Pilar Ciria

Centro Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas | CIEMAT · Centro de Desarrollo de Energías Renovables

Marginal agricultural land (MAL) has received much attention in research and policy formation as a potential resource for cultivating biomass for energy and biobased products. However, it is still unclear whether biomass from MAL meets the requirements of social sustainability. This study develops a conceptual linkage between value‐chain analysis a...

Integrated food and bioenergy production is a promising way to ensure regional/national food and energy security, efficient use of soil resources, and enhanced biodiversity, while contributing to the abatement of CO2 emissions. The objective of this study was to assess alternative crop rotation schemes as the basis for integrating and enhancing the...

Agricultural land abandonment due to biophysical and socioeconomic constraints is increasing across Europe. Meanwhile there is also an increase in bioenergy demand. This study assessed woody crop performance on several relevant types of marginal agricultural land in Europe, based on field experiments in Latvia, Spain and Ukraine. In Latvia, hybrid...

A detailed knowledge of how poplar leaf litter decomposes under Mediterranean marginal conditions can help to minimize fertilization inputs and determine the profitability and sustainability of energy crops established in these particularly sensitive areas for bioenergy. Leaf litter decomposition was monitored for 32 months using the litterbag tech...

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...

The cultivation of perennial grasses is one of the most desirable alternatives as energy feedstock, but it is difficult to achieve competitive yields under Mediterranean marginal conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of three cool-season grasses (Agropyron spp.) from an agronomic and energetic point of view by comparing th...

In order to face the expected increasing demand of energy crops without creating conflicts of land occupation sustainability, farmers need to find reliable alternatives in marginal agricultural areas where the production of food hardly ever is economically and environmentally sustainable. The purpose of this work was the study of the viability of t...

The production and chemical composition of the biomass of four fast growing woody crops are studied across species and rotation cycles. High-density plantations of poplar, willow, black locust and sycamore were monitored for 9 years over 3-year rotation cycles in marginal land in the Mediterranean area. The fuel quality properties of the produced b...

In order to face the expected increasing demand of energy crops without creating conflicts of land occupation sustainability, farmers need to find reliable alternatives in marginal agricultural areas where the production of food hardly ever is economically and environmentally sustainable. The purpose of this work was the study of the viability of t...

This study deals with approaches for a social-ecological friendly European bioeconomy based on biomass from industrial crops cultivated on marginal agricultural land. The selected crops to be investigated are: Biomass sorghum, camelina, cardoon, castor, crambe, Ethiopian mustard, giant reed, hemp, lupin, miscanthus, pennycress, poplar, reed canary...

The cultivation of bioenergy crops could be considered as sustainable; however, its use in fertile lands could conflict with food production. The general purpose of this study is to identify areas where traditional food crops are not economically sustainable, but where they could be substituted by energy crops without changing the land use in Spain...

En el presente documento se recoge la información recopilada y generada sobre la implantación de la tecnología de gasificación de biomasa en la Isla de Cuba, una evaluación de la situación actual y perspectiva de la biomasa en Cuba en relación a su valorización energética, ejemplos de biomasas locales analizadas y el planteamiento de las mejoras qu...

In MAGIC a first EU wide map is created to assess options for sustainably use of marginal lands to grow industrial crops. The approach builds on the JRC work to identify Areas of Natural Constraints (ANCs) (Van Oorschoven et al., 2014 and Terres et al., 2014) and other land evaluation systems for agronomic suitability. The results describe the loca...

Contiene una serie de artículos desarrollados dentro del proyecto HYBRIDUS.

The aim of this work is to study the effect of different agricultural management on the yield and quality of two poplar biomass clones (AF2 and I-214 clones) in short rotation coppices (SRC), which were harvested using different alternatives (with and without cutting and sprouting after the first year), with two fertilisation doses and through thre...

FULL TEXT: Free access link until September 10, 2016: http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1TQDy15eiekjX- The use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an environmental tool to evaluate the sustainability of different bioenergy pathways has become a common practice since the European Renewable Energy Directive was published in 2009. In the evaluation of bioe...

The planning of biomass exploitation in an area requires the assessment of its availability. The accuracy of the results will be strongly dependent of the initial data. The aim of this chapter is to provide insights into biomass resource assessment for energy supply. Different classification systems of biomass resources are provided, and the proper...

Biomass Supply Chains for Bioenergy and Biorefining Energy generation through the use of biomass is becoming more widely used. The supply chains which produce the feedstocks, harvest, transport and store them, and prepare them for combustion or refinement into other forms of fuel are long and complex. They also differ from feedstock to feedstock....

Understanding genotype × environment interaction (GEI) is crucial to optimize the deployment of clonal material to field conditions in short rotation coppice poplar plantations. Hybrid poplars are grown for biomass production under a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions, but their adaptive performance in Mediterranean areas remains poorly...

The sustainable production of lignocellulosic biomass in Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) in the context of bioeconomic development in Europe demands an ever greater understanding of the plant material. Different species and, in some cases, different genotypes (Populus deltoides ‘Baldo’, Populus x canadensis: ‘Orion’, ‘Oudenberg’, ‘Ballottino’ and ‘I-2...

