There is an urgent requirement to develop new, more efficient and sustainable renewable energy technologies from biomass, which can mitigate green-house gas emissions and reduce climate change. It is essential to prevent that increased biomass export from agriculture and forestry for energy production will not impair soil quality in the longer perspective. Furthermore, the soil may act as a sink via sequestration of carbon in soil organic matter and counterbalance CO2 emissions.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), released though burning of fossil fuels and the decomposition of plant bio-mass and soil organic matter, is an important driver of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect. To avoid the most damaging climate change effects on the global ecosystems it is essential now to stimulate comprehensive mitigation efforts. Bioenergy and carbon sequestration are not independent measures, since an increased use of biomass for bioenergy production can accelerate the decline rate of soil organic matter of cultivated soils and reduce soil fertility and if the forest is cleared for bioenergy production the carbon stock in tree biomass is transformed into CO2. New flash pyrolysis technologies have been proposed as a sustainable technology for co-production of bio-oil and bio-char (black carbon, charcoal) from biomass. The bio-oil can be used as fuel in power plants or as feedstock for e.g. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of diesel and bio-char can be applied for long-lasting C sequestration in soil. In this way bio-char can compensate for reduced direct biomass incorporation in soil, potentially build the soil C-stock and it may have additional beneficial effects on soil quality, nutrient dynamics and crop yields.
The main aims of this interdisciplinary project are:
- to develop and upscale a new pyrolysis technology for decentralised co-production of bio-oil and bio-char from biomass.
- to characterise the bio-oil combustion characteristics and the bio-char in term of environmental properties e.g. PAHs, heavy metals, macro and micro nutrients, pH, CEC, pore size distribution and biodegradability., and
- to determine the short-term effects and mechanism related to of bio-char amendments on soil fer-tility, nutrient dynamics and plant growth and quality.
Illustration of how plant biomass decomposes in a relatively short period of time, whereas biochar is orders of magnitudes. A certain amount of carbon that cycles annually through plants, half of it can be taken out of its natural cycle and sequestered in a much slower biochar cycle. From Lehmann (2007) A handful of carbon. Nature 447, 143-144
For the first time a complete study and evaluation of a new pyrolyses concept will be conducted that includes pyrolysis technology with biofuel production, carbon sequestration and improvement of soil quality and soil nutrient balances. Thus, the project will contribute to both innovation within the energy industry and develop new environmental technologies which can enhance sustainability of bioenergy production, agricultural impact on the environment and mitigate CO2 to contribute to stabilization of climate change. Business concepts of C sequestration in soils and forests for countries, companies and consumers are developing (carbon markets) and such concepts could have interest in pyrolysis technologies utilizing bioresidues
The project is organized in three main workpackage activities: i) oil stability and combustion stability including optimal pyrolysis conditions, ii) bio-char short term effects looking at soil nutrient dynamics, GHG emissions and plant growth, and iii) chemical quality assessment of bio-oils and bio-chars
Participants:
BIOCHAR involves a consortium of 3 research groups at DTU; Biosystems Division at Risø DTU (Biosystems: Ecosystems and Thermo-chemical processing) and Institute of Chemical Engineering
Role:
Risø DTU is WP-leader on “Effect of bio-char on soil nutrient dynamics, GHG emissions and plant growth” (WP2) and “Quality assessment of bio-oils and bio-chars” (WP3) which includes soil-biochar incubation studies measuring C and N dynamics as well as estimating biochar and biooil chemical characteristics developing advanced analytical chemistry methodologies.
Resources:
BIOCHAR is funded by globalization money from DTU
Duration:
BIOCHAR runs from 2008 through 2010.
Employees involved:
Peter Arendt Jensen (Project Coordinator, WP1 manager and pyrolysis), Per Ambus (N and C analysis), Henrik Hauggaard-Nielsen (WP2 manager and soil N and C dynamics), Anette Eva Jensen (Laboratory technician), Anja Nielsen (Laboratory technician), Esben Bruun (PhD-student Biochar), Norazana binti Ibrahim (PhD-student Pyrolysis), Helge Egsgaard (WP3 manager and analytical chemistry) and Hanne Wojtaszewski (Laboratory technician)
Student projects:
Student projects can be offered in connection to the project.
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