Unsustainable sources of bioenergy and biofuels are fast becoming obsolete in

the UK and across Europe.

Even sustainable sources are feeling the pinch, as tighter regulations usher in a new era, where only the most sustainable energy and fuels can benefit from government subsidies.

But what is driving the bioplastics market towards more sustainable practices and sources of biomass?

Unlike bioenergy and biofuels we have no renewable alternative to bioplastics but also no mandated requirements for sustainability.

Evidence shows that bioplastics significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to oil-derived

plastics, but what impact will the growing market have on land use dynamics around the globe?

Socially and environmentally aware businesses understand that we must manage the land appropriately, prioritising what remains after land needed for food, feed and ecosystem services have been removed from the equation.

Estimates suggest this will leave between 250 and 800 million hectares of ‘sustainable’ land available for other uses.

If we compare this to the expected demand for bioplastics by 2050 this seems like a drop in the ocean. However, bioenergy and biofuels will also be competing for these

sustainable resources.

Using conservative estimates we project that a little over 45 per cent of land available for sustainable cultivation will remain once biofuels, bioenergy and bioplastics markets are accounted for.

However, under more intensive growth in demand for biofuels, bioenergy and bioplastics we could exceed the amount of available land by more than 12 per cent.

So it has never been more crucial to find ways to sustainably use the ground beneath our feet. Thankfully there are solutions and in this newsletter you will discover some of the innovative ways industry is tackling this problem.

The global market for bioplastics is expected to triple by 2015 to be worth more than $2.9 billion but manufacturers and brands are increasingly being judged on how they manage the land.

NNFCCThe UK’s National Centre for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials

Newsletter 24 Spring 2012

How sustainable are bioplastics?

Sustainability Special Issue

Land use availability; 2030-2050

Making more with less

Consultancy at NNFCC

Using our existing resources better could go a long way to reducing land demands. We can minimise

competition for land by increasing its productivity.

Improved breeding will increase the productivity of crops, particularly non-food crops, like willow and Miscanthus, which have been largely uncultivated. An annual yield increase of just 2 per cent would double production volumes by 2050 without any land expansion.

We can also use these feedstocks better. For example, we can produce 3.1 tonnes of polyethylene from a hectare of brazilian sugar cane but the same hectare of brazilian sugar cane can make 7.9 tonnes of polylactic acid. Both are used in the production of bioplastics that offer similar functionality.

Energy markets could also benefit from adopting more efficient practices. In the UK, co-firing of coal and wood is an efficient way to make electricity but this may not be the best use of our resources.

Technological advances in fermentation, gasification and pyrolysis, have made it possible to convert biomass into electricity, heat, fuels and chemicals at high conversion efficiencies.

This approach also allows us to make better use of non-food feedstocks such as wood, algae, household rubbish and agricultural residues.

Interested in sustainability? Then get in touch with us. We offer

industry leading technical consultancy including;

• Future market analysis• Feedstock sustainability appraisal• Life cycle assessment interpretation

Contact Dr Adrian Higson, Head of Biorefining for more information.

Biorefining: Model for a circular economy

Biorefineries represent a promising option for reducing land use requirements. By integrating

fuel, feed and chemical production we can maximise resource use efficiency.

A new report for the International Energy Agency written by agricultural, energy and chemical industry experts including NNFCC, highlights the growing importance of biorefineries to the low carbon economy.

The report showed the market has reached a tipping point and drop-in bio-based chemicals are on the brink of strong expansion. Platform bio-based chemicals are also expected to grow substantially over the next five years, which should also be a huge boost for the cost effective production of biofuels.

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Land availability for biomass crops is not only an issue of great future significance

it is already hugely important. Competition for land can drive unsustainable practices and it is in the best interests of the industry to address these issues now.

Our scenarios show that we may exceed the amount of sustainable land available by 2050 if bioenergy, biofuels and bioplastics development is higher than expected. We must learn to use our resources better, utilise more non-food feedstocks and push policies towards sectors with limited alternatives.