This study is part of an extensive network with C3 and C4 perennial energy crops which is being currently conducted in Spain to develop sustainable alternatives to rain-fed agriculture in marginal lands of the Mediterranean. The aim of this study is to assess the establishment of three varieties of hardy perennial grass species Tall wheatgrass (Ely...

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry (Turk J Agric For), Agosto 2014. Vol 38, Issue 5: 652-662. Doi:10.3906/tar-1311-113.

One of the strategies to ensure energy security and to mitigate climate change in the European Union (EU) is the establishment and the use of short rotation woody crops (SRWCs) for the production of renewable energy. SRWCs are cultivated in the EU under different management systems. Addressing the energy security problems through SRWCs requires man...

The aim of this work is to evaluate and quantify the effect of several crop management techniques, such as top dress nitrogen, delayed harvest, and field leaching by rainfall, on the inter-annual yields and the combustion quality of the biomass obtained from different cool season grasses under semi-arid conditions in Spain. Elytrigia elongata, toge...

The goal of this paper is to assess the sustainability of electricity production from winter cereals grown in one of the most important Spanish agricultural areas, Castilla y Leon Region, situated in central-northern Spain. This study analyses greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and energy balances of electricity production in a 25 MWe power plant tha...

Short rotation high density plantations were established in the provinces of Soria and Madrid in 2009. Three poplar clones (I-214 and two improved new clones Oudenberg and Baldo) together with willow, black locust and sycamore species were included in the study. Representative samples were collected after a three year cycle. Species harvested in Ma...

Improving production in short rotation coppice (SRC) plantations requires, among other elements, a proper understanding of clonal performance. Genotypic stability over a range of environments is a factor of concern for breeding and recommendation purposes. Most common stability measures can be embedded in a mixed-model framework accounting for inte...

In this study, the effect of density on poplar short-rotation forestry plantations was analyzed in the context of maximizing biomass production under Mediterranean conditions. Data from 12 experimental sites in Spain with densities ranging from 6666 to 33,333 cuttings·ha−1 were used. At the end of the first year, biomass production from the differe...

The objective of this work is to study the accumulation of lignocellulosic biomass of two varieties of rye (Petkus and Askari) and two varieties of triticale (Trujillo and Collegial) during its vegetative period. The plots’ size was about 300 m2 for each variety trial. The selected plots were cultivated under rainfed continental conditions in the p...

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of repeated windrowing using a wheel rake on the quality of two varieties of sorghum biomass considering its further combustion. Biomass yield and the influence of windrowing were evaluated when sorghum was mowed at two phenological stages, an early cut during the stage of panicle initiation and later...

The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of windrowing on the ash content of triticale and rye biomass, and thus how the quality of the biofuel can be influenced by the biomass collection methods. 162 biomass samples (straw+grain) were analyzed for their ash content: 42 samples were collected manually before mowing to avoid contamination (an...

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the dosage of N fertilization on the yield and combustion quality of the whole crop (straw + grain) biomass of rye under rain-fed conditions. The plots were conducted in Soria (Spain), a location characterized by a continental mediterranean climate with cold winters. Nitrogen treatments were...

Several studies suggest that lignocellulosic energy crops for electricity production may have a better performance compared to those crops for liquid biofuels production, when assessing GHG savings with respect to fossil references. Winter cereal residues and some annual winter grasses, as dedicated energy crops, are currently being grown in Spain...

The aim of this report is to demonstrate and evaluate the potential of tall wheatgrass (Elytrigia elongata) to avoid GHG emissions and obtain lower economic costs in marginal areas of Spain. Our research built scenarios based on experimental plots (2 and 3 years growth) in 3 locations of Spain with completely different climate conditions (provinces...

Growth and production in the first year, as additional selection criteria, were assessed for nine poplar clones to be used as short rotation woody crops (SRWC) in the production of biomass for energy purposes. In order to identify the most promising clones in terms of growth and yield and also to assess their stability, trials were established at d...

The objective of this work is to compare the behaviour of poplar biomass cultivated on short rotation conditions when it is stored outdoors as chips or stems. Two piles, one constituted by chips and the other one by stems were set at the CEDER-CIEMAT facilities in Soria (Central-Northern Spain), a region characterized by a continental mediterranean...

There is a large interest in Spain surrounding the maximum variability that can be obtained in the main physico-chemical properties of biomass, when it is produced or used for energy purposes. Multiple sources could cause that expected variability. Winter cereals might be considered as a potential biomass source for energy purposes, particularly tr...

Under semiarid conditions the response of cereal crops to chemical fertilizers and weed control practices with herbicides is often reduced. In fact, the economic profitability of agricultural production in many dryland regions is critically affected by high costs of inputs and low crop yields. As a solution, cropping systems like organic farming, o...

Under semiarid conditions the response of cereal crops to chemical fertilizers and weed control practices with herbicides is often reduced. In fact, the economic profitability of agricultural production in many dryland regions is critically affected by high costs of inputs and low crop yields. As a solution, cropping systems like organic farming, o...

