The Guide to a climate-neutral Slovenia and the European Union by 2050 also addresses emissions from transport. Improving energy efficiency and consequently reducing energy consumption is the first measure on the path to a climate-neutral society, followed by reducing unnecessary consumption and switching to renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources in transport will significantly relieve the environment, as transport contributes more than 50% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Introducing alternative fuels in transport
It is naive to assume that simply replacing fossil fuels with biofuels will help relieve the environment. Biofuels can be processed from agricultural residues, but only for a few cars. The calculation of the introduction of biofuels is flawed, it does not take into account the number of cars and the available land for producing biofuels.
In accordance with Directive 2014/94/EU on the establishment of alternative fuels infrastructure, these in transport include:
- Electricity
- Hydrogen
- Biofuels
- Synthetic and paraffin fuels
- Natural gas including biomethane in gaseous (compressed natural gas – CNG) or liquid form (liquefied natural gas – LNG)
- Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
The indicator focuses on liquid biofuels in transport, but should focus on electricity. Liquid biofuels include biodiesel, which replaces diesel fuel, and bioethanol, which replaces petrol. In addition, the indicator also analyses the use of natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas in transport. Statistics on the use of electricity in road transport are very lacking, so it is not analysed in the indicator. Registrations of electric vehicles are processed in the indicator Number of electric vehicles. Hydrogen and synthetic fuels are not currently used in transport.
All biofuels are imported, there has been no biofuel production in Slovenia since 2013. Sources: SURS, IJS-CEU, 2022
Biofuels – an obstacle to real climate solutions
Focus has published a study on biofuel production in the EU. Biofuel production occupies land the size of the island of Ireland, thereby missing out on huge opportunities to combat climate change, biodiversity loss and the global food crisis. The study shows that solar energy is 40 times more efficient than biofuels from crops. Crop-based biofuels do not represent any significant benefit, but rather hinder climate change mitigation.
The area of land used for biofuels, compared to the area of land used for solar energy, to ensure the same number of kilometers driven.
With newer, bifacial solar power plants, even less land would be covered.
At the same time, biofuels only symbolically relieve the environment. The following information applies to Germany: If all road traffic were powered by biofuels, 116 million hectares would be needed. This would be 3.2 times the area of Germany or seven times the total German agricultural area. The same applies to Slovenia.
1:200
Let’s play around with the yield estimate a bit. Everything can be calculated exactly, but if there are errors in the starting points, even the most precise calculation is wrong. Therefore, the estimate, even if it has a few percent error, is more accurate.
The average yield of corn is 8.5 t/ha. From this, we can obtain approximately 1,000 l of biofuel, which is enough for the average driver to drive an internal combustion car for one year. One car per hectare.
But what if we had a solar power plant on this hectare? Photovoltaics is 20 times more efficient than photosynthesis, so we get 20 times more energy. There are a lot of losses when processing corn into biofuel, we consider 50%, and electricity powers an e-car with negligible losses. After all, an electric car uses five times less energy than an internal combustion engine. When we multiply 20 by 5 and divide by 0.5, we get two hundred cars per hectare.
One hectare of industrial plants allows for the annual use of one car, one hectare of solar power plants allows for the annual use of 200 cars.
Agrophotovoltaics
Agrophotovoltaics, a synergy of agriculture and energy, helps in agriculture, but it cannot be set up in our country. There are too many bureaucratic obstacles. Unbelievably, everything that could replace nuclear electricity is being persecuted. It seems that the nuclear lobby is invisibly blocking all investments in renewable sources. Hydroelectric power plants, wind power plants, thermal power plants using organic waste, solar power plants on water or agricultural land are under attack…
However, does agrophotovoltaics really harm agriculture? Not at all, when properly placed and used. Examples of good practice are rare, but beautiful. Sheep farming under solar panels.
Agrophotovoltaics enables the dual use of land with only a slightly lower agricultural yield, and in some crops it even protects plants from too strong sun, frost or drought.
So, one car per hectare or two hundred cars and agricultural crops per hectare, that is the question now!
To persist in wrong decisions or to admit mistakes and correct them?
To err is human, but to persist in error is diabolical, concluded Seneca, first an educator, later a counselor.
Objavljeno 12. decembra, 2023
