The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at University of Aarhus will focus sharply on research in bioenergy.

Use of alternative energy sources is a ”hot” subject these days. That is why the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (DJF) at the University of Aarhus has chosen to channel more resources to research in bioenergy. With the inauguration of the world’s largest research biogas plant at the faculty’s research centre in Foulum on 30 October 2007, DJF is exceptionally well prepared for the task.

With regard to the use of biomass for energy, several questions pop up. What will the impact be on food production? Will food become more expensive? Will there be enough land to produce both food and energy? Will the use of pesticides increase? Will more nitrogen and phosphorus be emitted to the air and water environments? How do the various bioenergy sources affect the CO2 balance? These and other relevant questions are ones that the scientists will attempt to find answers to.

It is necessary to analyse which bioenergy technologies are the right ones to use. The scientists will be doing calculations on potential biomass resources and will analyse how much CO2 and other greenhouse gases the various energy sources emit relative to their production and their use. The scientists will also have a look at cultivation aspects of the potential bioenergy sources, such as use of pesticides and loss of nutrients to the environment, and they will analyse the effects on food production.

Besides running in the spanking new biogas and slurry separation plant, the research funds will be used for a range of specific tasks in the area of bioenergy. The scientists will be conducting emission measurements and they will study the biogas chain’s greenhouse gas balance, methane oxidation in slurry tanks, biogas production from crops, biogas for transport means, bioenergy production and sustainable land use with a special focus on lowlands.

The extensive biogas research efforts will also result in several new PhD positions at the faculty.

For more information please contact: Head of Department Erik Steen Kristensen, Department of Agroecology and Environment, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus, telephone: +45 8999 1676, e-mail: ErikSteen.Kristensen@agrsci.dk

Text and photo: Janne Hansen