Journal of Energy Bioscience 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 105-116 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/jeb 112 the wood structure more efficiently and improve conversion efficiency is still a technical problem. Moreover, these treatment methods are also limited in large-scale commercial applications, not only because of technical difficulties, but also because of high costs. 8.3 Infrastructure needs: transport, centralized processing plants In order to use rapeseed biomass for power generation or heating, infrastructure must keep up. The first is the transportation problem. These biomasses are large in size and low in calorific value, so the cost of transportation is particularly high (Bui et al., 2023). Then there is the processing plant. Building a centralized processing plant can improve efficiency and reduce waste, but it also requires a stable supply of raw materials, and the logistics system must be in place (Gupta et al., 2022). If these infrastructures are not up to date, the development of biomass energy will be slowed down (Gupta et al., 2022; Bui et al., 2023). 8.4 Economic bottlenecks: capital cost, scale-up barriers The investment in rapeseed biomass energy projects is not small. The equipment is expensive, the operating costs are high, and the technology is not mature enough. The infrastructure in many places is not perfect. If you want to carry out large-scale production, you have to face various economic pressures such as unstable raw material sources, expensive transportation, and difficult pretreatment (Banerjee, 2022; Gupta et al., 2022; Tshikovhi and Motaung, 2023). These problems make it difficult to promote. If you want to solve them, you have to rely on policy support and technology upgrades to promote them together (Abdul Malek et al., 2020; Gupta et al., 2022; Tshikovhi and Motaung, 2023). 9 Case Study: Rapeseed Biomass for Energy in Germany 9.1 Overview: Germany’s dual-use rapeseed initiative (e.g., biodiesel + biogas from residues) Germany is a major rapeseed grower and user in Europe. Rapeseed here is not only used to produce biodiesel, but the remaining by-products, such as rapeseed cake and straw, are also developed to produce biogas. This practice of "producing both oil and energy" is called the "dual utilization" model. This model makes the utilization rate of rapeseed higher, not only promoting the development of renewable energy, but also allowing the two industries of agriculture and energy to achieve win-win cooperation (Woźniak et al., 2019; Suchocki, 2024). 9.2 System design: farm-scale and cooperative biogas units In Germany, the energy utilization of rapeseed biomass is often operated on a farm or cooperative basis. Farmers or cooperatives centrally process the residues of rapeseed and produce biogas through anaerobic fermentation. These gases can be used directly locally or connected to the power grid and sold. This distributed small-scale system can reduce transportation costs, increase energy self-sufficiency, and also drive the development of the rural economy (Yang et al., 2022; Suchocki, 2024). 9.3 Outcomes: energy output, emissions saved, local income generation Germany's rapeseed biomass system has achieved many results. For example, biodiesel emissions are about 56% to 71% lower than traditional fossil fuels, and the carbon reduction effect is obvious (Yang et al., 2022). At the same time, the production of biogas and biodiesel has also increased farmers' income, provided employment opportunities, and enhanced rural economic vitality (Woźniak et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2022; Suchocki, 2024). 9.4 Challenges encountered: weather variability, subsidy dependency Although the results are good, the German system has also encountered some problems. For example, climate change brings many risks. The severe drought in 2018 caused a significant reduction in rapeseed production, insufficient raw materials, and affected the production of biodiesel (Yang et al., 2022; Sadr et al., 2024). Many of these energy projects rely on policy subsidies to maintain. Once the subsidies change or are cancelled, the investment will become more unstable and affect normal operations (Woźniak et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2022). 9.5 Lessons learned: policy stability, farmer engagement, co-product value Germany's experience tells us that if we want rapeseed biomass energy projects to develop for a long time, policies must be stable (Yang et al., 2022; Sadr et al., 2024). Farmers' participation is also critical. Through
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