SUBSTITUTION OF TRADITIONAL ANIMAL FEED WITH CO-PRODUCTS OF BIOFUEL PRODUCTION: ECONOMIC, LAND-USE AND GHG EMISSIONS IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

Growth in biofuel production has been accompanied by increased output of animal feed co-products from common biofuel processes. Co-product generation in early biofuel impact assessments was ignored leading to an overestimation of land requirements and GHG emissions. The output of feed co-products is relatively high in the USA and the EU due to the large share of grains used in ethanol production with high feed yields. Co-product yields are low for rapeseed and soybean used in the biodiesel industry. The ethanol industry in the U.S. and EU produces about 43 million metric tonnes of high-quality feed, however, the co-products of biodiesel production have a moderate impact on the feed market contributing to just 41 million tonnes of protein meal output a year. By economically displacing traditional feed ingredients co-products from biofuel production are an important and valuable component of the biofuels sector and the global feed market. Moreover, the return of co-products to the feed market has economic, land use and GHG emissions implications as well. The prospect of advanced biofuels is also analysed in this chapter. Giant reed is considered as a potential feedstock for advanced biofuels, however the advanced biofuels industry faces several challenges today including regulatory uncertainty. -------------------------------------------------------- A globalis biouzemanyag-előallitas exponencialisan emelkedett az elmult evtizedben, mert egyreszt szamos orszagban bevezettek a biouzemanyag kotelező felhasznalasanak szabalyozasat, masreszt folyamatosan nőtt a kereslet az alternativ uzemanyagok irant. Ehhez hozzajarult meg az enegiarak drasztikus fluktuacioja, raadasul a novekvő olajaraknal előterbe kerult az energiabiztonsag kerdese. A biouzemanyagok meg hosszu ideig a hagyomanyos folyekony motorhajtoanyagokba bekeverve azok kiegeszitői, nem pedig versenytarsai lesznek. Az elelmiszer-novenyekre alapozott biouzemanyag-előaallitas csupan atmenet a nem elelmezesi celu biomassza alapu biouzemanyag termeleshez. A jovőben nyersanyagkent elsősorban a celluloztartalmu mezőgazdasagi mellektermekek – szalma, kukoricaszar, erdeszeti, faipari hulladek – felhasznalasa johet szoba a lagy- es fasszaru novenyek mellett, habar az uj technologia piaci bevezetese meg varat magara. A novekvő biouzemanyag-előallitassal parhuzamosan a mellektermekek (ikertermekek) egyre inkabb hozzajarulnak a gazdasagi es kornyezeti fenntarthatosaghoz. Ma a szamitasok meg alabecsulik a mellektermekek szerepet a netto foldhasznalat es UHG-kibocsatas alakulasaban. Mivel a felhasznalt nyersanyag egy resze takarmanykent visszakerul az allattenyeszteshez, az energianovenyek netto foldhasznalata es netto UHG-kibocsatasa csokken.