Biochar An Economic Challenge. Christoph Steiner, Gerald Marinitsch BIOCHAR.org,

Transcription

1 Biochar An Economic Challenge Christoph Steiner, Gerald Marinitsch BIOCHAR.org,

2 Biochar production costs and values Biochar costs feedstock availability and costs technology labor requirement byproducts such as heat and power opportunity costs Biochar quality Biochar values agronomic benefits climate change mitigation others?? animal health, odor reduction

3 Biomass availability Each year, the USA population uses three times more fossil energy than the total solar energy captured by all the plants in the USA per year (Pimentel et al. 2009) In the USA, only 1% to 2% home heating is achieved with wood (USCB 1990). FAO, The State of Food and Agriculture 2007

4 Biomass availability Galveston, Tx

5 Biomass availability Denmark/Germany

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7 Biomass availability Northern Nigeria

8 Biomass availability Northern Nigeria

9 Biomass availability Northern Nigeria

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11 Biomass availability humid tropics e.g. oil palm

12 Generates EFB Mg yr -1 A Mill with a capacity of 60 Mg FFB h -1

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14 Emissions Trading biochar carbon sequestration Is the carbon value of biochar more than that of charcoal used to substitute fossil fuel? Additionality? Is biochar additional as it will always compete with charcoal? Would highly priced biochar products pass the additionality test?

15 Emissions Trading biochar vs. ash These lost profits need to be compensated by agronomic benefits and/or carbon credits

16 Emissions Trading transaction costs Aggregated transaction costs are currently averaging about $200,000 per project. (UNDP, CDM User s Guide)

17 Emissions Trading acknowledgement

18 Biochar biomass feedstock Energy production Biochar production costs Biochar opportunity costs Technical difficulties High value biomass Ideal Some energy in the char Low due to energy production Fuel value (high quality charcoal) Fuel value of the biomass Easier European waste biomass Not ideal: High moisture content High ash content low bulk density Some energy in the char Relatively high low fuel value (ash content) Challenging: chlorine corrosion deposition of ash layers heat transfer

19 BlackCarbon Denmark

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23 The BC300 CHP pyrolysis unit

24 The BC300 CHP pyrolysis unit Biomass Biochar Heat Exchanger Pyrolysis CHP Burner Stirling Engine Hot exhaust gases Pyrolysis gas Heat & Power

25 CAPACITY Stirling engine Stirling DK fills a significant gap in biomass CHP High (> 500 kw) Low (< 500 kw) Combined Cycle Gas Turbines Diesel gen sets Gas/oil fired boilers + steam turbine Biomass Gasification +engine Gas engine Coal fired boilers + steam turbine. Biomass +ORC Stirling Biomass +steam turbine SUITABILITY FOR BASE LOAD High Fuel Cost Low Fuel Cost

26 Technology combustion chamber and Stirling engine Gerald Marinitsch

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30 Stirling single engine containerized plant Gerald Marinitsch

31 Stirling 4 engine installation Tabarz, Germany Gerald Marinitsch

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33 Sonnenerde Austria

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37 Peat substitute: Adding value and GHG emissions reductions Renewable Energy/Biochar System Fossil Energy/Peat Reference System Reducing atmos. C Increasing atmos. C Avoided Emissions Biomass energy Avoided Emissions peat substitution Pyrolysis Emissions Fossil Fuel Emissions Peat Decay Sequestered Carbon Mining of fossil carbon

38 Peat substitute: Adding value and GHG emissions reductions Renewable Energy/Biochar System Fossil Energy/Peat Reference System Biomass Energy 0 Mg CO 2e Biochar as peat substitute Mg CO 2e Sequestered Carbon Mg CO 2e Pyrolysis Reducing atmos. C Increasing atmos. C Emissions Fossil Fuel 176 Mg CO 2e Emissions Peat Decay 283 Mg CO 2e Mining of fossil carbon 459 Mg CO 2e 915 Mg CO 2e per year per BC-300

39 Biochar based growing media 100% peat based growing media

40 Biochar based growing media 100% peat based growing media

41 Compost: Adding value and GHG emissions reductions Renewable Energy/Biochar System Fossil Energy/Peat Reference System Reducing atmos. C Increasing atmos. C Avoided Emissions Biomass energy Avoided Emissions Compost, landfill Pyrolysis Emissions Fossil Fuel Emissions CH 4, N 2 O, CO 2,? Sequestered Carbon Mining of fossil carbon

42 Experiment II biochar as bulking agent in composting

43 Compost with and without biochar 0% Kohle 20% Kohle 20% Kohle

44 Other applications: Adding value GHG emissions reductions Renewable Energy/Biochar System Fossil Energy/Peat Reference System Reducing atmos. C Increasing atmos. C Avoided Emissions Biomass energy Avoided Emissions, added Value????????? Pyrolysis?? Emissions Fossil Fuel Emissions CH 4, N 2 O, CO 2,? Sequestered Carbon Mining of fossil carbon

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