Evaluating Sustainable Practices for Managing Residue Derived from Wheat Straw

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Science
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Canada's agricultural sector generates substantial biomass, including crop residues like wheat straw, crucial for renewable energy.
• Effective management of agricultural biomass is vital for biofuel production and greenhouse gas mitigation.
• Evaluating the sustainability of farm leftovers requires examining supply chains, waste management, and emission reduction strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the sustainability of managing wheat straw, an agricultural biomass by-product.
• To explore environmental issues associated with various agricultural biomass management approaches.
• To identify the most sustainable conversion and transportation methods for agricultural biomass.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of biomass characteristics, conversion technologies, and economic/environmental benefits.
• Analysis of social metrics and transportation costs, comparing electric and fuel-based trucks.
• Assessment of CO2 emissions across different transportation distances.

Main Results:

• Anaerobic digestion emerged as the most sustainable approach for agricultural biomass conversion.
• Electric trucks reduced total operating costs by 18% and consumption costs by 58% compared to fuel-based trucks.
• Shortening transportation distances from 100 km to 25 km resulted in a 36% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing supply chains and transportation logistics is key to enhancing agricultural biomass sustainability.
• Implementing anaerobic digestion and utilizing electric transport offers significant environmental and economic advantages.
• Reducing transportation distances is a critical factor in minimizing the carbon footprint of agricultural biomass management.