europe |
Energizing Europe The Continent has a bioenergy goal—this is how to reach it by luke geiver The concept of an energy crop is pretty simple. Give some energy to get some bioenergy, then repeat, reaping the vast array of economical and environmental benefits along the way. But as Nils Rettenmaier at the Institute for Energy and
Environmental Research located in Germany points out, “You get nothing for free.” Rettenmaier, along with several other experts versed in European energy crop development, put that notion to the test for a consortium funded by an EU 27 Commission. The purpose: to assess the future of crops in Europe used for food, feed, fiber and fuel, all of which are part of a larger picture. The European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive calls for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions by at least 20 percent from 1990 levels; energy efficiency improvements by 20 percent; an increased share of renewable energy to the tune of 20 percent; and an increase of biofuels usage by 10 percent—all by 2020. The work of the consortium ranged from life-cycle assessments for various potential energy crops in the Ukraine, to available land that could be utilized for energy crop production in Italy. And, although Rettenmaier says, “There is always a disadvantage connected to the advantages (for energy crops),” the idea of growing energy instead of
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