Fen peat in environmentally friendly technologies

Abstract

Using peat as an energy source is currently incompatible with Environmental Policy Strategy of Latvia and 2030 Climate and Energy Package of European Union. The European Commission is looking at cost-efficient ways to make European economy more climate-friendly and less energy consuming. Although, fen peat alongside raised bog peat is categorized as fossil fuel, it is not traditionally used as fuel or growth substrate or for any other significant purposes in reasonable amounts. Large areas of fens are neglected where fen peat is slowly mineralizing and emitting greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that are ones of the main triggers for the Climate Change. Thus, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and for reasonable and extensive use of natural resources, it is important to find new fields for use of fen peat. One of many fields where fen peat has high potential is environmental technology, allowing minimizing the use and generation of hazardous substances or pollutants. Moreover, use of fen peat can be as an alternative technological approach to reduce consumption of nonrenewable resources. However, in the generation and evaluation of new or alternative solutions, it is important that all available information on the potentially new product or its source is set out as clearly and as economically as possible. Thus, in this study we evaluated some of the most significant fen peat properties for consideration of its use in green technologies. Our study shows on wide range of possibilities where fen peat due to its properties has high application potential. Fen peat has a high potential in fields from agriculture and horticulture to pharmacology. Initiation of industrial fen peat extraction in excavated raised bogs and fen peat layer removal from agricultural lands can limit peat mineralization and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions. Fen peat extraction can limit the need for peat excavation in intact mires and promote reasonable extraction of local natural resources.