The Energy and Environmental Potential of Waste from the Processing of Hulled Wheat Species

Jaroslav Bernas, Petr Konvalina, Daniela Vasilica Burghila, Razvan Ionut Teodorescu and Daniel Bucur
Additional contact information
Jaroslav Bernas: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia, Studentska 1668, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Petr Konvalina: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia, Studentska 1668, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Daniela Vasilica Burghila: Department of Environment and Land Improvements, Faculty of Land Improvements and Environmental Engineering, University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 59 Marasti Blvd., 011464 Bucharest, Romania
Razvan Ionut Teodorescu: Department of Environment and Land Improvements, Faculty of Land Improvements and Environmental Engineering, University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 59 Marasti Blvd., 011464 Bucharest, Romania
Daniel Bucur: Department of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iasi, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu, 700490 Iasi, Romania

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: Organic farmers farming on arable land have often had, in addition to the cultivation of common species of cultivated crops (such as wheat, rye, triticale or potatoes), interest in the cultivation of marginal crops such as hulled wheat species (Einkorn, Emmer and Spelt wheat). The production of marginal cereals has seen significant developments in the European Union related to the development of the organic farming sector. Just the average annual organic production of spelt in the Czech Republic reached more than 9000 tons in 2018. The cultivation of these cereals requires post-harvest treatment in the special method of dehulling. The waste emerging after dehulling of spikelet (i.e., chaff) accounts for about 30% of the total amount of harvest and can be used as an alternative fuel material. When considering the energy utilization of this waste, it is also necessary to obtain information on the energy quality of the material, as well as environmental aspects linked to their life cycle. For evaluating the energy parameters, the higher and lower heating value, based on the elemental (CHNS) analysis, was determined. The environmental aspects were determinate according to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology where the system boundary includes all the processes from cradle to farm gate, and the mass unit was chosen. The SimaPro v9.1.0.11 software and ReCiPe Midpoint (H) within the characterization model was used for the data expression. The results predict the energy potential of chaff about 50–90 TJ per year. The results of this study show that in some selected impact categories, 1 kg of chaff, as a potential fuel, represents a higher load on the environment than 1 kg of lignite, respectively potential energy gain (1 GJ) from the materials.

Keywords: hulled wheat species; energy; life cycle assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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