Combining simulation and life cycle modelling to identify opportunities for advanced biorefineries

该提案将支持可再生能源的实施，特别是来自加拿大生物质资源的能源或燃料。目前可以说，加拿大没有从林业和农业活动的产品中获得最佳的价值；近几十年来，我们看到大量的工作岗位流失，生物质的“未使用”部分相应增加，特别是在林业部门。发展生物经济--从生物质中生产热量、燃料、化学品和材料--可以为我们的经济增加更多价值，增加就业，并为我们的社会提供更多可持续和可再生产品。在我们看来，挑战是双重的。首先，我们需要制定一种生物经济发展的方法，既不对现有的森林部门(已经受到严重制约)产生不利影响，也不需要改变农业粮食产出的使用(这种做法已经在世界各地将玉米乙醇置于显微镜下)。因此，重点必须放在管理未得到充分利用的生物质流--来自农业的残留物、来自林业的低价值生物质--并将其用于更高价值的应用。其次，我们需要开发一种生物经济的方法，与加拿大强大的传统能源部门相辅相成。长期以来，生物燃料或化学品的开发一直被视为与石油产品竞争。我们必须探索协同发展的办法，使加拿大能够利用其强大的能源部门开发可再生和可持续的替代品。实现这些好处需要更好的工具，这不仅有助于我们更好地管理生物质通过林业和农业部门的流动，而且还将突出发展生物能源、燃料、化学和材料生产的机会，这些生产有助于补充现有的农业、森林产品和能源产出。拟议研究计划的目标是更好地了解原料选择、时间和空间规划以及产品选择对新兴生物经济的经济和环境影响之间的关系。为了实现这一目标，我们的目标是(A)开发一个基于电子表格的模拟和生命周期评估(LCA)工具，(B)使用该工具研究加拿大(卑诗省内陆、安大略省东北部和魁北克中北部)的一系列案例研究，这些地区有或可以建立农业和森林生物质的混合，(C)根据一系列原料和产品选择来模拟生物精炼作业的活动，以及(D)使用这些模拟的结果来选择成本最低和温室气体信号最少的生物精炼路径。这将使我们能够回答一些关键问题。首先，可用的生物质在数量和质量上各不相同，这取决于你所在的位置和下游的需求。生物质质量信息需要伴随生物质数量数据，以便进行有效评价。其次，现有工具很难反映时间的流逝，特别是在考虑环境影响的情况下；拟议的研究将使用后勤模型方法来纳入时间。第三，有许多现有的和新兴的生物产品需要考虑，其中一些可能特别补充现有的部门(即油砂业务)，已经开发了单独的模型来评估不同的产品或系统；我们的方法将使我们能够选择适当的模型并测试更广泛的产品。这项研究计划将有助于指导新的生物经济活动更好地与现有的林业和/或农业相结合，并更好地补充加拿大强大的能源部门。

This proposal will support renewable energy implementation, and in particular energy or fuel derived from Canada's biomass resources. Right now it can be argued that Canada does not get the best value for the products of forestry and agricultural activity; in recent decades we have seen significant job loss and a corresponding increase in the `unused' portion of biomass, especially in the forest sector. Developing the bioeconomy - producing heat, fuels, chemicals and materials from biomass - could add more value to our economy, increase employment, and provide our society a greater ranger of sustainable and renewable products. As we see it, the challenge is twofold. First, we need to develop an approach to bioeconomy development that does not adversely impact the existing forest sector (which is already under significant constraint) or require a shift in the use of food outputs from agriculture (a practice which has put corn-based ethanol under the microscope around the world). Thus the focus must be on managing underutilized streams of biomass - residues from farming, low-value biomass from forestry - and diverting them into higher-value applications. Second, we need to develop an approach to the bioeconomy which complements Canada's strong conventional energy sector. For too long, development of bio-based fuels or chemicals has been seen as competitive with petro-based products. We must explore synergistic approaches to development which will allow Canada to lever its powerful energy sector in developing renewable and sustainable alternatives. Achieving these benefits requires better tools, which will not only help us better manage the flow of biomass through the forestry and agricultural sectors, but will also highlight opportunities for developing bio-based energy, fuel, chemical, and material production which serve to complement existing farming, forest product, and energy outputs. The goal of the proposed research program is to better understand the relation between feedstock choice, temporal and spatial planning, and product selection on the economic and environmental impacts the emerging bioeconomy. To achieve this goal, our objectives are (a) to develop a spreadsheet-based simulation & life cycle assessment (LCA) tool, (b) to use this tool to examine a series of case studies in Canada (interior BC, northeastern Ontario, and north-central Quebec) where a mix of agricultural and forest biomass is available or could be established, (c) to simulate the activities of a biorefinery operation based on a range of feedstock and product choices, and (d) to use the results of these simulations to select biorefinery pathways with minimal cost and GHG signatures. This will allow us to answer a number of key questions. Firstly, the biomass available varies in terms of quantity and quality, depending on where you are and what downstream requirements are. Information on biomass quality needs to accompany data on biomass quantity for an effective evaluation. Secondly, existing tools have difficulty reflecting the passage of time, particularly when environmental impacts are being considered; the proposed research will use a logistical model approach to incorporate time. Thirdly, there are a wide range of existing and emerging bioproducts to consider, some of which might be particularly complementary to existing sectors (i.e. oilsands operations), and separate models have been developed to evaluate different products or systems; our approach will allow us to select appropriate models and test a wider range of products. This research program will help guide new bioeconomy activity to be better integrated with existing forestry and/or agricultural industries, and to better complement Canada's strong energy sector.