AdaptAF – Teil A - Alternative grassland utilisation beyond 2015
Abstract
Within the “Health Check” of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) the EU agreed on a gradual increase in milk quotas by 1% annually between 2009 and 2013. Until 2015 milk quota will be abolished altogether, this leads to a total liberation on the milk market. Therefore, a drastic price decline and can be expected. The survival of mostly small scale farmers in the Alpine regions is further hindert due to the effects of climate change (aridity and thunderstorms) that cause profit cuts. Therefore, alternative concepts are necessary to maintain alpine agriculture. An alternative strategy for land use in the alps can be seen in a biogas-based biorefinery concept, where the grassland biomass is used for energy production as well as for the production of chemical components. This transformation in land utilisation could be also an important contribution to the independency of fossil energy sources. Calculations have shown that when 40 % of the Austrian Alpine grassland biomass is used as source for biogas production, nearly 25 % of the Austrian petroleum gas consumption can be substituted. The main aim of the project is to develop an alternative utilisation concept for alpine regions. Therein biomass of alpine grassland in combination with regional wastes should be energetically used within a biorefinery system. Besides the production of energy in form of power, heat and biofuels, chemical compounds like amino acids that can be used for industry, a reduction of greenhouse gases and maintenance of the natural and cultural alpine landscape can be guaranteed. Finally this alternative utilisation concept should be assessed in a holistic approach.
Publikationen
Project staff
Ulrike Pröbstl-Haider
Univ.Prof. Dr. Ulrike Pröbstl-Haider
ulrike.proebstl@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-85317
BOKU Project Leader
01.08.2010 - 18.11.2013
Alexandra Jiricka-Pürrer
Priv.-Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Alexandra Jiricka-Pürrer
alexandra.jiricka@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-85323
Project Staff
01.08.2010 - 18.11.2013