the effect of bioenergy production for the agricultural outputs ... - IAMO

2
Contributed Paper presented at IAMO Forum 2008
Hungary has excellent natural conditions of growing biomass. The annual sun hours are
between 1700 - 2400 hours yearly. The amount of raining is between 800 - 450 mm. More
than 50% of the territory of Hungary is tillage; the rate of the fields which are used by the
agriculture is more than 70%. The necessary plants for the bioenergy industry can give high
produce because of the geographical situation.
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Biomass potential in Hungary [PJ]
58
31
36
Potentially usable
Currently
harnessed
Energy crops
1. figure: Biomass potential in Hungary [source: Prof. Kovacs K. MTA]
Hungary has not used its opportunities in the sector of biomass as you can see on the 1 st
figure. With the help of growing energy plants the potentially output energy could be the
double. Because of the getting stronger directives of the European Union (2003/30/EC
biofuels and 2001/77/EC “green power”) we have the consequence that the biomass
production of Hungary will extremely grow in the next few years. The outputs of the
Hungarian agriculture will also change.
1. PRODUCTION OF BIOETHANOL IN HUNGARY
The national oil company of Hungary (MOL) have mixed 4.4 cubic % bioethanol to the
traditional petrol since 1 st July 2007. 88 thousand litres (70 thousand tons) bioethanol is
mixed into 1.5 million tons (2 billion litres) petrol. [Popp] According to the 2003/96/EC
energy taxation directive Hungary uses 103.5 Ft (1 € ≈ 260 Ft) tax refund pro the litre of
circulated bioethanol.
Bioethanol is produced principally from maize and small amount (only for experiments) from
sugar beet and from potato in Hungary. Accordingly the most affected agricultural output is
the maize growing.
The bioethanol production from sugar beet would be wanted in Hungary because only one
sugar factory is working from the 12 ones that were working through centuries. Consequently
Hungary has only the quarter of the former more than 100 thousand hectare sugar beet