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BIOENERGY FOR EUROPE: WHICH ONES FIT BEST?

BIOENERGY FOR EUROPE: WHICH ONES FIT BEST?

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7.2 Comparisons between the countries for each biofuel 167<br />

7.2.10 Biogas from swine excrements versus natural gas<br />

for combined heat and power production:<br />

relative impact differences between biofuels and fossil fuels<br />

4000%<br />

3000%<br />

2000%<br />

1000%<br />

0%<br />

-1000%<br />

-2000%<br />

-3000%<br />

Use of fossil fuels<br />

Greenhouse effect<br />

How to interpret the diagram<br />

Ozone Depletion by N2O<br />

Acidification<br />

Eutrophication<br />

Summer smog<br />

Human toxicity<br />

Austria<br />

Denmark<br />

Greece<br />

Italy<br />

Netherlands<br />

Switzerland<br />

Europe<br />

Environmental advantages and disadvantages of biogas compared to natural gas for each country involved<br />

as well as for Europe are shown by relative differences between the biofuels and the fossil fuel:<br />

(biofuel – fossil fuel) / fossil fuel. The zero line indicates the level for fossil fuel. Therefore negative<br />

values indicate advantages for biogas and positive ones represent advantages for natural gas. For example,<br />

assuming the production and combustion of fossil fuel causes an emission of 1 kg of N2O (Ozone<br />

depletion), then a value of -100 % means no net N2O emissions in the case of the biofuel, 0 % means 1<br />

kg N2O (i.e. the same as the fossil fuel), 100 % means 2 kg N2O and so on.<br />

Remarks and conclusions<br />

Regarding the parameter use of fossil fuels the results are very uniform for all countries, whereas the<br />

values for the other impacts are extremely different. Regarding greenhouse effect and summer smog<br />

Italy shows the greatest benefits, but it also has the highest impacts regarding acidification and eutrophication.

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