Industry News

terephthalate (PET). Avantium argue that PEF offers improved functionality over PET and can

Following difficulties controlling the Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) budget,

the UK Government launched a consultation on interim cost control for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Cost control measures would only take affect in the unlikely event that the RHI budget is spent within the next 12 months. The consultation closed on 23rd of April.

The other major renewable heat news is that Renewable Heat

either be recycled separately or in existing PET streams.

Avantium opened its pilot plant in the Netherlands in 2011, which has the capacity to produce 40 tonnes of PEF for application development. The company plans to begin commercial production in 2015.

Avantium hopes to license its YXY technology to enable large scale production and use of PEF.

Dr Alena Buyx, Assistant Director at Nuffield Council on Bioethics

In each issue of the NNFCC Newsletter we feature an expert

voice in the field of biorenewables who will give their opinion on the latest developments in the field. In this issue, we talk exclusively to Dr Alena Buyx from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics about the role of biofuels in global land use change.

Can biofuels play a role in mitigating climate change?

We believe that if they are produced in an ethical and sustainable way, biofuels could have a significant role to play in climate change mitigation and energy security by reducing fossil fuel consumption. However, the extent to which they currently contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions remains uncertain. We think that

more could be done to ensure that all biofuels imported into Europe (not just those supplied within the EU) offer greenhouse gas emissions savings throughout their whole production lifecycle, from ‘field-to-tank’. A common methodology for comprehensive life cycle assessment is necessary.

We also recommend that research and development of new biofuels technologies such as advanced breeding strategies and genetic improvement of energy crops that need less land and fertiliser to grow and could further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, should be incentivised.

Should sustainability principles be applied to all related products and technologies, not just

biofuels?

Yes - there is the danger that the use of comprehensive sustainability criteria could unfairly inhibit biofuels development, while other agricultural, energy generation or trade practices continue to operate in an unsustainable and unethical way. Setting similar sustainability criteria for all comparable technologies and products would constitute an important step towards the development of the wider policy context that is needed to tackle the enormous challenges of the future.

Update on the Renewable Heat Incentive

Following its agreement to work with Coca-Cola last year,

renewable chemicals company Avantium have now signed a joint venture agreement to develop plant-based polyethylene furanoate (PEF) bottles with Danone – makers of evian and volvic – and number two in the global bottled water business.

The move is significant, not least of all because it could herald a move away from widely-used polyethylene

Is PEF the new PET?

To read the complete interview visit the NNFCC website; www.nnfcc.co.uk/news/nuffield-interview

Interview

Premium Payments (RHPP) for domestic users is being extended with a new £25 million budget: £10m for social landlords, £8m for community projects and £7m for extending the existing scheme. But what impact this will have is unknown, as the scheme has been undersubscribed with only £4.8m of vouchers allocated to households so far. Potential applicants can pre-register with the Energy Savings Trust now.

NNFCCThe UK’s National Centre for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials

NNFCC, Biocentre, York Science Park,Innovation Way,Heslington, York,YO10 5DG.

Phone: +44 (0)1904 435182Fax: +44 (0)1904 435345E: enquiries@nnfcc.co.ukWeb: www.nnfcc.co.uk

NNFCC Events NNFCC Membership

Following the success of last year’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) workshop series, NNFCC and North Energy are pleased to bring you two new training workshops providing you with insight into how LCA’s work and their applications.

The first workshop covers the principles of LCA, requirements, problems and issues. The second provides a ‘hands on’ opportunity to learn to carry out an LCA. The workshops can be taken together or separately.

For more information visit www.nnfcc.co.uk/events/new-partnership-providing-lca-workshops

Join hundreds of other industry professionals and become a member of NNFCC.

Our new standard and business membership packages offer you better value than ever before. Receive access to our reports, monthly market reviews, conference discounts, free consultancy, a place in our new business directory and much more.

Membership runs from 01 April 2012 to 31 March 2013, so sign up now to get the most benefit.

To join simply complete the online registration form at www.nnfcc.co.uk/join_form