Sustainable bioenergy potential in Zambia

Sustainable bioenergy potential in Zambia
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2021-04-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9251334749

Zambia is richly endowed with a wide range of biomass sources including woodlands, forests, agricultural residues and livestock waste. Biomass energy contributes supplies over 70 percent of the country’s energy needs. Due to the current extraction and consumption methods, the use of biomass energy has been linked with detrimental environmental effects such as deforestation and forest degradation as well as climate change, due to the loss of carbon sinks. Inefficient utilisation of biomass contributes significantly to deforestation which is estimated at between 79 000 – 150 000 ha per year, and negatively affects the health and income of rural households that depend on forest products for their livelihoods. Sustainable bioenergy strategies and alternative bioenergy solutions need to be defined and integrated into current efforts of the country to increase stable and sustainable access to energy. This report assesses the country context and defines which bioenergy options can be viable considering a number of solutions for electricity production, cooking fuels and transport fuels at the provincial and district level. Possible options originating from crop residues, livestock residues and forest plantation harvesting residues are identified, having netted out agriculture and forestry needs. The assessment now needs to be followed by local verification and investment to deploy an initial set of bioenergy projects and test the findings on the ground.

Bioenergy for Sustainable Development in Africa

Bioenergy for Sustainable Development in Africa
Author: Rainer Janssen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 424
Release: 2011-11-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9400721811

The work builds on the results of the COMPETE Bioenergy Competence Platform for Africa, which was supported by the European Commission and coordinated by WIP Renewable Energies, Germany. The five sections cover biomass production and use, biomass technologies and markets in Africa, biomass policies, sustainability, and financial and socio-economic issues. This valuable work is, in effect, a single-source treatment of a key energy sector in a part of the world which still has a lot of unrealised potential for development.

Handbook of Bioenergy Crops

Handbook of Bioenergy Crops
Author: N. El Bassam
Publisher: Earthscan
Total Pages: 545
Release: 2010
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1849774781

This completely revised second edition includes new information on biomass in relation to climate change, new coverage of vital issues including the "food versus fuel" debate, and essential new information on "second generation" fuels and advances in conversion techniques. The book begins with a guide to biomass accumulation, harvesting, transportation and storage, as well as conversion technologies for biofuels. This is followed by an examination of the environmental impact and economic and social dimensions, including prospects for renewable energy. The book then goes on to cover all the main potential energy crops.

Energy in Africa

Energy in Africa
Author: Manfred Hafner
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 125
Release: 2018-08-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 331992219X

This open access book presents a picture of the current energy challenges on the African continent (and the Sub-Saharan region in particular) and proposes pathways to an accelerated energy transition. Starting with an analysis of the status quo and the outlook for Africa’s energy demand and energy access, it provides an account of the available resources, including hydrocarbons and renewable energy resources, which are playing an increasingly crucial role. It then moves on to analyze the level of investment required to scale-up Africa’s energy systems, shedding light on the key barriers and elaborating on potential solutions. It also provides a suggestion for improving the effectiveness of EU–Africa cooperation. While mainly intended for policymakers and academics, this book also speaks to a broader audience interested in gaining an overview of the challenges and opportunities of the African energy sector today and in the future.

Sustainability Assessment of Renewables-Based Products

Sustainability Assessment of Renewables-Based Products
Author: Jo Dewulf
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 394
Release: 2016-01-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 111893394X

Over the past decade, renewables-based technology and sustainability assessment methods have grown tremendously. Renewable energy and products have a significant role in the market today, and the same time sustainability assessment methods have advanced, with a growing standardization of environmental sustainability metrics and consideration of social issues as part of the assessment. Sustainability Assessment of Renewables-Based Products: Methods and Case Studies is an extensive update and sequel to the 2006 title Renewables-Based Technology: Sustainability Assessment. It discusses the impressive evolution and role renewables have taken in our modern society, highlighting the importance of sustainability principles in the design phase of renewable-based technologies, and presenting a wide range of sustainability assessment methods suitable for renewables-based technologies, together with case studies to demonstrate their applications. This book is a valuable resource for academics, businesses and policy makers who are active in contributing to more sustainable production and consumption. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs Topics covered include: The growing role of renewables in our society Sustainability in the design phase of products and processes Principles of sustainability assessment Land use analysis Water use analysis Material and energy flow analysis Exergy and cumulative exergy analysisCarbon and environmental footprint methods Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), social Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) Case studies: renewable energy, bio-based chemicals and bio-based materials.

