default values: Key Parameters
The main parameters that influence the final GHG savings are:
Transport distance of the commodity
Use of fossil or dedicated renewable sources in the supply chain
Efficiency along the supply chain:
E.g. pellet mills using on-site CHP fuelled with bark and chips to supply power and heat have very high GHG savings (Case 3a)
Go to Forest Residues Process sheet and show the schematics of the various Cases.
Show Summary with the differences due to the technology chosen.
Show calculations for Extra pellets due to CHP and wood chips boiler.
GO TO EXCEL

16. Default values: Key Parameters
The main parameters that influence the final GHG savings are:
Transport distance of the commodity
Use of fossil or dedicated renewable sources in the supply chain
Efficiency along the supply chain:
E.g. pellet mills using on-site CHP fuelled with bark and chips to supply power and heat have very high GHG savings (Case 3a)
Efficiency of final conversion:
E.g. the default GHG savings apply standard efficiencies (25% electrical, 85% thermal), higher final efficiency  higher savings
Co-generation of multiple outputs:
Co-generating useful heat means allocating emissions between power and heat  higher GHG savings for both.
Mention again the calculation as before for different final efficiency.
Show Calculator for co-generation results
GO TO EXCEL

17. Sensitivity: Co-generation

18. Default values for operators: BIOGAS
Flexibility of biogas default values use:
Final energy conversion efficiency
Emissions allocation for co- or tri-generation
Biogas co-digestion formula
6 options for biogas electricity + 4 options for biomethane
Go to summary biogas and show the options
Go to visualizer for cogeneration and co-digestion.
GO TO EXCEL

19. Example: co-digestion of substrates
Annex V-VI, Part 1(b) provides a general formula to calculate Default values for biogas and biomethane produced from arbitrary mix of substrates.
The formula is based on an average of single-substrate default values weighed over the biogas potential of each substrate
Example: in a mixture containing 50% wet manure and 50% maize (on kg fresh matter basis), the maize will produce 89% of the energy content in the final biogas and the slurry only 11%.
Go to simple visualizer and click to go to more complex co-digestion on Box 2
Show the sheet with co-digestion calculations, the energy share is in cell B51 – B53
Change moistures to 70% for manure and 50% for maize
GO TO EXCEL

22. Actual values
Additional to the flexibilities for operators to customize default values.
Operators can also choose to provide actual values for single disaggregated processes and use default values for other ones.
Biograce 2 is a helpful tool for actual value calculation.
The main processes that can be improved by actual values:
Transport distance of the commodity:
Default values use standard distances (e.g. 500 km truck transport of pellets), but actual distances could be lower.
Pellet mill details:
Actual values could show higher efficiencies
Producers may use an average value for an individual electricity production plant for electricity produced by that plant, if that plant is not connected to the electricity grid
Avoid default conservative factor (+20% for transport and processing emissions)
Open Biograce 2

23. E-mail: jacopo.giuntoli@ec.europa.eu
EU Science Hub: ec.europa.eu/jrc/alfa