An anticipatory life cycle assessment of the use of biochar from sugarcane residues as a greenhouse gas removal technology

David Lefebvre; Adrian Williams; Guy J.D. Kirk; Jeroen Meersmans; Saran Sohi; Pietro Goglio; Pete Smith

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127764

An anticipatory life cycle assessment of the use of biochar from sugarcane residues as a greenhouse gas removal technology

David Lefebvre^*, Adrian Williams, Guy J.D. Kirk, Jeroen Meersmans, Saran Sohi, Pietro Goglio, Pete Smith

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Greenhouse gas removal technologies are needed to reach the targets of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. Among existing technologies, the use of biochar is considered promising, particularly biochar derived from the large quantities of sugarcane residues available in South America and elsewhere. However, the net greenhouse gas removal potential of sugarcane biochar has not been assessed hitherto. We use a scenario-based anticipatory life cycle assessment to investigate the emissions associated with a change from the combustion of sugarcane residues in a combined heat and power plant to the pyrolysis of these residues for biochar production and field application in São Paulo State, Brazil. We define scenarios based on different mean marginal electricity production and biochar production share. The results indicate that emissions from covering the electricity deficit generated by partial combustion of biomass during biochar production is the main emitting process. Overall, the processes associated with biochar production lower the net greenhouse gas benefits of the biochar by around 25%. Our analysis suggests that allocating 100% of the available sugarcane residues to biochar production could sequester 6.3 ± 0.5 t CO2eq ha−1 yr−1 of sugarcane in São Paulo State. Scaled up to the entire State, the practice could lead to the removal of 23% of the total amount of GHGs emitted by the State in 2016.

Original language	English
Article number	127764
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Cleaner Production
Volume	312
Early online date	2 Jun 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127764
Publication status	Published - 20 Aug 2021

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments
We thank Dr Ondřej Mašek from the University of Edinburgh and Dr Bernardo M.M.N. Borges from the University of São Paulo for their insights and advices on pyrolysis technologies and sugarcane management. We acknowledge funding through the UP-Green-LCA (NE/P019668/1) and Soils-R-GGREAT (NE/P019498/1) projects of the greenhouse gas removal (GGR) programme. The GGR programme is financed by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) and the UK department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Keywords

Greenhouse gas removal technology (GGRT)
Negative emissions technology (NET)
Sugarcane
Saccharum officinarum L.
LCA
General Environmental Science
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Strategy and Management
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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abstract = "Greenhouse gas removal technologies are needed to reach the targets of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. Among existing technologies, the use of biochar is considered promising, particularly biochar derived from the large quantities of sugarcane residues available in South America and elsewhere. However, the net greenhouse gas removal potential of sugarcane biochar has not been assessed hitherto. We use a scenario-based anticipatory life cycle assessment to investigate the emissions associated with a change from the combustion of sugarcane residues in a combined heat and power plant to the pyrolysis of these residues for biochar production and field application in S{\~a}o Paulo State, Brazil. We define scenarios based on different mean marginal electricity production and biochar production share. The results indicate that emissions from covering the electricity deficit generated by partial combustion of biomass during biochar production is the main emitting process. Overall, the processes associated with biochar production lower the net greenhouse gas benefits of the biochar by around 25%. Our analysis suggests that allocating 100% of the available sugarcane residues to biochar production could sequester 6.3 ± 0.5 t CO2eq ha−1 yr−1 of sugarcane in S{\~a}o Paulo State. Scaled up to the entire State, the practice could lead to the removal of 23% of the total amount of GHGs emitted by the State in 2016.",

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author = "David Lefebvre and Adrian Williams and Kirk, {Guy J.D.} and Jeroen Meersmans and Saran Sohi and Pietro Goglio and Pete Smith",

note = "Acknowledgments We thank Dr Ond{\v r}ej Ma{\v s}ek from the University of Edinburgh and Dr Bernardo M.M.N. Borges from the University of S{\~a}o Paulo for their insights and advices on pyrolysis technologies and sugarcane management. We acknowledge funding through the UP-Green-LCA (NE/P019668/1) and Soils-R-GGREAT (NE/P019498/1) projects of the greenhouse gas removal (GGR) programme. The GGR programme is financed by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) and the UK department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).",

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AU - Williams, Adrian

AU - Kirk, Guy J.D.

AU - Meersmans, Jeroen

AU - Sohi, Saran

AU - Goglio, Pietro

AU - Smith, Pete

N1 - Acknowledgments We thank Dr Ondřej Mašek from the University of Edinburgh and Dr Bernardo M.M.N. Borges from the University of São Paulo for their insights and advices on pyrolysis technologies and sugarcane management. We acknowledge funding through the UP-Green-LCA (NE/P019668/1) and Soils-R-GGREAT (NE/P019498/1) projects of the greenhouse gas removal (GGR) programme. The GGR programme is financed by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) and the UK department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

PY - 2021/8/20

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N2 - Greenhouse gas removal technologies are needed to reach the targets of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. Among existing technologies, the use of biochar is considered promising, particularly biochar derived from the large quantities of sugarcane residues available in South America and elsewhere. However, the net greenhouse gas removal potential of sugarcane biochar has not been assessed hitherto. We use a scenario-based anticipatory life cycle assessment to investigate the emissions associated with a change from the combustion of sugarcane residues in a combined heat and power plant to the pyrolysis of these residues for biochar production and field application in São Paulo State, Brazil. We define scenarios based on different mean marginal electricity production and biochar production share. The results indicate that emissions from covering the electricity deficit generated by partial combustion of biomass during biochar production is the main emitting process. Overall, the processes associated with biochar production lower the net greenhouse gas benefits of the biochar by around 25%. Our analysis suggests that allocating 100% of the available sugarcane residues to biochar production could sequester 6.3 ± 0.5 t CO2eq ha−1 yr−1 of sugarcane in São Paulo State. Scaled up to the entire State, the practice could lead to the removal of 23% of the total amount of GHGs emitted by the State in 2016.

AB - Greenhouse gas removal technologies are needed to reach the targets of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. Among existing technologies, the use of biochar is considered promising, particularly biochar derived from the large quantities of sugarcane residues available in South America and elsewhere. However, the net greenhouse gas removal potential of sugarcane biochar has not been assessed hitherto. We use a scenario-based anticipatory life cycle assessment to investigate the emissions associated with a change from the combustion of sugarcane residues in a combined heat and power plant to the pyrolysis of these residues for biochar production and field application in São Paulo State, Brazil. We define scenarios based on different mean marginal electricity production and biochar production share. The results indicate that emissions from covering the electricity deficit generated by partial combustion of biomass during biochar production is the main emitting process. Overall, the processes associated with biochar production lower the net greenhouse gas benefits of the biochar by around 25%. Our analysis suggests that allocating 100% of the available sugarcane residues to biochar production could sequester 6.3 ± 0.5 t CO2eq ha−1 yr−1 of sugarcane in São Paulo State. Scaled up to the entire State, the practice could lead to the removal of 23% of the total amount of GHGs emitted by the State in 2016.

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KW - Negative emissions technology (NET)

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KW - Saccharum officinarum L.

KW - LCA

KW - General Environmental Science

KW - Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

KW - Strategy and Management

KW - Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

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DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127764

M3 - Article

SN - 0959-6526

VL - 312

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

M1 - 127764

ER -

An anticipatory life cycle assessment of the use of biochar from sugarcane residues as a greenhouse gas removal technology

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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