Economic evaluation of hemp (Cannabis sativa) grown for energy purposes (briquettes) in the Czech Republic
¹Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Tropics and Subtropics, Department of Sustainable Technologies, Kamycka 129, CZ16521 Prague 6, Czech Republic
²Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering, p.r.i., Drnovska 509, CZ16100 Prague 6, Czech Republic *Correspondence: ivanova@ftz.czu.cz
Abstract:
Depletion of fossil fuels and their environmental risks have brought to the foreground energy crops as a possible source of bioenergy. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has been suggested for production of solid biofuels (briquettes) due to good physic-mechanical properties as well as positive energy and combustion characteristics. This study determined economic potential of hemp briquettes production in the Czech Republic. A field trial was conducted in 2009–2014 in Prague in order to compare biomass yield (BY) of hemp varieties Bialobrzeskie (B) and Ferimon (F) harvested in autumn and spring period. Based on obtained results this study determined production costs of hemp briquettes (CZK t-1), revenue (CZK t-1) and rate of return (%) for four scenarios (B, F harvested in autumn and B, F harvested in spring). Briquettes production costs ranged from 4,015 CZK t-1 to 4,707 CZK t-1 for B in spring and B in autumn, respectively, due to 30% lower biomass yield in spring harvest. Results indicated that hemp briquettes production was not profitable if the selling price was the same as the price of wood briquettes and with BY obtained in experiment (7.18–10.7 t ha-1 of dry matter). Briquettes production in autumn made profit of 9% for B and 7% for F when subsidies for hemp cultivation were considered. In current conditions in the Czech Republic, utilization of hemp for briquettes production did not prove to be economically feasible.
Key words:
economic analysis., hemp briquettes, production costs, rate of return., revenue