Energy Balance and Emissions Associated with Biochar Sequestration and Pyrolysis Bioenergy Production

Submitted by Erin Rasmussen on

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Gaunt, John L; Johannes Lehmann

Source:

Environmental Science. Technolology, Volume 42, p.4152 (2008)

URL:

http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/publ/ES&T%2042,%204152-4158,%202008%20Gaunt.pdf

Abstract:

The implications for greenhouse gas emissions of optimizing a slow pyrolysis-based bioenergy system for biochar and energy production rather than solely for energy production were assessed. Scenarios for feedstock production were examined using a life-cycle approach. We considered both purpose grown bioenergy crops (BEC) and the use of crop wastes (CW) as feedstocks. The BEC scenarios involved a change from growing winterwheatto purposegrownmiscanthus, switchgrass, and corn as bioenergy crops. The CW scenarios consider both corn stover and winter wheat straw as feedstocks. Our findings show that the avoided emissions are between 2 and 5 times greater when biochar is applied to agricultural land (2