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

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dc.contributor.authorLefebvre, David
dc.contributor.authorWilliams, Adrian
dc.contributor.authorKirk, Guy J. D.
dc.contributor.authorMeersmans, Jeroen
dc.contributor.authorSohi, Saran
dc.contributor.authorGoglio, Pietro
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Pete
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-14T13:07:26Z
dc.date.available2021-06-14T13:07:26Z
dc.date.issued2021-06-02
dc.description.abstractGreenhouse 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.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationLefebvre D, Williams A, Kirk GJD, et al., (2021) An anticipatory life cycle assessment of the use of biochar from sugarcane residues as a greenhouse gas removal technology. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 312, August 2021, Article number127764en_UK
dc.identifier.issn0959-6526
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127764
dc.identifier.urihttp://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/16761
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherElsevieren_UK
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectGreenhouse gas removal technology (GGRT)en_UK
dc.subjectNegative emissions technology (NET)en_UK
dc.subjectSugarcaneen_UK
dc.subjectSaccharum officinarum L.en_UK
dc.subjectLCAen_UK
dc.titleAn anticipatory life cycle assessment of the use of biochar from sugarcane residues as a greenhouse gas removal technologyen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK

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