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Water in Bioenergy Agroecosystems Workshop Industry perspective on water for bioenergy production

Water in Bioenergy Agroecosystems Workshop Industry perspective on water for bioenergy production. Alistair Wyness, BP International Group Water Expert 13 June 2012. Water in Bioenergy. The importance of “water management” in industry External expectations

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Water in Bioenergy Agroecosystems Workshop Industry perspective on water for bioenergy production

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  1. Water in Bioenergy AgroecosystemsWorkshopIndustry perspective on water for bioenergy production Alistair Wyness, BP International Group Water Expert 13 June 2012

  2. Water in Bioenergy • The importance of “water management” in industry • External expectations • Managing water within biofuels operations • Reporting water withdrawals and consumption • Conclusions

  3. Water & Industry • Fresh water is a scarce resource in many locations • Competition increasing • Population (Water, Energy & Food Demands) • Economic Growth • Pollution Increasing • Climate Change • Regulations tightening • Increasing external focus on industrial use

  4. Water & Industry Source: Water Resources Group 2030, Charting our Water Future

  5. Expectations of Industry • Water management in industry now essential with many drivers • Access and availability – Challenge of scarcity and water quality • Human right to water for drinking and sanitation • Regulation – Competition for resources and increasingly stringent regulations. • Operations – Risk management – water conservation • Cost – decisions on cost or decisions on value? • Stakeholder– Significant NGO, pressure group and investor focus. Growing pressure by civil society, consumers and media. • Reputation – Licence to operate

  6. Emerging Themes in Industrial Water Management • Direct Operations - Water efficiency & targets, technology investment, account for water availability in facility-siting • Supply Chain Management – encourage supply chain to do the same • Watershed Management – understand the watershed risks, share the risk and solutions with the stakeholders • Collective Action – closer ties with civil society organisations, local and national regulators, collective investments • Public Policy – Contribute to regulations that drive water sustainability, partnering with global initiatives • Community Engagement – understand water/sanitation challenges, encourage/provide support to local government • Transparency – publish and share water strategies, withdrawal, impacts, mitigation measures and action on all of above

  7. How do we apply these principles to biofuels? • Direct operations– siting of operations, minimise consumption at refinery, maximise irrigation efficiencies, practice fertigation • Watershed Management –understand constraints within watershed, operational impacts, how biofuels can be managed to minimise impacts/maximise opportunities • Collective Action/Community Engagement – work with local civil organisations and communities to develop shared solutions in water competitive environments • Public Policy – work with trades bodies and regulators to develop water management practices • Transparency – Report water consumption at the different levels: plant, farm, watershed • A need to fully understand potential and perceived impacts prior to full scale development

  8. Water Withdrawals & Consumption • Agricultural water use far surpasses that of industrial. • ~20:1 ratio for a lignocellulosic operation • Need to consider the different components of water use: green. blue and grey • Grey water • Impacts of fertiliser and pesticide applications downstream of the cropped lands - potential future liability Blue water How does irrigation (if adopted) change the watershed consumptive use of water? Seasonal differences? Use of fertigation as a blue water/fertiliser? Refinery use and use of water within the crops as a source Green water Does bio-energy crop change (positive or negative) the runoff characteristics downstream of the crops as a result of changes in ET demand?

  9. Water Withdrawals & Consumption Bioenergy needs a common framework that captures the NETwater use related to crop growth and refinery processes CROPS Do we include net green water use? Irrigation use How to define efficiency Measures to improve efficiency (e.g. tailwaterrecapture in for re-use) Cost of measurement very high Measurement v modelling REFINERY: • Water withdrawn from rivers, lakes and aquifers • Water released from crops in processes • Treated water • to disposal • to fertigation • Aim to define consumed water • Measurements relatively straightforward

  10. Conclusions • Understanding the watershed in which both refinery and bio-energy crops are located is key to understanding and reporting impacts • Needs assessment of economic, environmental and social challenges within the watershed • Essential at pre-feasibility stage to fully understand the constraints and develop the baseline • Models will play an important part of understanding impact and reporting water use • The industry needs a common, transparent framework to demonstrate net water use in bio-energy production

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