University of Twente Student Theses
Assessing the biomass potential for supplying an increased blending mandate in Argentina with a focus on food security
Juan Iveson, Jordi (2020) Assessing the biomass potential for supplying an increased blending mandate in Argentina with a focus on food security.
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| Abstract: | The impacts caused by the use of traditional fossil fuels on climate change have created a need to substitute these with sustainable forms of energy. In the transport industry, specifically, the use of biofuels has been employed in recent decades to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels. Blending mandates are a viable policy tool which can be used to reduce GHG emissions of the transport sector by mixing fossil fuels with a set percentage of biofuels. However, the use of food crops to generate biofuels can create competition over resources and requires a detailed assessment to safeguard food security. FAO have developed the BEFS analysis tool to assess the bioenergy potential of a country’s biomass whilst ensuring that food security is not compromised. Using Argentina as a case study, this thesis applies the BEFS RA tool to analyse Argentina’s existing biomass potential with an increase in blending mandate as the main consideration. The energy crops selected for analysis are sugarcane and maize for ethanol, and soybean for biodiesel. The agro-economic data for each crop were collected from a range of sources including governmental databases and agricultural reports. Assessment of potential biomass feedstock available, profit margin analysis of crop production, and financial assessment of the feasibility of construction of biofuel plants was carried out. The results provide an initial assessment of the viability of increasing the blending mandate. Although an increase in the blending mandate from energy crops is supported by this research, the economic instability of Argentina is an obstacle for the industry and governmental support for the policy must exist to ensure its viability. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 43 environmental science |
| Programme: | Environmental and Energy Management MSc (69319) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/85402 |
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