IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v6y2014i2p571-588d32475.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Biofuel for Energy Security: An Examination on Pyrolysis Systems with Emissions from Fertilizer and Land-Use Change

Author

Listed:
  • Chih-Chun Kung

    (Institute of Poyang Lake Eco-Economics at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang 330013, China)

  • Hualin Xie

    (Institute of Poyang Lake Eco-Economics at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang 330013, China)

  • Tao Wu

    (School of Economics at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang 330013, China)

  • Shih-Chih Chen

    (Department of Accounting Information at Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan 710, Taiwan)

Abstract

One of the most important concerns facing Taiwan is lack of energy security. The study examines to what extent the Taiwan energy security can be enhanced through bioenergy production and how bioenergy affects net greenhouse gases emissions. Ethanol, conventional bioelectricity and pyrolysis based electricity are analyzed and emissions from fertilizer use and land use change are also incorporated. The study employs the Modified Taiwan Agricultural Sector Model (MTASM) for economic and environmental analysis. The results indicate that Taiwan indeed increases its energy security from bioenergy production but net greenhouse gases emissions are also increased. Emissions from fertilizer use and land use change have significant impacts on emissions reduction and pyrolysis does not always provide net greenhouse emissions offset. Some policy implications including goal determination, land availability and emissions trading systems are also provided for potential policy decision making.

