Life Cycle Assessment and Soil Nitrogen Balance of Different N Fertilizers for Top Dressing Rye as Energy Crop for Electricity Generation
Nitrogen fertilizers have been identified in energy crops LCAs as the main contributors to global warming, as well as to many other environmental impacts. The distinct production process and application emissions of nitrogen fertilizer types for top dressing produce different GHG savings when energy...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/5/844 |
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| author | Carlos Martín Sastre Ruth Barro Yolanda González-Arechavala Ana Santos-Montes Pilar Ciria |
| author_facet | Carlos Martín Sastre Ruth Barro Yolanda González-Arechavala Ana Santos-Montes Pilar Ciria |
| author_sort | Carlos Martín Sastre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nitrogen fertilizers have been identified in energy crops LCAs as the main contributors to global warming, as well as to many other environmental impacts. The distinct production process and application emissions of nitrogen fertilizer types for top dressing produce different GHG savings when energy crops value chains are compared to fossil energy alternatives. In this study, three types of fertilizers (calcium ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate) at N top dressing rates of 80 kg N/ha are used to grow rye for electricity generation under the conditions of the Continental Mediterranean climate of central-northern Spain. Complete LCAs for the whole value chain based on real data were performed in conjunction with soil nitrogen balances (SNBs) to assess the accomplishment of European Union (EU) GHG savings sustainability criteria, as well as the sustainability of fertilization practices for soil nitrogen stocks. The results obtained can provide interesting insights for policy making, since calcium ammonium nitrate, the most common fertilizer for rye crops, led to 66% GHG savings, as opposed to the 69% achieved when applying urea and 77% when ammonium sulphate was used. Nevertheless, the three fertilizers produced annual soil deficits greater than 50 kg N/ha. In order to ensure savings above 80%, as required by the EU sustainability criteria, and sustainable SNBs, additional optimization measures should be taken at key points of the value chain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:58:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7a37f9ed1b8247a8b1c97b07595a82f9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:58:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-7a37f9ed1b8247a8b1c97b07595a82f92023-11-21T17:07:16ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952021-04-0111584410.3390/agronomy11050844Life Cycle Assessment and Soil Nitrogen Balance of Different N Fertilizers for Top Dressing Rye as Energy Crop for Electricity GenerationCarlos Martín Sastre0Ruth Barro1Yolanda González-Arechavala2Ana Santos-Montes3Pilar Ciria4Centre for the Development of Renewable Energy Sources (CEDER), Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Autovía de Navarra A-15, Salida 56, 42290 Soria, SpainCentre for the Development of Renewable Energy Sources (CEDER), Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Autovía de Navarra A-15, Salida 56, 42290 Soria, SpainDepartment of Telematics and Computer Science, ICAI—Comillas Pontifical University, Alberto Aguilera 25, 28015 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, ICAI—Comillas Pontifical University, Alberto Aguilera 25, 28015 Madrid, SpainCentre for the Development of Renewable Energy Sources (CEDER), Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Autovía de Navarra A-15, Salida 56, 42290 Soria, SpainNitrogen fertilizers have been identified in energy crops LCAs as the main contributors to global warming, as well as to many other environmental impacts. The distinct production process and application emissions of nitrogen fertilizer types for top dressing produce different GHG savings when energy crops value chains are compared to fossil energy alternatives. In this study, three types of fertilizers (calcium ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonium sulphate) at N top dressing rates of 80 kg N/ha are used to grow rye for electricity generation under the conditions of the Continental Mediterranean climate of central-northern Spain. Complete LCAs for the whole value chain based on real data were performed in conjunction with soil nitrogen balances (SNBs) to assess the accomplishment of European Union (EU) GHG savings sustainability criteria, as well as the sustainability of fertilization practices for soil nitrogen stocks. The results obtained can provide interesting insights for policy making, since calcium ammonium nitrate, the most common fertilizer for rye crops, led to 66% GHG savings, as opposed to the 69% achieved when applying urea and 77% when ammonium sulphate was used. Nevertheless, the three fertilizers produced annual soil deficits greater than 50 kg N/ha. In order to ensure savings above 80%, as required by the EU sustainability criteria, and sustainable SNBs, additional optimization measures should be taken at key points of the value chain.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/5/844bioenergymarginal landssustainability criteriacalcium ammonium nitrateureaammonium sulphate |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Martín Sastre Ruth Barro Yolanda González-Arechavala Ana Santos-Montes Pilar Ciria Life Cycle Assessment and Soil Nitrogen Balance of Different N Fertilizers for Top Dressing Rye as Energy Crop for Electricity Generation Agronomy bioenergy marginal lands sustainability criteria calcium ammonium nitrate urea ammonium sulphate |
| title | Life Cycle Assessment and Soil Nitrogen Balance of Different N Fertilizers for Top Dressing Rye as Energy Crop for Electricity Generation |
| title_full | Life Cycle Assessment and Soil Nitrogen Balance of Different N Fertilizers for Top Dressing Rye as Energy Crop for Electricity Generation |
| title_fullStr | Life Cycle Assessment and Soil Nitrogen Balance of Different N Fertilizers for Top Dressing Rye as Energy Crop for Electricity Generation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Life Cycle Assessment and Soil Nitrogen Balance of Different N Fertilizers for Top Dressing Rye as Energy Crop for Electricity Generation |
| title_short | Life Cycle Assessment and Soil Nitrogen Balance of Different N Fertilizers for Top Dressing Rye as Energy Crop for Electricity Generation |
| title_sort | life cycle assessment and soil nitrogen balance of different n fertilizers for top dressing rye as energy crop for electricity generation |
| topic | bioenergy marginal lands sustainability criteria calcium ammonium nitrate urea ammonium sulphate |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/5/844 |
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