Se analiza la estabilidad del comportamiento de nueve clones híbridos del género Populus L. en diferentes condiciones ambientales. Los caracteres evaluados fueron biomasa total (BT) y sus fracciones de fustes (BF) y ramas (BR). Se aplicaron distintos modelos mixtos de estabilidad genotípica que se compararon mediante estadísticos de bondad de ajust...

The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of the type of clone, fertilization and harvest alternative on quality and yield of poplar biomass on short rotation conditions. The plantation was established on March 2006 with four poplar clones: I-214 and AF2 (P. x euramericana); and UNAL and USA 49-177 (P. x interamericana). Poplar biomass is...

The goal of this study is to evaluate the decomposition of poplar leaves in the field, cultivated on short rotation conditions under two different edafoclimatic conditions. The experiment was scheduled to have a duration of three years and was conducted in a plantation of poplars (Populus spp) in high density (33300 tree/ha) with drip irrigation in...

A detailed reliability assessment was made of electricity generation systems in Spain that are based on Brassica carinata cultivation. The assessment considers the following chain of energy generation: biomass cultivation and harvesting, transportation and electricity generation in biomass power plants (10, 25 and 50 MW). Flue gas desulphurisation...

The aim of this work it is to evaluate the mass and energy losses, as well as the variations of biomass composition that may occur during long period storage of Brassica carinata biomass bales in piles at different oudoor conditions. Four piles of straw bales (uncovered and with a plastic top-covering) were set up outdoors in two Spanish locations...

The objective of this study is to evaluate the decomposition in the field of poplar leaves cultivated on short rotation conditions, as well as the evolution of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents. This work was conducted in a plantation of poplars (Populus spp) in high density (25000 tree ha-1) with drip irrigation in the province o...

A detailed reliability assessment of bioenergy production systems based on poplar cultivation was made. The aim of this assessment was to demonstrate the Economic feasibility of implementing poplar biomass production for power generation in Spain. The assessment considers the following chain of energy generation: cultivation and harvesting, and tra...

The poplar bioenergy system has been analysed applying life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare its environmental performance to: Ethiopian mustard bioenergy system and natural gas. The life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) shows that the use of fertilizers is the highest impact in four of the 10 environmental categories, representing between 39% and 6...

The energetic and environmental performance of production and distribution of the Brassica carinata biomass crop in Soria (Spain) is analysed using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in order to demonstrate the major potential that the crop has in southern Europe as a lignocellulosic fuel for use as a renewable energy source.The Life Cycle Imp...

In the last decade, constructed wetlands have been gaining in popularity as a reduced cost and low maintenance technology for treating wastewater from small urbanised areas. In these wetlands at the same time that pollutant removal from wastewater occurs, great quantities of biomass are produced. As according to some authors, plants must be harvest...

With the aim of solving the wastewater treatment problem in small villages, treatment performance of a pilot-scale subsurface-flow constructed wetland (SFW) was evaluated for removal efficiency of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total and faecal coliform and faecal streptococci bacteria f...

Con el objetivo de comparar diferentes métodos de fertilización y escarda se establecieron diversos ensayos en una rotación: barbecho-> cebada (Hordeum vulgare L.)-> veza (Vicio sativa L.) como abono verde->trigo duro (Triticum durum Desf.), en zonas semiáridas españolas. Aquí se presentan los resultados de 29 de estos ensayos realizados durante lo...

El objetivo del trabajo que aquí presentamos es cartografiar la producción energética potencial utilizando los residuos agroforestales de la Región de Navarra. Con su desarrollo se ha pretendido conseguir tanto una herramienta instrumental como una herramienta para la definición de las estrategias regionales en el ámbito de la biomasa.

Composting of sheep manure mixed with straw was carried out in a pilot plant using three different systems of aeration: pile turning; forced aeration of static pile; and passive aeration of static pile. The aim was to investigate which of these three systems was the most appropriate for the management of the manure and straw. The effects of the suc...

In this work the composting of sweet sorghum bagasse — the residue obtained after sugar juice extraction of sweet sorghum stalk — in mixtures of wastes was studied. Bagasse with pig slurry and sewage sludge were used as raw materials for composting. The process was carried out in turned piles and the main process parameters were monitored over a ye...

The main purpose of this work is to study the effect of sweet sorghum bagasse compost application on biomass production of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench cv Dale). Biomass production was studied in terms of dry matter and stalk sugar content, at the end of the crop cycle. The addition of compost to soil produced significant increases on...

The main aim of this survey is to know the effect that the weed mechanical control has on barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) production. The design chosen was that of groups taken at random, in three times in three different experimental lost sited in San Esteban de Gormaz (Soria), longitude 3º 12' W (meridian of Greenwich), lat...

El trabajo ha sido desarrollado en zona cercana a la Escuela Universitaria Ingeniería Agrarías en colaboración con los profesores mencionados (3) y alumnos. En este trabajo se prentendió conocer los suelos agrícolas altamente explotados y de baja rentabilidad debido a que las producciones son relativamente bajas. Para conocer el estado de los suelo...