New generation biofuel crop for Kiwi farmers
22 Jul, 2008
Source: Pure Power Global, July 2008
The first cuttings of a new generation of biofuel crops went on sale in New Zealand this week.
The salix cuttings are a variety of willow and will be grown to provide a secure supply of lignocellulosic feedstock to produce biofuels and bioproducts for use in making paints, resins, adhesives and bioplastics, Pure Power Energy says.
Lignocellulosics is the science of converting woody biomass to biofuels and other bioproducts. Salix can be harvested four years after planting and re-harvested every three years for up to 20 years.
“The problems with using existing crops as feedstocks are substantial and well documented,” Dr Jim Watson of Pure Power Energy says.
“They compete with food crops, suffer from poor energy balance and have a high carbon cost. To be sustainable, the biofuels industry must be based on next generation lignocellulosic feedstocks.”
However there is no single simple solution to the feedstock problem, Dr Watson adds.
“It is generally accepted that no single plant species will be optimal for every region. Sugar cane and palm oil have natural advantages in tropical climates and will be the main biofuel feedstocks in those regions for the next decade. Salix is ideal for temperate climates.”
