GHG Emissions of Corn Stover Supply Chain

Abstract

Within this investigation, different scenarios for supply chains of corn stover intended for biogas production were evaluated in terms of emissions of the greenhouse gasses and their impact to global warming. A primary difference between the scenarios was due to application of different stover collection techniques i.e. forage harvester, baling of big rectangular and round bales. It was found that the supply chain, which includes the application of forage harvester for stover collection is characterized by the highest value of impact, approximately 70 and 85 kg CO2 eq MgDM–1, respectively for the usual and reduced corn stover yield. For the supply chain which includes baling of big rectangular bales, these values are around 62 and 68 kg CO2 eq MgDM–1, and for the baling of round bales, values are 61 and 67 kg CO2 eq MgDM–1. Among the analyzed greenhouse gases emissions, the dominant impact is due to the emissions of carbon dioxide. The reduction of the corn stover yield, caused by extreme drought, is followed by higher GHG emissions, first of all due to longer distances during harvest and transportation.

U okviru istraživanja su, za različite scenarije lanca snabdevanja kukuruzovinom namenjene za proizvodnju biogasa, određene vrednosti emisija gasova s efektom staklene bašte i ocenjen njihov uticaj na doprinos globalnom zagrevanju. Osnovna razlika između scenarija proizilazi iz načina ubiranja kukuruzovine i to silažnim kombajnom i formiranjem velikih četvrtastih i valjkastih bala. Ustanovljeno je da se lanac snabdevanja sa primenom silažnog kombajna rezultuje najvišom vrednošću uticaja, koja iznosi 70 i 85 kg CO2 ekv MgSM–1, za visok i nizak prinos kukuruzovine respektivno. Za lanac sa ubiranjem u formi četvrtastih bala, te vrednosti iznose 62 i 68 kg CO2 ekv MgSM–1, a za valjkaste bale 61 i 67 kg CO2 ekv MgSM–1. Od analiziranih gasova s efektom staklene bašte, dominantan uticaj ima ugljen-dioksid. Smanjenje prinosa kukuruzovine, usled suše, nepovoljno se odražava na lanac snabdevanja, pre svega zbog dužine puta pri ubiranju i transportu.