Suggested Citation

  • Chih-Chun Kung & Hualin Xie & Tao Wu & Shih-Chih Chen, 2014. "Biofuel for Energy Security: An Examination on Pyrolysis Systems with Emissions from Fertilizer and Land-Use Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:2:p:571-588:d:32475
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/2/571/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/2/571/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Spreen, Thomas H., 2006. "Price Endogenous Mathematical Programming Models and Trade Analysis," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 38(2), pages 249-253, August.
    2. Govinda R. Timilsina & John C. Beghin & Dominique van der Mensbrugghe & Simon Mevel, 2012. "The impacts of biofuels targets on land‐use change and food supply: A global CGE assessment," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 43(3), pages 315-332, May.
    3. Bruce A. McCarl, 2008. "Food, Biofuel, Global Agriculture, and Environment: Discussion," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 30(3), pages 530-532.
    4. Johannes Lehmann & John Gaunt & Marco Rondon, 2006. "Bio-char Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems – A Review," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 395-419, March.
    5. Chang, Ching-Cheng & Eddleman, Bobby R. & McCarl, Bruce A., 1991. "Potential Benefits Of Rice Variety And Water Management Improvements In The Texas Gulf Coast," Western Journal of Agricultural Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 16(2), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Keith H. Coble & Ching-Cheng Chang & Bruce A. McCarl & Bobby R. Eddleman, 1992. "Assessing Economic Implications of New Technology: The Case of Cornstarch-Based Biodegradable Plastic," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 14(1), pages 33-43.
    7. Searchinger, Timothy & Heimlich, Ralph & Houghton, R. A. & Dong, Fengxia & Elobeid, Amani & Fabiosa, Jacinto F. & Tokgoz, Simla & Hayes, Dermot J. & Yu, Hun-Hsiang, 2008. "Use of U.S. Croplands for Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gases Through Emissions from Land-Use Change," Staff General Research Papers Archive 12881, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    8. Bruce A. McCarl & Thomas H. Spreen, 1980. "Price Endogenous Mathematical Programming As a Tool for Sector Analysis," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 62(1), pages 87-102.
    9. Chi‐Chung Chen & Ching‐Cheng Chang, 2005. "The impact of weather on crop yield distribution in Taiwan: some new evidence from panel data models and implications for crop insurance," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 33(s3), pages 503-511, November.
    10. Johannes Lehmann, 2007. "A handful of carbon," Nature, Nature, vol. 447(7141), pages 143-144, May.
    11. Chih-Chun Kung & Bruce McCarl & Xiaoyong Cao & Hualin Xie, 2013. "Bioenergy prospects in Taiwan using set-aside land – an economic evaluation," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(4), pages 489-511, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Song, Malin & Xie, Qianjiao & Chen, Jiandong, 2022. "Effects of government competition on land prices under opening up conditions: A case study of the Huaihe River ecological economic belt," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    2. Chih-Chun Kung & Li-Jiun Chen & Tsung-Ju Lee & Xianling Jiang & Ruiqi Lin, 2019. "Wind power potential for energy sustainability and climate change mitigation: A case study in Taiwan," Energy & Environment, , vol. 30(2), pages 304-321, March.
    3. Sumin Kim & James R. Kiniry & Amber S. Williams & Norman Meki & Lewis Gaston & Melinda Brakie & Alan Shadow & Felix B. Fritschi & Yanqi Wu, 2017. "Adaptation of C 4 Bioenergy Crop Species to Various Environments within the Southern Great Plains of USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-17, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chih-Chun Kung & Meng-Shiuh Chang, 2015. "Effect of Agricultural Feedstock to Energy Conversion Rate on Bioenergy and GHG Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Chih-Chun Kung & Bruce A. McCarl & Chi-Chung Chen & Xiaoyong Cao, 2014. "Environmental Impact and Energy Production: Evaluation of Biochar Application on Taiwanese Set-Aside Land," Energy & Environment, , vol. 25(1), pages 13-39, February.
    3. Chih-Chun Kung & Bruce A. McCarl & Chi-Chung Chen, 2014. "An Environmental and Economic Evaluation of Pyrolysis for Energy Generation in Taiwan with Endogenous Land Greenhouse Gases Emissions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-19, March.
    4. Kung, Chih-Chun & Zhang, Liguo & Kong, Fanbin, 2016. "How government subsidy leads to sustainable bioenergy development," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 275-284.
    5. Meng-Shiuh CHANG & Wen WANG & Chih-Chun KUNG, 2015. "Economic effects of the biochar application on rice supply in Taiwan," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 61(6), pages 284-295.
    6. Kung, Chih-Chun & Zhang, Ning, 2015. "Renewable energy from pyrolysis using crops and agricultural residuals: An economic and environmental evaluation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 90(P2), pages 1532-1544.
    7. Kung, Chih-Chun & Mu, Jianhong E., 2019. "Prospect of China's renewable energy development from pyrolysis and biochar applications under climate change," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    8. Kung, Chih-Chun, 2019. "A stochastic evaluation of economic and environmental effects of Taiwan's biofuel development under climate change," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 1051-1064.
    9. Kung, Chih-Chun & Zhang, Ning & Choi, Yongrok & Xiong, Kai & Yu, Jiangli, 2019. "Effectiveness of crop residuals in ethanol and pyrolysis-based electricity production: A stochastic analysis under uncertain climate impacts," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 267-276.
    10. Kung, Chih-Chun & Cao, Xiaoyong & Choi, Yongrok & Kung, Shan-Shan, 2019. "A stochastic analysis of cropland utilization and resource allocation under climate change," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    11. Kung, Chih-Chun & Lan, Xiaolong & Yang, Yunxia & Kung, Shan-Shan & Chang, Meng-Shiuh, 2022. "Effects of green bonds on Taiwan's bioenergy development," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PA).
    12. Callaway, J.M., 2000. "Assessing the Costs and Market Impacts of Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change and Acid Rain," Other publications TiSEM c58adec9-1535-46cf-b213-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    13. Meng-Shiuh Chang & Chih-Chun Kung, 2018. "The greenhouse gas impact of bioenergy in developing economies: Evidence from Taiwan," Energy & Environment, , vol. 29(3), pages 315-332, May.
    14. Chih-Chun KUNG, 2018. "A dynamic framework of sustainable development in agriculture and bioenergy," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 64(10), pages 445-455.
    15. Xiaoyong CAO & Chih-Chun KUNG & Yuelong WANG, 2017. "An environmental and economic evaluation of carbon sequestration from pyrolysis and biochar application in China," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 63(12), pages 569-578.
    16. Kung, Chih-Chun & McCarl, Bruce A. & Cao, Xiaoyong, 2013. "Economics of pyrolysis-based energy production and biochar utilization: A case study in Taiwan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 317-323.
    17. Mosnier, A. & Havlík, P. & Valin, H. & Baker, J. & Murray, B. & Feng, S. & Obersteiner, M. & McCarl, B.A. & Rose, S.K. & Schneider, U.A., 2013. "Alternative U.S. biofuel mandates and global GHG emissions: The role of land use change, crop management and yield growth," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 602-614.
    18. Chen, Xiaoguang & Khanna, Madhu, 2014. "Indirect Land Use Effects of Corn Ethanol in the U.S: Implications for the Conservation Reserve Program," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170284, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    19. Valin, Hugo & Havlik, Petr & Mosnier, Aline & Obersteiner, Michael, 2010. "Climate Change Mitigation And Future Food Consumption Patterns," 115th Joint EAAE/AAEA Seminar, September 15-17, 2010, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany 116392, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    20. Brennan, Liam & Owende, Philip, 2010. "Biofuels from microalgae--A review of technologies for production, processing, and extractions of biofuels and co-products," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 557-577, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:2:p:571-588:d:32475. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.