Carbon Sequestration and Emission Reduction with Biochar Systems - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Carbon Sequestration and Emission Reduction with Biochar Systems Johannes Lehmann Cornell University, USA

Initial Motivation for Biochar 500-8000 years old (Central Amazon, Brazil)

Biochar Product is NOT New …but never did account for biochar differences and different uses The National Greenkeeper, Feb 1933

Biochar Molecular Property Nguyen et al, 2010, EST 44, 3324–3331 McBeath et al, 2011, OG 42, 1194-1202 Mao et al, 2012, EST 46, 9571-9576

Biochar Persistence Global data set 500 Cut-off ‘biochar’ Molecular condensation Lehmann et al., 2015 Earthscan

Natural Biochar-type Soil Carbon Reisser et al 2016, Frontiers in Earth Sci

Pyrolysis-Biochar System Lehmann, 2007, Frontiers in Ecol Env

Climate Mitigation: Harnessing Large Fluxes Lehmann, 2007 Nature 447: 143-144

Biochar Systems Other C fluxes than soil C Other GHG (CH 4 , N 2 O)

Bioenergy Production through Pyrolysis GJ per Mg of dry, ash-free feedstock example system based on slow pyrolysis at 450 � C followed by tar-cracking at 800 � C (Woolf et al., 2014 ES&T)

Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions Life-Cycle Assessment World Bank Report, 2014

Climate Change Mitigation – Life Cycle Whitman et al, 2010, Carbon Management 1, 89-107 Whitman et al, 2013, Org. Geochem.

Biochar Systems Effects on GHG n=16 global studies with 51 scenarios Cowie et al., 2015, Earthscan

Systems View! (b) (b) (b) (kg CO 2 e t -1 DM biomass) Pyrolysis+biochar: -864 Combustion: -987 Offsetting NG for heat Effects on crop growth or soil GHG not included! Roberts et al, 2010, Environmental Science and Technology 44 , 827–833

Biochar Systems Effects on GHG Emissions per unit of feedstock utilised (t CO 2 e t -1 feedstock) Slow pyrolysis, 10-year period Effects on crop growth or soil GHG not included! Facility at 1 t/hr = emissions reduction of 7,200-34,000t CO 2 e /yr Gaunt and Cowie, 2009, Earthscan

Biochar as a Soil Amendment Nutrient Product Carbon Product Nutrient enrichment Carbon persistence Nutrient availability Surface area and functional groups Sterilization Electron shuttle and fused arom. Denaturing of pollutants Soil Health Fertilization GHG reduction + C sequestration Pollution avoidance Pollution reduction by leaching GHG reduction (+ C sequestration) and gas emissions Soil remediation Inoculant carriers Signaling (plant-plant; plant-MO)

Crop Yield Responses as a result of greater nutrient+water use efficiency etc. Global dataset Woolf et al., 2018, Adv. Soil Sci.

Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions with Biochar Average reduction 55% Application rate in field studies : in incubation studies: (n=30 studies) Van Zwieten et al. 2015, Earthscan

Energy Generation Avoided storage Biochar to corn No energy capture, no crop Centralized plant Roberts et al, unpubl.

Climate Change Mitigation 1. wood Avoided storage red. waste, LPG, asparagus emit. -1076 red. 2. stover, LPG, corn -664 emit. Biochar to corn red. 3. stover, NG, corn -649 emit. red. 4. stover, LPG, asparagus -648 emit. No energy capture, 5. PBT, red. forest no crop -457 emit. red. 6. stover(c) NG, corn emit. -933 red. Centralized plant 7. stover(c) NG, asparagus -915 emit. 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 GHG (kg CO 2 e t -1 DM) feedstock collection chipping pyrolysis construction dismantling biochar application reforesting avoided fossil fuel avoided fertilizer stable C soil N2O avoided chip storage Roberts et al

Financing the GHG Reduction Avoided storage Biochar to corn No energy capture, no crop Centralized plant 10% increased yield (/t DM) Roberts et al, unpubl.

Re-Coupling of Nutrient Cycles

Recycling of Dairy Manure using Biochar Value as ingredient of potting mix: appr. $1,900 ton -1 83% from C value (as potting mix) No contaminants (heavy metal, PAH, PCB, dioxin/furans, etc.) No pollutants from manure (pathogens, hormones, antibiotic) www.pyrolysis.cals.cornell.edu Enders, 2018, Report

Recycling of Dairy Manure Maximum Potential (NYS per year): $272M value for farmer $1.3B value for retail $114M reduced transportation (96% weight reduction; 10 mi transportation) $4-15M reduced GHG ($20-80/t CO 2 e) Proposal to NYSERDA, 2019 Group of Fengqi You

Biochar: Important for the Tool Basket? Climate-smart Site adapted Tools Conservation Flexible (No-till, mulching, Agroforestry Up-to-date intercropping, composting, etc) Manure Magmt.

Cornell Pyrolysis Facility - Tour www.pyrolysis.cals.cornell.edu