Some of the authors are FCRN mailing list members
a. Shackley, S., Hammond, J., Gaunt, J. and Ibarrola, R. (2011), ‘The feasibility and costs of biochar deployment in the UK’, Carbon Management, 3(2): 335-356.
Some of the authors are FCRN mailing list members
a. Shackley, S., Hammond, J., Gaunt, J. and Ibarrola, R. (2011), ‘The feasibility and costs of biochar deployment in the UK’, Carbon Management, 3(2): 335-356.
Biochar allows long-term (multi-centennial) soil carbon storage, with potential benefits for agricultural sustainability (e.g., productivity, reduced environmental impacts and water retention). Little is known about the costs of producing biochar and this study attempts to provide a ‘break-even selling point’ for biochar, accounting for costs from feedstock to soil application and revenues from electricity generation and gate fees. Depending on the assumptions used, biochar in the UK context may cost between GB£-148 t-1 and 389 t-1 (US$-222 to 584) produced, delivered and spread on fields, which is a provisional carbon abatement value of (GB£-144 tCO2–1 to 208 tCO2–1). A negative cost indicates a profit-making activity. The most profitable source of biochar is from wastes, but such materials will face complex regulatory issues and testing.
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b. Jim Hammond, Simon Shackley, Saran Sohi and Peter Brownsort (2011) 'Prospective life cycle carbon abatement for pyrolysis biochar systems in the UK'. Energy Policy 39, 2646-2655.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) of slow pyrolysis biochar systems (PBS) in the UK for small, medium and large scale process chains and ten feedstocks was performed, assessing carbon abatement and electricity production. Pyrolysis biochar systems appear to offer greater carbon abatement than other bioenergy systems. Carbon abatement of 0.7–1.3 t CO2 equivalent per oven dry tonne of feedstock processed was found. In terms of delivered energy, medium to large scale PBS abates 1.4–1.9 t CO2e/MWh, which compares to average carbon emissions of 0.05–0.30 t CO2e/MWh for other bioenergy systems. The largest contribution to PBS carbon abatement is from the feedstock carbon stabilised in biochar (40–50%), followed by the less certain indirect effects of biochar in the soil (25–40%)—mainly due to increase in soil organic carbon levels. Change in soil organic carbon levels was found to be a key sensitivity. Electricity production off-setting emissions from fossil fuels accounted for 10–25% of carbon abatement. The LCA suggests that provided 43% of the carbon in the biochar remains stable, PBS will out-perform direct combustion of biomass at 33% efficiency in terms of carbon abatement, even if there is no beneficial effect upon soil organic carbon levels from biochar application.
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