Life cycle assessment of combination of anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis: focusing on different options for biogas use

Mohammadi, Ali; Venkatesh, G.; Sandberg, Maria; Eskandari, Samieh; Granström, Karin

doi:10.5194/adgeo-49-57-2019

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The use of E-LCA enables researchers to evaluate biochar production throughout its life cycle, introduce the hotspots, and find solutions to mitigate the potential impacts [20]. Accordingly, numerous studies have employed this method to scrutinize the potential impacts of biochar production and application as an energy source or as a soil amendment [21]. Among other aspects of biochar production, a number of studies have employed E-LCA to evaluate the environmental impacts of biochar application in paddy fields.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review on Advancement and Challenges of Biochar Application in Paddy Fields: Environmental and Life Cycle Cost Analysis

et al. 2020

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Paddy fields emit considerable amounts of methane (CH4), which is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) and, thereby, causes significant environmental impacts, even as they generate wealth and jobs directly in the agricultural sector, and indirectly in the food-processing sector. Application of biochar in rice production systems will not just help to truncate their carbon footprints, but also add to the bottom-line. In this work, the authors have reviewed the literature on climate change, human health, and economic impacts of using organic residues to make biochar for the addition to croplands especially to rice paddy fields. Biochar-bioenergy systems range in scale from small household cook-stoves to large industrial pyrolysis plants. Biochar can be purveyed in different forms—raw, mineral-enriched, or blended with compost. The review of published environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) studies showed biochar has the potential to mitigate the carbon footprint of farming systems through a range of mechanisms. The most important factors are the stabilization of the carbon in the biochar and the generation of recoverable energy from pyrolysis gases produced as co-products with biochar as well as decreased fertiliser requirement and enhanced crop productivity. The quantitative review of E-LCA studies concluded that the carbon footprint of rice produced in biochar-treated soil was estimated to range from −1.43 to 2.79 kg CO2-eq per kg rice grain, implying a significant reduction relative to rice produced without a biochar soil amendment. The suppression of soil-methane emission due to the biochar addition is the dominant process with a negative contribution of 40–70% in the climate change mitigation of rice production. The review of the life cycle cost studies on biochar use as an additive in farmlands demonstrated that biochar application can be an economically-feasible approach in some conditions. Strategies like the subsidization of the initial biochar capital cost and assignment of a non-trivial price for carbon abatement in future pricing mechanisms will enhance the economic benefits for the rice farmers.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review on Advancement and Challenges of Biochar Application in Paddy Fields: Environmental and Life Cycle Cost Analysis

et al. 2020

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“…A life cycle assessment determined that incorporating anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis could be viable for increasing energy production and nutrient reuse by producing biogas for bioenergy and biochar for soil amendment materials. Additionally, the various aspects of biogas utilisation, such as power generation, electricity generation, household cooking, and transportation fuel, have a significant impact on the results of life cycle assessments (Mohammadi et al 2019). The life cycle assessment of pulp and paper mill sludge was conducted under three distinct biogas enduse scenarios involving the use of biogas for vehicle fuel, electricity, heat generation, and household cooking.…”

Section: Benefits Of the Circular Integration Of Biochar With Biogas ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of biogas systems into a carbon zero and hydrogen economy: a review

et al. 2022

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The Ukraine conflict has put critical pressure on gas supplies and increased the price of fertilisers. As a consequence, biogas has gained remarkable attention as a local source of both gas for energy and biofertiliser for agriculture. Moreover, climate change-related damage incentivises all sectors to decarbonise and integrate sustainable practices. For instance, anaerobic digestion allows decarbonisation and optimal waste management. Incorporating a biogas system in each country would limit global warming to 2 °C. If suitable policies mechanisms are implemented, the biogas industry could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 3.29–4.36 gigatonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, which represent about 10–13% of global emissions. Here, we review the role of the biogas sector in capturing methane and mitigating carbon emissions associated with biogas outputs. Since biogas impurities can cause severe practical difficulties in biogas storing and gas grid delivering systems, we present upgrading technologies that remove or consume the carbon dioxide in raw biogas, to achieve a minimum of 95% methane content. We discuss the role of hydrogen-assisted biological biogas upgrading in carbon sequestration by converting carbon dioxide to biomethane via utilising hydrogen generated primarily through other renewable energy sources such as water electrolysis and photovoltaic solar facilities or wind turbines. This conceptual shift of 'power to gas' allows storing and utilising the excess of energy generated in grids. By converting carbon dioxide produced during anaerobic digestion into additional biomethane, biogas has the potential to meet 53% of the demand for fossil natural gas. We also evaluate the role of digestate from biogas systems in producing biochar, which can be used directly as a biofertiliser or indirectly as a biomethanation enhancement, upgrading, and cleaning material.

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“…Pulp and paper mill wastewater sludge also contains large amounts of heavy metals; therefore, using sludge for biochar production and subsequently compressing the biochar into pellets with regular shape and size can substantially reduce bioavailability and eco-toxicity of heavy metals due to transformation in the chemical compositions of the metals during the process of carbonization and pelletization [39,41]. Pyrolysis is a promising sludge treatment method for heavy metals immobilization [51].…”

Section: Challenges Of Pelletizing Biochars Derived From Highly Recalcitrant Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of the Benefits and Challenges Associated with Pelletizing Biochar

Mohammadi

2021

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Biochar can be derived from a wide variety of organic materials including agricultural wastes and residues, animal wastes, municipal solid wastes, pulp and paper mill wastes, and sewage sludge. Its productivity relies on feedstock type and thermochemical conditions of production. Biochar has many application advantages in several fields and has been widely studied in recent years. However, most of these studies are mainly on the powder form of biochar, while its pelleted form is sparsely reported. Even with the reported studies on biochar pellets, there is still lack of knowledge and awareness of the effects of different feedstock on the densification behavior of biochar. The mechanisms of biochar densification, which appear to be sensitive to the conditions predominating during its thermochemical production, are affected by the material from which the biochar is derived. This partly accounts for why biochar pellets have not been widely adopted in various application fields. Therefore, this paper presents an overview of the benefits associated with the use of biochar pellets and discusses the challenges encountered when pelleting biochars that are derived from different feedstock under various carbonization conditions. Research priority areas needed to overcome the challenges are also identified and discussed. The purpose is to contribute to better understanding on biochar pelletization behavior, and to offer insights useful to comprehend some basic principles that may occur in the pelleting process and to ease further and more thorough investigations.

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Life cycle assessment of combination of anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis: focusing on different options for biogas use

Cited by 18 publications

References 34 publications

A Critical Review on Advancement and Challenges of Biochar Application in Paddy Fields: Environmental and Life Cycle Cost Analysis

A Critical Review on Advancement and Challenges of Biochar Application in Paddy Fields: Environmental and Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Integration of biogas systems into a carbon zero and hydrogen economy: a review

Overview of the Benefits and Challenges Associated with Pelletizing Biochar

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