Potential Bioethanol Feedstock Availability Around Nine Locations in the Republic of Ireland

Rory Deverell, Kevin McDonnell and Ger Devlin
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Rory Deverell: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Agriculture and Food Science Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
Kevin McDonnell: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Agriculture and Food Science Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
Ger Devlin: Department of Biosystems Engineering, Agriculture and Food Science Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland

Energies, 2009, vol. 2, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: The Republic of Ireland, like many other countries is trying to diversify energy sources to counteract environmental, political and social concerns. Bioethanol from domestically grown agricultural crops is an indigenously produced alternative fuel that can potentially go towards meeting the goal of diversified energy supply. The Republic of Ireland’s distribution of existing soils and agricultural land-uses limit arable crop land to around 10% of total agricultural area. Demand for land to produce arable crops is expected to decrease, which could open the opportunity for bioethanol production. Bioethanol production plants are required to be of a sufficient scale in order to compete economically with other fuel sources, it is important therefore to determine if enough land exists around potential ethanol plant locations to meet the potential demands for feedstock. This study determines, through the use of a developed GIS based model, the potential quantities of feedstock that is available in the hinterlands of nine locations in the Republic of Ireland. The results indicate that three locations can meet all its feedstock demands using indigenously grown sugarbeet, while only one location can meet its demands using a combination of indigenous wheat and straw as the two locally sourced feedstocks.

Keywords: GIS; Supply strategy; Land-use; Ireland; Wheat; Sugarbeet; Straw; Bioethanol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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