Sustainable bioenergy potential from crop, livestock and woody residues in Rwanda: An integrated bioenergy and food security approach

Sustainable bioenergy potential from crop, livestock and woody residues in Rwanda: An integrated bioenergy and food security approach
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2023-09-18
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9251380171

Access to sustainable energy is essential for development, poverty reduction and food security. Rwanda, like many other developing countries, is working on identifying sustainable energy solutions to ensure access to energy. Bioenergy is one possible form of renewable energy that countries are looking at to supply part of their energy portfolio. Rwanda currently relies on traditional biomass for energy supply, and shifting away from traditional biomass use would lower its dependency on traditional biomass and improve access to modern sustainable energy forms. Sustainable bioenergy interlinks closely with the agriculture sector, therefore it is necessary to find specific options that minimize negative impacts on the environment and food security. This accomplishes the dual purpose of energy security and food security. This report assesses the use of agriculture residues for the production of bioenergy in Rwanda. The methodology used for the assessment is the Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) approach of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The report provides a detailed assessment of the potential of crop, livestock and woody biomass availability for the production of off-grid electricity solutions and cooking fuels. Through the assessment, a number of specific bioenergy pathways are identified as suitable for bioenergy production. These options should be carried forward for piloting in the country and ground truthing.

Bioenergy and Food Security

Bioenergy and Food Security
Author:
Publisher: Fao
Total Pages: 108
Release: 2010
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

"A potent argument for bioenergy development lies in the ability of the sector to unlock agricultural potential by bringing in much needed investments to raise agricultural productivity to spur food security and poverty reduction. This document presents the BEFS Analytical Framework (AF) developed to test this argument. Agriculture lies at the heart of the BEFS AF and allows governments to consider viable pro-poor strategies for bioenergy development. The set of tools within the BEFS AF offers an integrated approach to decision-making that combines the technical viability with the country's prevailing social and economic development objectives. This document explains the rationale and structure of the BEFS AF, provides a general overview of the tools and their application, and illustrates how the analytical information generated assists policy makers in making informed decisions concerning the many varied consequences of bioenergy developments on food security, poverty reduction and agriculture development and economic growth."--Provided by publisher.

Renewable energy for agri-food systems: Towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement

Renewable energy for agri-food systems: Towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement
Author: International Renewable Energy Agency
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 92
Release: 2021-11-03
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251352356

In 2021, the United Nations Secretary-General will convene the Food Systems Summit to advance dialogue and action towards transforming the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food guided by the overarching vision of a fairer, more sustainable world. The Secretary-General will also convene the High-Level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE) to promote the implementation of the energy-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Given the inextricable linkages between the energy and agriculture sectors, integrating the nexus perspective within the FSS and the HLDE is crucial to formulate a joint vision of actions to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. In this context, IRENA and FAO have decided to jointly develop a report on the role of renewable energy used in food chain to advance energy and food security as well as climate action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. While energy has a key enabling role in food system transformation and innovation in agriculture, its current use is unsustainable because of the high dependence on fossil fuels and frequent access to energy in developing countries. The challenge is to disconnect fossil fuel use from food system transformation without hampering food security. The use of renewable energy in food systems offers vast opportunities to address this challenge and help food systems meet their energy needs while advancing rural development while contributing to rural development and climate action.

Bioenergy for Sustainable Development and International Competitiveness

Bioenergy for Sustainable Development and International Competitiveness
Author: Francis X. Johnson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 473
Release: 2013-07-03
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 113652956X

Growing concerns about the impacts of climate change and dependence on fossil fuels have intensified interest in bioenergy from sugar cane and other crops, highlighting important links between energy, environment and development goals. Sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by severe poverty; the possibility to exploit a renewable energy resource offers valuable avenues for sustainable development and could support a more dynamic and competitive economy. This book describes how the bioenergy expansion will improve rural livelihoods, reduce costly energy imports, reduce GHG emissions, and offer new development paths. Drawing on international experience, it is shown that harnessing this potential will require significant increases in investment, technology transfer, and international cooperation. Because of its high efficiency, the authors argue that sugar cane should be viewed as a global resource for sustainable development and should command much greater focus and concerted policy action. Through an analysis of the agronomy, land suitability and industrial processing of sugar cane and its co-products, along with an assessment of the energy, economic and environmental implications, this volume demonstrates that sugar cane offers a competitive and environmentally beneficial resource for Africa's economic development and energy security. With forty-four authors representing thirty organisations in sixteen countries, the book offers a truly international and interdisciplinary perspective by combining technical and economic principles with social, political and environmental assessment and policy analysis.