environmental feasibility
Backers of biomass portray it as a green and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional heating/power systems. This is mainly due to the potential carbon savings involved in creating a carbon cycle; i.e. the carbon produced by burning biomass is absorbed by more biomass which is then burned and so on…whilst new biomass grows to accommodate for the previously harvested biomass.
In an ideal world this seems like a legitimate solution to the “carbon problem” that underpins worldwide commitments such as the Kyoto Protocol. However, there are other environmental issues which arise when implementing biomass heating/power in practice. In this case, the emissions associated with transporting biomass fuel to the consumer and the land area required to sustainably provide biomass were considered
As part of the case study into biomass, a Transportation Emissions Tool was created. This tool is used to demonstrate how the emissions of sourcing biomass fuel can vary hugely depending on where it is sourced (i.e. affecting the distance biomass fuel is freighted from source to consumer). At a certain “tipping” point, assuming that the biomass system is in place on environmental grounds*, the emissions from sourcing biomass from far afield may defeat the environmental credentials of having a biomass system in the first place.
In an ideal world this seems like a legitimate solution to the “carbon problem” that underpins worldwide commitments such as the Kyoto Protocol. However, there are other environmental issues which arise when implementing biomass heating/power in practice. In this case, the emissions associated with transporting biomass fuel to the consumer and the land area required to sustainably provide biomass were considered
As part of the case study into biomass, a Transportation Emissions Tool was created. This tool is used to demonstrate how the emissions of sourcing biomass fuel can vary hugely depending on where it is sourced (i.e. affecting the distance biomass fuel is freighted from source to consumer). At a certain “tipping” point, assuming that the biomass system is in place on environmental grounds*, the emissions from sourcing biomass from far afield may defeat the environmental credentials of having a biomass system in the first place.
biomass transportation emissions tool
| emissions_calculator.xlsm |
The tool was created using Visual Basic code and the logic was created from scratch. Emission factors had to be created for the logic. These gave the tool the ability to calculate the mass of a certain pollutant emitted per distance travelled for a mass of a cargo being freighted. The logic also accommodates for the return leg of the freight vehicle minus any cargo.
The user interface is simple. Once the user knows the distance (in km) travelled by the cargo over land and water, plus the mass of the cargo, they simply have to input the data into the correct fields and click “calculate”. The emissions calculator gives solutions for 4 different pollutants:
Note: Multiple assumptions had to be made in creating this tool. Data regarding emissions factors was obtained from The Carbon Trust; this data is created on averages of vehicle efficiency, driving style etc. Therefore the emissions calculator is for guidance and demonstration purposes only.
The user interface is simple. Once the user knows the distance (in km) travelled by the cargo over land and water, plus the mass of the cargo, they simply have to input the data into the correct fields and click “calculate”. The emissions calculator gives solutions for 4 different pollutants:
- Carbon dioxide
- Methane
- Nitrous Oxide
- Carbon Monoxide
Note: Multiple assumptions had to be made in creating this tool. Data regarding emissions factors was obtained from The Carbon Trust; this data is created on averages of vehicle efficiency, driving style etc. Therefore the emissions calculator is for guidance and demonstration purposes only.